Kentucky football recruiting roundup: The 2011 class

I know you’re all devastated, but I’ve decided to close the book on the “5 new names 2 know” series. I’ve profiled a bunch of guys on the current roster and we’re at the point in the season where only injuries will force a new guy to step up. So after a couple of weeks of highlighting players already on the roster, today’s post is going to look into the future a little more and will break down the current football verbals and how they will fit into Kentucky’s roster next year.

Justin Bean – WR – 6’2 / 195 – Tupelo, MS
Bean originally committed to Kentucky as part of the 2009 class and was considered a pretty big pickup by the staff at that time. He failed to qualify and ended up at Itawamba Community College and will have three years of eligibility by the time he enrolls at Kentucky. Bean will be an important part of this class because he will bring size and 4.5 speed to the receiver position immediately after losing fellow JUCO player Chris Matthews to graduation. It will be important for him to hit the ground running so he can provide some depth behind probable starters Randall Cobb, LaRod King, and Gene McCaskill. There are still some concerns as to whether or not he will qualify this year, but Kentucky needs him to be on campus and he could be a January enrollee if he takes care of business off the field.

Terrell Mitchell – TE – 6’6 / 245 – Powder Springs, GA
Much like Bean, Mitchell was a member of the 2009 class and was a signature signing for the staff. He also failed to qualify and enrolled at Georgia Military College and will have three years of eligibility when he gets here. Mitchell will have his work cut out for him this time around though because of the emergence of Jordan Aumiller and Tyler Robinson at Tight End. Throw in Nick Meillilo, talented redshirt freshman Anthony Kendrick, heralded recruit Alex Smith, and current verbal Jon Davis, and tight end is a pretty stacked position for the Wildcats heading forward. Mitchell was one of the most highly recruited players of the 2009 class and he has plenty of talent on his own. He has the type of speed that could also allow him to be featured as a slot receiver if needed.

Max Smith – QB – 6’5 / 220 – Van Nuys, CA
When the Kentucky staff scored a commitment from Smith, there was a resounding “Who?’ from the fans. Smith was a relatively unheard of recruit from the west coast that plays in the type of high school offense that doesn’t exactly make a QB shine. He was very lightly recruited as a member of the 2010 class and hadn’t signed with anyone by the time NSD had come and gone. He sent some tape of himself out to coaches and Kentucky saw it and decided to grab him and stow him away for January enrollment. Smith is the type of natural pro-style quarterback that has a cannon for an arm and can open up the field to pretty much any throw. With Hartline graduating, he may be kept on the depth chart to provide some depth behind Mossakowski and Newton, or he also could be redshirted. It will likely come down to how well he can acclimate to the Kentucky playbook between January and September.

Theltus Cobbins – QB – 6’2 / 190 – New Orleans, LA
Cobbins is an athletic quarterback that could fill multiple roles for the Wildcats. He was offered as a quarterback and that is likely where he will start out, but hw has the type of speed that will allow him to switch to receiver or defensive back if his future looks brighter at another position. If he does stick at QB, he’ll give Kentucky a strong arm and a fast set of legs to mold the playbook around. With all that said, don’t look at Cobbins as a guy that will be moved from quarterback because he doesn’t have the arm for the position. He can wing the ball with the best of them, but his eventual placement will probably depend on Kentucky’s need and where he will have the biggest impact. He’s a likely redshirt candidate.

Ashley Lowery – ATH – 6’1 / 190 – Cleveland, GA
Although most consider Lowery a lock for safety or outside linebacker, he has used his senior year to make some highlight reels of himself as a running back. You have to wonder if Kentucky will give him a shot on offense because of his obvious talent, and because the Cats are almost overloaded with defensive backs at this point. Regardless of where he plays, Lowery could be one of the surprise freshmen of this class and has a decent chance to see the field in his first year on campus. If he is placed at safety, he and classmate Glen Faulkner could very well be the guys to take over after Winston Guy and Mychal Bailey graduate.

Antonio Cannon – WR – 6’2 / 175 – Central, SC
With Matthews graduating after this season, and Cobb and Roark set to leave the following year, receiver was a pretty obvious need in this class. Antonio Cannon is the type of well-rounded receiver that can stretch the field and go up for the jump ball, or can catch a screen and turn it into a 30 yards pickup. He will come in with a couple of other receivers and should help provide some stability to what is expected to be a thin position group for the 2011 campaign.

Rashad Cunningham – 6’4 / 200 – Mobile, AL
When looking over some of the receivers Kentucky has targeted and signed over the last few years, it’s pretty obvious that taller players are the preference. So enters Cunningham at 6’4 and he has all the tools to be a future NFL guy. He hails from the hometown of Tee Martin down in Mobile Alabama and will provide Kentucky’s quarterback with another big target to stretch the field and grab touchdowns in the redzone.

Nile Daniel – WR – 6’0 / 180 – Griffin, GA
While most of Kentucky’s targets for receiver are taller guys, Nile Daniel isn’t exactly short at 6’0 tall. He will come to Kentucky and start out as a receiver, but there’s also a possibility he could end up at running back or as a defensive back if he proves a better fit elsewhere. Assuming he stays out wide, Daniel will be one of the faster receivers in the class and will be one of the deep targets in Kentucky’s pro-style offense. You have to love a guy that’s hearing from schools like Alabama, Florida and Georgia, and Daniel may end up being tough to hold onto until February.

Josh Forrest – WR – 6’4 / 200 – Paducah, KY
While Forrest was a solid football player prior to this season, he’d previously been better known as one of the top basketball players in Kentucky before he committed to be a member of the 2011 football class. He has excellent athleticism for his size and is agile enough to play point guard at 6’4. There is some speculation that he could be a tight end in college, but from what I’ve been told, he’s going to start out as a slot receiver and will be a big target to catch passes over the middle of the field. Conventional wisdom would say he’s a likely redshirt candidate because he’s only been playing football for two years, but if he can prove he’s ready to step up and make plays he could see the field as a freshman. He might be one of the biggest surprises of the class when it’s all said and done.

Jon Davis – ATH – 6’3 / 235
– Louisville, KY
The biggest problem involved with getting a commitment for Jon Davis is figuring out exactly where to place him. He has the size, strength and speed to play running back, tight end, fullback, linebacker, defensive end, or even safety. Based on quotes from Jon, it sounds like the staff plans on giving him a crack at tight end initially and that might be the spot where he shows the most promise. With the impending graduation of Moncell Allen, Kentucky doesn’t have an established fullback on the roster and this could lead to more two-tight end sets. If this ends up being the case, Davis is a match up nightmare for defensive coordinators. He would likely be used as an H-back and motioned all over the formations providing him match ups against linebackers he can blow by and defensive backs he can run over. He remains one of the most high-profile commitments in the class and keeping him locked up through signing day needs to be a top priority for the staff.

Zach West – OL – 6’5 / 300 – Lexington, KY
For whatever reason, West didn’t appear to be one of the staff’s top targets at offensive line despite playing a need position and hailing from the shadows of Commonwealth stadium in Lexington. After several high level BCS schools offered, Kentucky was able to win out and gain a commitment from the standout. West will come to Kentucky with the versatility to play tackle or guard in college and will help solidify the offensive line for the next four years. Like most offensive linemen, he is likely to redshirt his first year on campus.

Darrian Miller – OL – 6’6 / 280 – Lexington, KY
There really isn’t a better scenario for Kentucky than to have two of the highest rated offensive linemen to come out of the state in years emerge right under their noses in Lexington just as they have a dire need for help in the trenches. Miller joins Zach West as the other half of that duo and he might be the single most important commitment in the class yet. He picked Kentucky over offers from schools like Alabama and Tennessee and one look at him makes it obvious he’s SEC material. He has the type of length you want from a tackle at the college level and that’s where he’s likely to start out. He is also likely to redshirt as he fills out and adds weight and muscle to his frame.

Nick Martin – OL – 6’5 / 270 – Indianapolis, IN
Rounding out the offensive linemen in the 2011 class is Nick Martin. Despite his dad being a former Wildcat, there was some concern that he might decide to go elsewhere, especially after his older brother chose Notre Dame. He did end up picking Kentucky despite offers from most of the BCS schools in the Midwest and will provide the Cats with another big body to place along the offensive line. Just watching a youtube video of Martin makes it pretty obvious that he can play, but it isn’t clear where exactly that will be. He has the size and foot-speed to play either tackle, but also has the strength and mentality to play guard. He will probably redshirt his first year as well.

Shaq Love – DT – 6’5 / 280 – Harriman, TN
It’s hard not to like a guy with a name like Shaq Love and Kentucky fans will love the type of production he brings on the field. He’ll likely end up at defensive tackle and will help fill a position of major need along the defensive line. Love is actually pretty quick for a guy his size and he has the type of height Kentucky hasn’t had in the interior of their defense in recent memory. With the Wildcats slated to lose Ricky Lumpkin and Shane McCord to graduation, he could be called upon as a freshman if Mister Cobble can’t get eligible.

Christian Coleman – DE – 6’4 / 255 – Milan, TN
After signing linebacker Avery Williamson, the focus down in Milan quickly turned to his teammate Christian Coleman. Despite signing nine guys that could end up at defensive end, the position still needed some attention due to Patterson and Huguenin not qualifying and Douglas, Henderson, and Davis being smaller pass-rushing type ends. Coleman fills a need for a big run-stopping lineman and he could even move inside to defensive tackle on passing downs early on, or may end up there in the end if he can add the weight and strength necessary to play on the interior line in the SEC.

Blake Terry – LB – 5’11 / 235 – Denton, TX
It was clear that linebacker would be a major position of need in this class for Kentucky last season, and that was before the defections of William Johnson, Ryan Mosby and Jarvis Walker. Then the Wildcats had three guys who had potential at linebacker fail to qualify in Tim Patterson, Jabari Johnson, and Farrington Huguenin and the position was left so thin that freshmen Avery Williamson and Jewell Ratliff were forced to play early to provide depth. Terry will come to Kentucky just in time to help out and he brings a whole barrel of highlight reels with him. He’s got speed and strength, but the most impressive thing about him is his ability to fight through blocks and meet the ball carrier in the backfield. If he’s three inches taller, there’s almost no chance of Kentucky getting him out of Texas.

E.J. May – CB – 5’11 / 175 – Mobile, AL
The newest commitment for Kentucky, May is a lockdown corner and joins Cunningham as the second player from Mobile. While he might not be the most high profile player in the class, he has plenty of talent and should be a three star prospect when he’s eventually rated. He will add some depth to the defensive backfield and give the Wildcats another fast athlete on defense. The problem might eventually be holding on to him as he continues to have a fantastic senior season.

Riyahd Jones – CB – 6’0 / 170 – Columbus, GA
After attending camp at Kentucky as a receiver and going home without an offer, Jones returned and went through drills as a defensive back. This time he got an offer and committed to the Wildcats. Jones is a phenomenal athlete that will start out as a corner, but could also end up at safety if he fills out. He has the speed to play man-to-man or drop into a zone and is the type of DB that can take any interception back for a touchdown with his skills in the open field. He could be tough to hold onto though, as he’s garnered several awards during the summer camp circuits and has played well when healthy this season.

Daylen Hall – CB – 5’9 / 170 – Louisville, KY
There may have been a more controversial commitment this year than when Hall committed to Kentucky and was quoted as saying that he picked Kentucky for now, but would be listen to “big schools” like Louisville or Cincinnati if they came calling. He backed off of those comments shortly after making them and is considered a firm commitment to the Wildcats at this time. Hall will come to Kentucky with raw speed as his calling card and has been timed below 4.4 seconds in the forty-yard dash. He’ll add some depth at cornerback early on while he’s getting the hang of the college game, but he could make an immediate impact as a kick returner.

Glenn Faulkner – DB – 6’3 / 195 – East St. Louis, IL
At this point, Faulkner remains one of the highest rated recruits in Kentucky’s class. He really blew up over the summer and went from an unknown to one of the top safety prospects in the country, but remained loyal to Kentucky after some big name schools came calling. Faulkner is one of the most important pieces of the 2011 class because he fills a position of need with a high-caliber player and he could easily see the field as a true freshman if he play
s up to his potential.

Look for Kentucky to really focus on the linebacker and defensive tackle positions to close out this class with guys like Lamar Dawson, Stephen Daniels, David Washington, and Isaiah Norton as the top remaining targets.

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