Kentucky's two biggest football recruits in 2011? Cobb and Trevathan

With the regular season over, the talk of who Kentucky will lose this offseason should start to heat up soon. With the low number of seniors graduating this year and the high number of verbal commitments being accepted by the Wildcat caching staff, some serious roster movement is probably in the not to distant future. I have no intentions of speculating about who won’t be back publicly, but the two most important players to retain are pretty clear at this point, Cobb and Trevathan. Both players are supremely talented athletes that could undoubtedly find a home in the NFL, but both guys have to ask themselves a series of questions.

1. How much better can I become by returning for my senior season?
2. Is returning worth the risk of injury?
3. How does my game fit into the NFL?
4. Do I have anything left to accomplish at UK?
5. What’s the major upside of returning?

Randall Cobb is clearly the most talented player on the offensive side of the ball for the Wildcats. He’s been used primarily as a wide receiver this year, but has also rushed, passed, and returned his way to a record season for Kentucky. He’s as dynamic of a player as UK has ever had and might be the single most versatile player in the country. But what is the outlook on his return?

1. A lot of fans think Cobb has nothing left to prove by returning and his stock is as high as it will ever be right now. I would actually disagree with this notion. Cobb has proven himself as an all-purpose athlete with the best of the best, but there’s obviously still some work to do as a receiver. Cobb drops entirely too many passes to be an effective receiver in the NFL, and returning to really focus on playing receiver could help elevate his stock.
2. This became a little bit more of a consideration after seeing Derrick Locke’s season cut short this year. Cobb has been dinged up quite a bit with minor injuries throughout his career and he’s always just a play away from a major one. With Raymond Sanders, Donald Russell, Jonathan George, and Brandon Gainer all in the backfield, there will be a decreased need for Cobb to run the ball, and this will reduce the hits he takes. This still might be the toughest question to answer though.
3. Cobb fits in as a special teamer and a slot receiver at this time. A little work on the nuances of the position could help elevate him to an outside receiver in the NFL, but his small stature and relative lack of speed will hurt him initially. Although Cobb is unlikely to blow anyone out of the water at the combine, I do think he has adequate speed to play at the NFL level.
4. This one is a little bit of a double edged sword. On one hand, Cobb has done as much for UK as any player in recent years. He’s already accomplished so much, that it seems like there’s nothing more to gain. On the other hand, returning for his fourth year would allow him to re-write Kentucky’s record books. He would also be able to complete his degree.
5. For Cobb, the biggest upside to coming back would have to be refining his abilities as a receiver and showing the NFL scouts that he can be an effective pass-catcher. This will allow him to have a longer career with significantly higher pay.

Danny Trevathan has been the most underrated defensive player in the SEC this year and has been pretty much the only consistent tackler for Kentucky. He’s been a one-man wrecking crew all year and leads the SEC in tackles. Trevathan has fought through a broken hand for the second season in a row and has remained one of UK’s most reliable players. How do things stack up for him?

1. This one is kind of tough for Danny. On one hand, he’s been as good as any linebacker in the SEC this year and that’s a tough performance to follow up. On the other hand, he’s also had to play through injuries that have slowed him down in his last two years here. A healthy senior season might be enough to skyrocket his draft stock. I mean, the guys a beast with one hand, imagine if he had both for all 12 games.
2. Trevathan has avoided any major injuries in his time at Kentucky, but has a laundry list of minor ones. He’s played through a broken hand for two straight years and there’s always a chance to hurt himself again when playing linebacker at his size. The biggest factor here might be more along the lines of proving he can stay healthy for a whole year and showing what he can do. Of course another injury next year and he could see his stock plummet.
3. This might be the biggest factor for Danny. He doesn’t fit anywhere in a 3-4 defense except for maybe as a strong safety right now. If he were to put on an additional 20 pounds or so, he could possibly play one of the two MLB positions in this defense. He also hasn’t played at safety before, so teams might be hesitant to draft him very high. In the 4-3 defense, He could play the weak-side linebacker position (where he currently lines up) but he’s still undersized by NFL standards. I think this is definitely the best fit for him out of the options.
4. As far as accomplishments at UK, no not really. Danny has been the best player on defense all year and a tackling machine. He could have another monster season, but if the rest of the defense improves as well, he won’t be asked to do as much.
5. For Trevathan, the biggest upside to coming back would be the ability to play with better and more experienced teammates around him and giving him time to bulk up a little bit with Rock Oliver in the offseason.

Both Randall and Danny have been huge assets to Kentucky and both guys have been the heart of their units this season. Losing either would be a huge blow to the 2011 season. That being said, if either guy decides to leave and become a professional, I’m 100% ok with it. They’ve been so important to what Kentucky is trying to build and both have completely laid it all on the line for their team. Joker needs to put these two at the very top of his recruiting board and do everything in his power to get them back though, because these two could easily add 3 wins to Kentucky’s total next year by themselves.

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