"Operation: Win" is calling in some reinforcements

With only the bowl game remaining, the UK football team has all but wrapped up their 2010 season. With all the news surrounding coaching changes, roster changes and recruiting, the addition Timothy Patterson and Maxwell Smith has gone almost unnoticed. Both guys are greyshirts from last year’s recruiting class and have already begun practices with the Wildcats during bowl preparation. While they won’t be able to participate in the bowl game without burning a year of eligibility, they are getting a jump on the incoming players by being with the team through bowl preparation AND spring practices. After the new year, greyshirt Jabari Johnson should be joining the team and he will be able to participate in spring practices, but not bowl preparations. Then this summer, jumbo-athlete Farrington Huguenin should be joining the team to go through offseason conditioning and to get a jump on the recruits in the 2011 class that will be enrolling in the fall. Here’s a quick refresher on each guy.

Maxwell Smith – QB – 6’5 / 220 – Van Nuys, CA

Smith is a traditional pocket passer that is built for a pro-style offense. He’s got the height to see over the offensive line, and the arm-strength to make every tough throw. He went largely unrecruited as a prep player due to the fact that he played in a high school offensive system that did not fit his skill-set and had him running the option. After sending tape out himself, Kentucky called to offer him a scholarship and the rest is history. He’ll likely be the third quarterback for Kentucky next season and could be the second stringer if Newton or Mossakowski were to transfer. Based on this weekend’s practices, it looks like he will be wearing number 17 for the Cats.

Timothy Patterson – LB/DL – 6’5 / 225 – Louisville, KY

When thinking of recruiting “pipelines” that Kentucky has built, the typical UK football fan will go straight to LaGrange in Georgia. While coach Pardue has sent plenty of talent to Lexington before joining the staff this year, the most important school for Joker to keep a hold of might be Central High School in Louisville. Central’s coach Ty Scroggins has sent plenty of talent to Lexington himself and the program is showing no signs of slowing down. The most recent addition to the Wildcat’s roster from Central is Timothy Patterson, a linebacker-defensive end hybrid that has the versatility to doc a lot of things for UK. He was forced to sit out this past year because the NCAA clearinghouse didn’t give him the go-ahead until too late in the process, but it might have been good for him to take some time off after going down with a knee injury that ended his senior season. He should be a contender for early playing time and is a key piece of the defensive puzzle if there really are plans to switch to the 3-4 alignment in the future. It looks like he’ll be wearing number 44 for the Cats.

Jabari Johnson – LB – 6’2 / 220 – Stone Mountain, GA

After having several linebackers transfer this past season, Kentucky was so desperate for bodies that both Jewell Ratliff and Avery Williamson were played as true freshmen. While both guys did pretty well, it’s important to remember that Jabari Johnson was one of the biggest name recruits Kentucky signed in the 2010 class and he would undoubtedly have been on the field as a freshman. Johnson’s enrollment at Kentucky was derailed by academic issues and it took him through the fall to square things away, but recent reports indicate that he will be joining the team for the spring semester and will be available for spring practice. As a big and athletic linebacker, Johnson will give the defense some versatility as he can play all three linebacker spots in the 4-3 alignment, and can play in the middle of a 3-4 alignment as well. His enrollment will take considerable pressure off of the coaches to sign additional linebackers in the current recruiting class.

Farrington Huguenin – LB/DL – 6’4 / 240 – Columbia, SC

One of the most intriguing players in the 2010 class was Huguenin. At 6’4, he has the size to play on the defensive line or as a linebacker, and his recorded weight is 240, but recent reports say that he has bulked up some over the fall. Huguenin is a guy that could fill several roles for Kentucky and gives even more versatility when the coaches are determining what scheme they want to run. In a 4-3, He could put on some additional weight and play as a defensive tackle, or he could play almost as a defensive end, or he could play linebacker (keep in mind he has a better shuttle time than Jerrell Priester). In a 3-4 defense he could contribute as an outside linebacker, or he could play defensive end, which might be his most natural position. If everything goes as planned, Huguenin should be joining the team for the summer sessions.

*Pictures: Rivals, Courrier Journal, Scout
Videos: UK athletics, John Clay (LHL)

Keep following www.http://wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans