Kentucky Wildcat Football: Grading the 2011 class

Signing day has come and gone and I’m here to grade the first class recruited by Joker Phillips as the head coach at Kentucky. Each position group is graded on a F-A scale, just like schoolwork, and greyshirt guys are included as well. A prospect with a high level BCS offer gets a bump and players that fill positions of need get a bump as well.

Quarterback
Signees – Maxwell Smith (Van Nuys, CA) and Theltus Cobbins (New Orleans, LA)
Kentucky knew they had Smith coming in January, but the recent news of Ryan Mossakowski’s departure made signing another signal caller imperative. Kentucky was able to ink Cobbins despite a furious rush to the finish line by Michigan and UK will now have three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster this fall.
Grade: B+

Running back
Signees – Marcus Caffey (Atlanta, Ga) and Josh Clemons (Fayetteville, GA)
It was inevitable that Derrick Locke would graduate, but the Cats seemed set at running back after adding two in the previous two classes. Then in December, news of Donald Russell transferring surfaced and it appeared the cats would go into the 2011 season with two sophomores and a redshirt-freshman as their only scholarship ballcarriers on the roster. Adding a versatile playmaker in Caffey, and an every-down player like Clemons will allow the staff to breathe easier should the diminutive Ray Sanders (the leading contender to start at running back this fall) to get injured.
Grade: A

Fullback
Signees – None
The Cats were in on several prospects to play fullback, but none of them ended up in this class despite a need at the position. Due to Kentucky not typically signing true fullbacks and just moving other players to the position later, the Cats get a break here. Darrell Warren could be a fullback in time.
Grade: N/A

Wide Receiver
Signees – Demarco Robinson (Ellenwood, GA), Nile Daniel (Griffin, Ga), Rashad Cunningham (Mobile, AL), and Daryl Collins (Gadsden, AL)
Kentucky hadn’t signed a freshmen wide receiver that actually played wide receiver in high school since the 2008 class and needed to get some guys in to take over for Randall Cobb and Chris Matthews production. This class has some serious depth at receiver and will help ease the loss of the Wildcats’ top two receivers from this season. Collins was a major get from Alabama. Cunningham adds some size to the unit coming in at 6’4. Daniel has the blazing speed Kentucky hasn’t had at receiver this decade. Robinson is an all-around athlete that owns most of the receiving records in Georgia. There’s a chance Bubba Tandy and Josh Forrest end up here too.
Grade: A

Tight End
Signees – None
Kentucky lost Jon Davis to Illinois at the last second. While he would have been a nice addition, there are few positions on the roster better stacked with young talent than tight end. Kentucky will return starting sophomore Jordan Aumiller, and his backup/part-time starter sophomore Tyler Robinson. Another sophomore, Anthony Kendrick came around at the end of his freshman year, and the Wildcats were able to redshirt touted freshman Alex Smith and Ronnie Shields. That’s five tight ends that are sophomores or freshmen next year. Alvin Dupree or Josh Forrest could end up here in the end too.
Grade: N/A

Offensive Line
Signees – Darrian Miller (Lexington, KY), Zach West (Lexington, KY), and James Elliott (Pensacola, FL)
The most important position for UK to stock up on in this class was the offensive line and the Cats added three good ones. Miller and West had offers from several Big Ten and SEC schools and chose to stay home and play for the Cats instead. Elliott was a Michigan commit that found a home in Lexington after Rodriguez was fired and will greyshirt and enroll in the spring.
Grade: A

Defensive Line
Signees – Christian Coleman (Milan, TN), Farington Huguenin (Columbia, SC), Jabari Johnson (Stone Mountain, GA), Shaq Love (Harriman, TN), and David Washington (Locust Grove, GA)
Kentucky needed some serious help on the defensive line and got it. Washington and Love come in as versatile guys that can play on the end in a 3-4 or at tackle in a 4-3 defense. Either could also bulk up and play the nose tackle position in the 3-4 as well. Coleman is a big, strong defensive end that has the versatility to play in either defense as well. Hugenin and Johnson are holdovers from the 2010 class that could play defensive end or linebacker in multiple different formations for Kentucky. Versatility is looking like it will be key in Rick Minter’s new defense and this group definitely has it. Another defensive tackle would have moved it up to an A though. Alvin Dupree and Darrell Warren could end up here too.
Grade: B+

Linebacker
Signees – Tim Patterson (Louisville, KY) and Demarius Rancifer (Pensacola, FL)
It was pretty obvious from the start that linebacker was going to be a target group for this class. Again with the versatility theme, Patterson and Rancifer both have the skill-set to line up at middle or outside linebacker in a 4-3 defense, or as inside or outside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme. It would have been nice to add Lamar Dawson, but remember that both Patterson and Rancifer had impressive offer sheets and both were highly regarded prospects. Darrell Warren and Alvin Dupree could end up here too. This grade would have been higher with one more signing.
Grade: C+

Defensive back
Signees – Glen Faulkner (East St. Louis, IL), Eric Dixon (Mobile, AL), Ashely Lowery (Cleveland, GA), and Daylen Hall (Louisville, KY)
The Wildcats took three cornerbacks in the 2010 class and needed to add some support at safety in this class. Taiedo Smith, Winston Guy, Mychal Bailey, Greg Wilson, and Josh Gibbs were all set to be seniors next season when recruiting for this class started, and with the departure of Jarvis Walker the Cats were slated to return ONLY Dakotah Tyler as a safety in the 2012 season. Grabbing Faulkner makes this class an A in itself, but then getting Dixon and Lowery puts it over the top. Adding Hall at corner gives the Wildcats another guy with 4.4 second speed, and you cant really have too many of those.
Grade: A+

Athlete
Signees – Alvin Dupree (Irwinton, GA), Josh Forrest (Paducah, KY), Bubba Tandy (Hopkinsville, KY), and Darrell Warren (Alcoa, TN)
It’s hard to grade athletes because they don’t have a specific role assigned to them yet. Dupree could end up at tight end, linebacker, or defensive end. Tandy could end up in the defensive backfield or at receiver. Warren could play linebacker, defensive line, or fullback. Forrest could play tight end, wide receiver, or safety.
While it’s tough to project exactly where each guy will land, it’s easy to see that they all have the potential to impact the team in multiple ways. One thing is for sure though; these guys all have the potential to further stock “need” positions.
Grade: B

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