Kentucky football: Kentucky's recruiting needs for the 2012 class

The 2011 class is signed sealed and delivered. Here’s my list of Kentucky’s top five needs to address in the 2012 class, as well as the top in-state player that could fill that need.

1. Quarterback

The Wildcats will take the field next year with three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. Morgan Newton will be a junior, and was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school. If he can reach his potential, he can be a star. It gets a little muddier after that though. Maxwell Smith will be a freshman after sitting out this past fall as a greyshirt, and while reports are he has all the tools to be a successful college quarterback, he’s an unproven commodity. Theltus “Bookie” Cobbins has the type of athleticism that could allow him to carve up defenses through the air or on the ground, but he is also coming off the same shoulder surgery that hindered Ryan Mossakowski. If he can’t recover from the surgery, he could be moved to receiver or defensive back. That means that the Cats absolutely MUST get a quarterback in the 2012 class, and preferably someone with some serious potential.
Top in-state possibility: Patrick Towles (pictured above)

2. Offensive Line
Kentucky will lose left tackle Chandler Burden, guards Jake Lanefski and Stuart Hines, and tackle Billy Joe Murphy following the 2011 season. Larry Warford and Matt Smith will return, but will be seniors for the 2012 campaign. The Wildcats added some needed beef up front in this class with Darrian Miller and Zach West, and will also have James Elliott enrolling in the spring. Even with their additions though, Kentucky will need to add multiple offensive linemen in the 2012 class, and interior linemen and tackles should both be targeted.
Top in-state prospect: Joe Manley

3. Defensive Tackle
The proposed switch to the 3-4 defense makes getting at least two defensive tackles a priority. Ideally, Kentucky could get a big space-eating nose tackle and an undersized defensive tackle that they can stick at defensive end in their new defense, with another player added in to develop over time. Kentucky will graduate Mark Crawford and Antwane Glenn following the 2011 season, and already lost Ricky Lumpkin and Shane Mccord to graduation this year. The Cats will have Brice Laughlin, Donte Rumph and Mister Cobble to work with now and in the future, but you can never have too many big defensive linemen.
Top in-state prospect: Tyrone Pearson

4. Safety

Kentucky added safeties Glenn Faulkner and Ashely Lowery in their 2011 class, and Eric Dixon has the ability to play safety or corner down the road. Even with the additions, Kentucky will be dangerously thin in the defensive backfield in 2012 if more help isn’t added. The Wildcats are slated to return only Dakotah Tyler and Miles Simpson as safeties from the 2010 roster and both are in their first year at the position after being moved from running back. There’s a chance that some of the wide receivers or cornerbacks could be moved over but the numbers are relatively thin at corner too, and there aren’t any receivers on the roster with the skill-set necessary to play safety outside of maybe E.J. Fields. The reinforcements added in the 2011 class are going to help, but adding at least two safeties is a must.
Top in-state prospect: Josh Walls

5. Linebacker

The average UK fan would probably list linebacker higher than this. The reason I have the linebacker need lower is because of the eventual switch to the 3-4 defense. While you might think that that means Kentucky would need linebackers worse, the opposite is actually the case. In the 3-4, the two outside linebackers are actually more like undersized defensive ends and the two inside linebackers are more in the traditional mold. Justin Henderson, Mike Douglas, and Alvin Davis are all guys from the 2010 class that fit the mold of an outside edge rusher, and Damarius Rancifer and Alvin Dupree could fill the role out of the 2011 class. Where UK really needs to add some reinforcements is in the two inside linebacker positions, where they struck out in the 2011 class. At least two should be added.
Top in-state prospect: Josh Harris

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