Kentucky Wildcat Football Recruiting: Recruiting Roundup 4/19/2011

“Hi, I’m Tyrone Pearson and I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

Kentucky is currently sitting pretty with commitments from QB Patrick Towles, DT Thomas Chapman, and ATH Josh Harris. All three are from the bluegrass state and all three have admitted to being UK fans, so it’s likely they all stick with the Cats. Here are the happenings with some of the other top players from Kentucky.

Zeke Pike – QB – 6’4 / 220 – Dixie Heights HS – Edgewood, KY
Rumors are flying that Pike will announce his college choice tomorrow. With about 500 offers to choose from, I’m inclined to think this means he’ll choose Auburn as he’s supposedly a fan. Kentucky hasn’t been really involved with Pike.

Tyrone Pearson – DT – 6’3 / 270 – Seneca HS – Louisville, KY
Pearson is the top defensive tackle prospect in the state at this point, and has at least 15 known BCS offers. He also appears to be a little wishy-washy and has now de-committed from Louisville again. Word now is that he will transfer to Warren Central HS in Indianapolis for his senior season, but it’s unclear how this will affect his recruitment.

Robert Lewis – DT – 6’4 / 290 – Southwestern HS – Somerset, KY
Speaking of defensive tackles, there’s a pretty good one sitting just north of the Tennessee border. Lewis is a monster of a man and has the type of frame to develop into the type of versatile defensive tackle/nose guard hybrid that will allow the defense he plays for to do a lot of different things. The offers should come pouring in over the summer.

Adam Wing – QB – 6’4 / 200 – Rowan County HS – Morehead, KY
As one of the most athletic quarterback prospects in Kentucky, Wing has some potential at other positions too. Despite it being early in the process, he’s committed to Marshall to play QB. The Thundering Herd are getting a good one.

Vincent Miller- ATH – 5’11 / 170 – Henry Clay HS – Lexington, KY
Miller is getting interest from some big programs, and an athlete of his versatility should. He’s yet to receive an offer from Kentucky to this point, but I can’t imagine the Cats won’t come calling after the camp circuit this summer.

Anthony Wales – RB – 5’9 / 170 – Central HS – Louisville, KY
It doesn’t appear that Wales is in any rush to make a decision. He’s currently sporting offers from Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, and of course, Kentucky. Once he gets a chance to attend camps, that number should grow considerably.

DeMichael Jackson – RB – 5’11 / 190 – Jeffersontown HS – Louisville, KY
Jackson is one of the bigger true running backs in Kentucky this year, and he’s caught the attention of the Wildcats. It doesn’t look like he’s holding any official offers yet, but he’s receiving interest from several BCS schools. It looks like he will NOT be going to Louisville though after attending their spring game. He also appears to be a UK fan based on his tweets.

Joe Manley – OT – 6’7 / 310 – Bowling Green HS – Bowling Green, KY
Manley has openly stated that he would like to stay relatively close to home, and his official offer list reflects that. He currently lists Western Kentucky, Louisville, and UK as his current options that have made formal offers and you can assure yourself that, if distance was not a factor for him, the list of schools pursuing Manley would be much longer.

Jalen Boyd – S – 6’1 / 190 – Western HS – Louisville, KY
Boyd is the top defensive back prospect in the state this year. He’s got the speed to play the free safety position and the size to play strong safety too. Kentucky hasn’t offered yet, but his rivals profile indicates that Stanford, UCLA, and Indiana have.

John Michael Heile – C – 6’3 / 275 – Trinity HS – Louisville, KY
If there’s one guy in this class that I had to pick as my favorite prospect in the state, Heile would be in the discussion if not the outright winner. He’s tough, he’s smart, and he’s had some of the best coaching a high school player could ask for. He’s getting a lot of interest (including interest from Kentucky) but he’s not listing any offers yet. With the obvious need for depth on the offensive line, the Wildcats should come calling any day now.

Darmantre Warr – RB – 5’9 / 180 – Manual HS – Louisville, KY
While the majority of the attention paid to Kentucky running backs will go to Wales, Jackson and Elliott, Warr has as high of a ceiling as anyone. He’s shifty and is quietly raising some eyebrows. He’s currently listing Illinois, Indiana, and Louisville as schools that have offered. With Thomas Chapman already committed, it might not be a bad idea for UK to pursue his high school teammate.

Daniel Ross – DE – 6’5 / 255 – Jeffersontown HS – Louisville, KY
The state of Kentucky puts out very few high-level defensive ends year-in and year-out. When one comes along of Ross’ caliber, the Wildcats have to jump on them and jump on them early, which is exactly what happened. Ross currently only holds an offer from UK and has named them as his favorite for some time now. I would expect him to be part of the 2012 class.

Josh Walls – ATH – 6’0 / 175 – Scott County HS – Georgetown, KY
Walls doesn’t get the attention some of the other players in the state get and I’m not sure why. He has great top-end speed and is big enough to play running back, receiver, corner or safety in college. Walls has played extensively for Scott County since his freshman season and playing in the 6A division has exposed him to some of the top talent in Kentucky. He’s a sleeper to keep an eye on.

Oliver Hinkle – DT – 6’2 / 290 – Seneca HS – Louisville, KY
While most of the attention paid to Seneca defensive tackles in going to Tyrone Pearson, Hinkle is no slouch himself. He’s got SEC size already, and he’s playing against the top competition in the state. If Pearson really does move to Indiana, it will be interesting to see how these two do separately. Cincinnati has already offered, and Kentucky has shown interest along with several other schools.

Hunter Bowles – TE – 6’6 / 245 – Glasgow HS – Glasgow, KY
Bowles might be the most intriguing prospect in the state this year. He’s got the size and strength to contribute as a tight end as soon as he arrives on campus and could be the blocker the Cats have needed in years past. Then on the other hand, he has the type of frame that could allow him to develop into an athletic left tackle too. Kentucky has not offered yet, but his recruitment should be interesting to watch.

Drake Bruns – CB – 6’0 / 185 – Highlands HS – Ft. Thomas, KY
Of all the positions the state of Kentucky struggles to put out, cornerback is probably at the top of the list. Luckily there’s a good one this year and he’s only an hour up I-75 from Lexington. Cincinnati has already pulled the trigger and offered Bruns, and an offer from the Wildcats could be forthcoming. It won’t hurt to have Patrick Towles in his ear if UK does offer.

J.D. Harmon – ATH – 6’2 / 190 – Tilghman HS – Paducah, KY
Harmon is one of those guys that has the potential to play quarterback
in the right system, or he could be moved to receiver or over to the defensive backfield as well. He hails from the same high school as 2011 signee Josh Forrest and the Wildcats have shown interest without an offer.

Travis Elliott – RB – 5’11 / 215 – Ryle HS – Union, KY
Elliott is hard to figure out. On one hand, he has production indicates he’s the real deal and a sure-fire D-1 running back. On the other hand, having only received an offer from Western Kentucky makes it appear as though schools are shying away for one reason or the other. One thing is for sure though, and that’s that his combination of size and athleticism make him an ideal fit for the one-back system if Kentucky were to switch over to it. He’s one to watch.

Ronjae Morris – RB – 5’9 / 150 – Male HS – Louisville, KY
Morris is an intriguing prospect. He’s a little undersized, but he’s also a proven playmaker. Kentucky hasn’t offered yet, but he could very well be a backup plan if other running back options fall through.

Ben Lawler – QB – 6’3 / 190 – Scott County HS – Georgetown, KY
Lawler is a relatively new name to the radar and is making big splashes right away. He’s getting a lot of interest from some big schools, but doesn’t have any offers yet. Kentucky could go after him as a developmental player behind Patrick Towles.

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