Kentucky Wildcat Recruiting: Going after the big fish

After a great recruiting class in 2010, Joker and company closed out the 2011 recruiting season with another good one. While the star ratings weren’t through the roof, the entire class was made up of players that filled needs for the Cats and the majority of the players to sign with Kentucky sported offers from other SEC schools. It looks like year two for Joker will be an exciting one as he and the staff swing for the fences on a couple of big-time prospects. To give a few examples, UK is actively recruiting the following guys (with other offers listed):

Kenno Loyal – RB – 5’11 / 220 – Decatur, GA
Georgia Tech, Louisville, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee

Brian Kimbro – RB – 5’9 / 165 – Memphis, TN
Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee, USC

Alex Taylor – WR – 6’3 / 205 – Lester, AL
Auburn, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee,

Drae Bowles – WR – 6’1 / 200 – Jackson, TN
Arkansas, Auburn, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee

Malcolm Lewis – WR – 6’0 / 190 – Hollywood, FL
Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, South Carolina, West Virginia

Dwayne Stafford – WR – 6’4 / 200 – Cincinnati, OH
Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee

Taylor McNamara – TE – 6’5 / 210 – San Diego, CA
Arizona, Cal, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Stanford, USC

Kurt Freitag – TE – 6’2 / 225 – Buford, GA
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina

Kent Taylor – TE – 6’5 / 220 – Land O’ Lakes, FL
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, USC

Mark Harrell – OL – 6’5 / 260 – Charlotte, NC
Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Virginia Tech

Blake Bars – OL – 6’5 / 260 – Nashville, TN
Boston College, Florida, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Penn State, Virginia

Vadal Alexander – OL – 6’6 / 310 – Buford, GA
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, USC

Jordan Jenkins – DE – 6’3 / 245 – Hamilton, GA
Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee

Adolphus Washington – DE – 6’4 / 235 – Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC

Justin Shanks – DT – 6’3 / 305 – Prattville, AL
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Tennessee, USC

Sheldon Day – DT – 6’2 / 270 – Indianapolis, IN
Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, north Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford, Virginia Tech

Kwon Alexander – LB – 6’2 / 215 – Oxford, AL
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA

Josh Clemons – LB – 6’5 / 210 – Valdosta, GA
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee

Nick Dawson – LB – 6’3 / 235 – Charlotte, NC
Auburn, Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

Jordan Diggs – DB – 6’0 / 190 – Cape Coral, FL
Auburn, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, West Virginia

Trae Elston – DB – 6’0 / 180 – Oxford, AL
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Virginia

Joshua Holsey – DB – 5’11 / 175 – Fairburn, GA
Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, South Carolina, USC, Tennessee, Virginia Tech

Now while the offers listed with each player do not represent all of the scholarship offers the players has received, they were the most notable ones. It’s pretty clear that Kentucky has decided that the best way to beat the elite teams in the conference is to go head-to-head recruiting against them. While I wouldn’t expect the Cats to secure all, or even most of these players, you can’t get them if you don’t recruit them. This is a really positive sign (at least to me) that the staff understands what it will take to move Kentucky up the SEC ladder, even if it’s one rung at a time.

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