Kentucky Wildcat Recruiting: Going after the big fish
By Kyle
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.
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