WBN Nightcap: Big Blue Redux
Dec 2, 2012; Lexington , KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops spoke with reporters with Athletic director Mitch Barnhart (left) and University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto (right) at the Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a BIG week for Kentucky football. The past seven days have seen commitments from three Ohio players who are highly recruited. The coaching staff has been filled out. Football facilities are finally getting the upgrades that they have sorely needed. Oh and what can easily be called the biggest recruiting event in UK football history went down today.
Starting with the recruits, we all know UK picked up a verbal from DB Jaleel Hytchye last weekend which was a major recruiting win. Hytchye had a boatload of offers. Thursday saw OL/DL Lovell Peterson commit to Vince Marrow, although there is some debate on whether that pledge has been accepted or not. Peterson is rated the #6 center in the country on offense and is nearly a 4* prospect on defense. And Kentucky may have better options? Wow. Then today Lakota West (the same HS as former stud John Conner) OL Kyle Meadows committed to UK over Florida State, Louisville and West Virginia. Meadows is a 3* prospect. Now throw in the news that UK actually has a couple of silent commitments right now and you are talking five good players in a week. Of course nothing is official until the ink dries on Signing Day.
After being rumored for a couple of days, UK made the hiring of Derrick Ansley and Tommy Mainord to fill out the last two coaching positions. Ansley was the DBs coach at Tennessee last year and is viewed as a high-energy recruiter. He was certainly after some good players for the Vols. Before that he worked at UCF and Alabama. Mainord is another member of the Texas Tech offensive staff coming to Lexington, and he is coming to coach wide receivers. His familiarity with the offense and his fellow coaches should be an asset. His recruiting connections are mainly in Texas and the Kansas junior colleges.
Despite Greg Stumbo making a fool of himself again, the Kentucky football program is going to get $110 million in upgrades in the form of bonding. Kentucky has already published a website detailing what they will spend the money on, though there are no specific plans drawn up. Regardless, the money being spent alone is a feather in Mark Stoops’ cap on the recruiting trail.
At the time I am writing this none of the big-name recruits on campus have committed publicly to the Wildcats. Hopefully by the time you read this, that information will be outdated. Four-star prospects Ra’shaad Samples, Asiantii Woulard , MacKensie Alexander, Ryan Timmons, and current commit Alvonte Bell are all visiting. Not sure if USC commit Jason Hatcher still made his visit. The Wildcats top RB prospect, JoJo Kemp, is also visiting along with JUCO WR Javess Blue. Supposedly Stoops and Co. had upwards of 20 total players visiting campus today. It might take a while to secure the final list. At the rate this is going, Kentucky likely only has seven or eight spots left for 2013 and some players who are holding out may find themselves without a ride come Signing Day.