University Of Kentucky Football Recruiting and Player Ranking
Dec 2, 2012; Lexington , KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops spoke to reporters during a press conference at the Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Coach Mark Stoops and Staff have only been at UK for approximately 6 ½ months but they are redefining football in the bluegrass. With their youthful energy, enthusiasm and their relentless recruiting, they have already done things never seen before at UK. They have a commitment from the administration to pour in over 100 million dollars for football and stadium upgrades, they have re-energized the fan base and they have brought in and are still bringing in, top recruits. They have yet to coach a game here but something about this staff just “feels right”.
With the 2013 recruiting class, this staff only had about a month and a half to recruit and they made the most of it. Not only did they hold on to top recruits like Khlid Thomas, Alvonte Bell, Blake McClain and Jacob Hyde but they secured commitments from 4 stars Marcus McWilson, Za’Darius Smith and Jason Hatcher. Marcus was committed to Nebraska before he flipped to Kentucky, Za’Darius was ranked as the #1 strongside Defensive end in the Junior College ranks and Jason was a commit to USC who flipped as well. They got commits from 5.7 3 star players, Jaleel Hytche (the first official recruit of the Stoops era), Kyle Meadows, Alex Montgomery and Ryan Timmons. And let’s not forget my favorite player, 5.7 3 star, #10th ranked all-purpose back JoJo Kemp. Put all of these guys together along with a few that I didn’t mention and UK has put together their highest recruiting class of all time. Finishing out at #29 nationally according to Rivals.com. *
So, let’s move on to the 2014 recruiting class. Everyone asked, “If these coaches could recruit that well in that short of time, what could they do with a full year?” Well, if the first few months are any indication then we will see a class like we have never seen before. So far, Kentucky has 7 commits with 3 of those being 4 star players and 3 more that are 5.7/ 3 stars. They are currently ranked #18 nationally. Take a look below at who we have so far.
Drew Barker – 6’ 4” 214lbs. Burlington, Kentucky Conner High School
Pro Style Quarterback #5 position ranking, #117 nationally, 5.9/4 Star.
Most people consider Drew to be the most important recruit for Kentucky. Obviously, the coaches felt the same way. At one point they had sent Drew 115 hand written letters and followed that up with another 100 a few weeks later. They told Drew that they would not recruit another QB until he made his decision and they stuck to that. Drew is excited about the opportunities he has at Kentucky with the new coaching staff, especially Neal Brown and his Air Raid offense. He is now dedicating himself to recruiting the best of the best to join him at Kentucky. Drew has been around the camp circuit for the past few years and has made a lot of friends. He is the type of guy that people gravitate to and want to play with. Look for him to recruit players like Braxton Berrios and Artavis Scott at the wide receiver spot. Drew, was the first player that committed that was not from Ohio.
Mikel Horton – 6’ 1” 230lbs. West Chester, Ohio. Lakota West High School
Running Back #12 position ranking, #131 nationally, 5.9/4 Star
I think Mikel will be a special player at Kentucky. He has the size and the abilities of a big back but he also has the quickness and feet of a smaller back. He catches the ball well out of the backfield, often getting linebackers out of position and beating them. This guy has a great attitude and is constantly talking to other Ohio prospects about the opportunities at Kentucky. He was recently at the Rivals Camp in Cincinnati, Ohio and won the offensive Most Valuable Player award. Not many backs win the MVP over QB’s and wide receivers.
Thaddeus Snodgrass – 6’ 1” 184lbs. 4.44 speed. Springfield, Ohio. Springfield High School
Wide Receiver #29 position ranking, #205 nationally , 5.8/4 Star
Thaddeus comes to a much-needed position at Kentucky. With the way Coach Neal Brown’s offense is run, there is a glaring need for more receivers and he is one of the best. He has all of the intangibles that are needed for the WR position; Speed, size, quickness and route running ability. Thad has an impressive offer sheet that includes Ohio St., Michigan St., Penn St., Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Carolina, etc. Look for him to make some noise when he gets on campus.
Dorian Hendrix – 5’ 11” 225lbs. Huber Heights, Ohio. Wayne High School
Inside Linebacker #25 position ranking, 5.7/3 Star
Dorian was the first of the Ohio kids to commit and he is expecting more talent to come from the Ohio ranks. He impressed at the Rivals camp in Cincinnati showing off his straight-line speed. He is compact in size but he can handle the run defense aspects of the inside linebacker position. His talent is much-needed at the LB position.