Kentucky Wildcats Football: Moving on up!
By Kyle
Coach Mark Stoops has injected new life into a fan base that has been called a sleeping giant by many, and the results are paying off tenfold. Recruits keep commenting on the atmosphere, the fan support at events and on twitter, financial commitments to football and the coaching staff as reasons they are impressed with Kentucky football. It’s exciting times for the Wildcats’ program, and that’s undeniable. On to the three (or four, or five) newest commitments…
The day got kicked off with wide receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass breaking the news of a commitment by Cincinnati defensive back Mike Edwards. Considered a top 50 defensive back, Edwards has the versatile skills to play either safety or cornerback in college. He is equally comfortable dropping back into coverage or coming up to stick a running back, which certainly lends him to being a future safety…but his speed and coverage ability could make him a shutdown corner as well. A commitment from Edwards does a couple things for the staff. First, it puts them in a position to be very picky with remaining defensive back targets. With Edwards being fully capable of playing either safety or corner, the staff can recruit high caliber players at both positions and allow Edwards to play wherever they need him. Second, it puts Kentucky in great shape with 2015 stud George Brown, Edwards cousin. Third, and most importantly, it locks up one of the best defensive back prospects in the talent rich state of Ohio and further solidifies the Wildcats and Coach Vince Marrow as recruiting forces in the Buckeye state.
In what seemed like only seconds after Edwards’ commitment broke, fellow Ohio defensive back Darius West pledged to the Wildcats. A close friend of Mike’s, West had been a Kentucky lean for some time but the picture had become cloudy when a slew of other highly regarded schools like Notre Dame came calling. Despite the overtures from other schools, West confirmed his commitment to the Wildcats yesterday. Similar to Edwards, West is a versatile defensive back that can play either cornerback or safety effectively in college. He has an excellent burst of speed and his acceleration is second to none. West is probably a more natural safety than a corner, but could very easily cover the oppositions receivers one-on-one. He’s a huge pickup because Kentucky was able to hold off some of the most prestigious schools in the country to secure his commitment.
News broke this afternoon that Kentucky had picked up its fourth linebacker commitment in Nick Firios out of Florida. Many fans may not be completely familiar with Firios because he hasn’t been one of the more talked about targets on UK’s board, but that doesn’t mean anyone should take him lightly. At 6’2 and 225 pounds, he has the body to play very early and is coming in when Kentucky is in dire need of linebackers. Firios had offers from many Big 10, Big East, and ACC schools, but pledged to Kentucky almost as soon as he returned from camp in Lexington. ESPN regards him the highest, rating Firios as a four-star prospect and the #18 inside linebacker in the country. He’s another big pickup for Mark Stoops’ defense.
These three are the most recent at this point, but word has spread that more could be added to the fold at any minute. Kentucky has officially moved into the top five recruiting classes nationally. Just let that sink in.