Hype starts for Kentucky Wildcats / Louisville Cardinals 12/28 showdown

 This never gets old looking at as the SEC now holds four of the top five recruiting classes in the land and is led by … Kentucky.  Let that sink in for a minute.  And while you are basking in that glory and still pondering the mind-blowing implications, UK AD spoke at the Louisville QB club yesterday.  John Clay was there and said a few comments stood out:

"1. Best quote: “Coach Calipari has made Kentucky cool. We’ve got to make Kentucky football cool.” 2. With Kentucky unexpectedly and currently holding a top 10 recruiting class for 2014, the question is whether the Cats can hold on to those commitments between now and February. After all, with a brutal schedule, Mark Stoops is facing a daunting task in his first season as UK coach. “I think (the commits) have created a real strong bond that regardless of what kind of year we have, I don’t think that will be broken,” Brown said."

Sept 15, 2012; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats linebacker Alvin Dupree (2) tackles Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Kadeem Jones (32) at Commonwealth Stadium. Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky does have some bright spots on their 2013 football team, most notably on defense. Bud Dupree and Avery Williamson have been named to the watch list for some college football awards this year. Here is a press release from UKAA with more information.

"LEXINGTON, Ky. – Junior defensive end Alvin “Bud” Dupree and senior linebacker Avery Williamson were honored recently by being named to the 2013 College Football Performance Awards Defensive Awards Watch List after their strong play last season for Kentucky. Dupree was named to the 2013 CFPA Defensive Lineman Trophy Watch List, while Williamson earned a spot on the 2013 CFPA Linebacker Trophy Watch List. Former UK star Danny Trevathan, who is currently playing for the Denver Broncos in the NFL, won the 2011 CFPA Linebacker Trophy. All CFPA recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. All players are eligible for awards at their respective positions; players are not preemptively eliminated from consideration. More than 130 CFPA recipients have signed professional contracts, and twenty-one have been first-round NFL Draft selections. The full list of 2013 CFPA recipients will be announced on January 8, 2014. Dupree, who is slated to play defensive end this season after splitting time at defensive end and linebacker his first two seasons, had a great sophomore season in 2012. The native of Irwinton, Ga., earned Sophomore All-America Second-Team honors by CollegeFootballNews.com, while Phil Steele’s College Football and CollegeFootballMadness.com named him an All-SEC performer in 2012. Dupree finished top 10 in the SEC in tackles, quarterback sacks and tackles-for-loss last season, starting all 12 games. Overall, Dupree had 91 tackles in his sophomore season with 12.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks. The junior set a career-high in tackles last season vs. WKU with 12, while he had double-digit tackles at Tennessee with a career-best three tackles-for-loss. Williamson had a breakout junior season in 2012, earning All-SEC honors from Phil Steele’s College Football and CollegeSportsMadness.com. The native of Milan, Tenn., is the returning starter at middle linebacker after finishing second in the SEC and seventh nationally in tackles last season. Williamson, who has played in 37 career games, started all 12 games for UK last season, posting eight double-digit tackle games, including a career-best 20 against Vanderbilt. The physical linebacker had a streak of four games with a least 13 tackles, becoming the first Wildcat to do so since Randy Holleran in 1990. Williamson also had 4.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, four pass breakups, two fumbles caused, a fumble recovery and an interception last season. For more information on Kentucky football, follow “@UKFootball” or “@UKCoachStoops” on Twitter."