Kentucky Wildcats Football: Recruiting recap

The Kentucky coaching staff has assembled quite the haul for the 2014 class so far. There are 18 known commitments at this point with another (we’ll get to that later) in the fold for a total of 19. Assuming that the staff signs a full class of 27 and none of the current commits jump ship, there should be 8-9 spots left.

Here’s a quick recap of who’s already on board:

QB – Drew Barker
RB – Mikel Horton & Stanley Williams
WR – Thaddeus Snodgrass
TE – Darryl Long
OL – Derrick Kelly & Jarret LaRubbio
DL – Tymere Dubose, Adrian Middleton, & Denzel Ware
LB – Dorian Hendrix, Nico Firios, Kobie Walker, & Ryan Flannigan (JC)
DB – Shyquawn Pulliam (JC), Jared Tucker,Darius West, & Mike Edwards

There’s the preliminary 18, and you could or couldn’t count Florida wide receiver Tyre Brady depending in who you ask. Assuming he’s considered a commitment, we’ll say that The Wildcats have 8 more scholarships to hand out this year.

We’ve indicated before that the remaining spots should be filled primarily with offensive linemen and wide receivers with players at the other positions only getting their scholarships if they are the right fit or the right talent.

Here’s my take on how the remainder of the class fills out:

Wide receiver
Kentucky is in good shape with several players here, but quality prospects are commiting to other schools on what seems like a daily basis. Considering that we’re counting Brady, I’ll say that Kentucky adds three more. The best bets here are Lanky (6’4) outside receiver Blake Bone from South Carolina, shifty slot Braxton Berrios from North Carolina, and speed demon T.V. Williams out of Texas. I can’t say I’m 100% confident on any of these guys though. The Wildcats will have to hold off the home-state Gamecocks for Bone. Berrios is being courted by Ohio State, South Caolina, and Miami, and UK has historically struggled to get players out of North Carolina. Similarly, Williams is no sure thing because there are plenty of schools in Texas that would gladly take him. Ultimately though, all three guys are fantastic fits at Kentucky and I believe that will win out for them.

Offensive Line
There are several talented players on Kentucky’s board here. With Kelly being a candidate to play guard or tackle, the staff can be choosy with the last few spots. In the end, I believe that the team will look to add two more tackles and one more interior lineman. Don’t let ratings fool you here either, because the staff has recruited 3-star tackle Brady Taylor like he’s a 5-star talent. He and 4-star linemen Nick Richardson seem to be the top targets at tackle, and both are likely Wildcats come signing day. In addition to those two, I think the staff flips Marcelys Jones from Ohio State. While this might surprise some, look at the situations. Jones will be competing with six other former 4-star recruits (since 2011) on OSU’s roster and none on Kentucky’s. The draw of the SEC and immediate playing time should be enough to bring him to Lexington.

The remaining two spots…
Well, I don’t know how anyone couldn’t put Matt Elam here. The Wildcats should be alright if he were to leave the state, but Elam is a huge target for the team and could be the centerpiece of the defense. The draw of playing so close to home and Stoops’ track record of developing linemen should help, but ultimately Kentucky losing its top three defensive tackles at the conclusion of the season should be what eventually does him in. Elam is a smart kid and he is most likely aware of two opportunity in front of him at Kentucky and how rare it is. It’s not often that you can play in the best league in the country, about an hour from home where your family can come watch, where you will almost undoubtedly start as a true freshman. There are just too many things going for Elam at UK and that’s why I think he’ll pick the Wildcats.
For the final spot, look for Kentucky to add a defensive back. I might be calling for a long-shot here, but I think Kentucky will get athlete/corner Marshon Lattimore. This is honestly a little bit of wishful thinking, but in the event that Marcelys Jones flips to Kentucky, it might be enough to convince his teammate to join him. The Wildcats are slated to have only six scholarship cornerbacks in 2013 (assuming Nate Willis makes it to campus) and none have Lattimote’s combination of size and speed. He is so talented that Kentucky might even have to give him some reps on offense from time to time as well. While snagging Lattimore is far from a certainty, he could be the gem that makes Kentucky’s 2014 class one for the ages.