WBN Nightcap: Football Recruiting Moves on to 2015

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

Kentucky’s 2014 recruiting class almost full. With maybe five spots to fill the rest of the way, and a very select group of players to fill those spots, the coaching staff can now turn their eyes to the 2015 class.

There is a chance for the Wildcats to have another banner year in recruiting again, especially if they surprise some people on the field this Fall. It is important to note that the staff has only been on the job approximately nine months at this point and they have landed a Top 30 class and a likely Top 20 class in that time frame. Imagine what they might be able to do with a full year-and-a-half to build relationships with some big prospects.

Kentucky is hard after a lot of top 2015 kids , many of which have already camped in Lexington. There are several right here in the Bluegrass and of course Ohio figures to be huge again. We could even see a couple of 2013 signees come back home from the JUCO ranks in Justin Day and Alvonte Bell.

In Kentucky it starts with quarterback Elijah Sindelar, whom many are comparing to Tim Couch. That’s a lot to put on a high school kid, but Sindelar is expected to be a national-level recruit. If they don’t land Sindelar, or even if they do, Lexington Catholic QB Reese Ryan could earn an offer from the Cats as well. Warren Central LB Emmitt Smith already has several offers, including UK, and he could end up a 4*. He may be hard to land though, as he isn’t from Kentucky. The coaches would also love to flip a couple of committed players in Damien Harris (Michigan) and Eli Brown (Vanderbilt). Brown would be the most likely. Ashland OL Cody McPeek and Ballard DE Sean Hammonds could also develop into scholarship players.

A couple of other quarterbacks that Kentucky is recruiting are Jarret Stidham and Lorenzo Nunez and both are a different kind of player than Sindelar or Ryan. The out of state guys are both very athletic and could be dual-threat passers or even listed as athletes.

In Ohio, the Cats expect another strong year from top recruiter Vince Marrow. He already has a great relationship with one of the staff’s top targets in the Buckeye state, RB Darrin Hall. Like seemingly every recruit, Marrow is a family friend. He also has a good relationship with OL/DL/TE George Brown, a likely four or five star recruit. Brown is also the cousin of current commit Mike Edwards and is close with several Cincinnati-area commits. Marrow is also after TE CJ Conrad, who is blowing up on the recruiting scene this summer. Current commit Dorian Hendrix has been working on his teammate Tyree Kinnel, a defensive back who has Kentucky and Arkansas atop his list.

Another name to want is DB Ugo Amadi from Nashville, TN. He impressed at the last camp and earned an offer. Alabama tight end Jalen Harris got an early offer from UK, but would likely flip if Auburn or the Tide came calling. Missouri wideout Alex Ofodile is expected to be one of the top receivers in the nation next year and he very likely has Kentucky at the top of his list right now. Vince Marrow is the lead on Ofodile. Expect the coaches to sign some players out of Florida as well.

Now that Kentucky is recruiting like the big boys, expect this current situation to be the norm. The majority of each recruiting class will be filled by the end of Summer camps and the coaches will start on the next class. It may not make for the excitement that the 2013 class provided for two months but Kentucky football will look a lot better on the field down the road.