What Does Charlie Strong’s Departure Mean For Kentucky Wildcat Football?
Well it happened, Charlie Strong took the Texas job and Louisville erupted in angst.
Kentucky fans had a good time feeding of their pain after the “Year of the Card” came to an end with a resounding boom. But it’s not the end of the world for Louisville and the time for celebration is over. Now it’s time to look at how this will affect Kentucky football’s growing program and the future landscape of football in the state.
Let’s take a look at recruiting first. The truth is that recruiting is a dirty business and it’s now open season on Louisville’s commitment list. There are a few players that Kentucky could take an interest in. Most likely the two offensive tackles, Danny Burns and Lukayus McNeil, with Burns being the preference of the staff. Both were recruited by Kentucky early on. Defensive tackles Poona Ford and Chris Nelson, along with DB Nijilah Bellew, could all get a call from the Cats as highly rated defensive prospects. QB Reggie Bonnafon and DE Terry Ramsey were both recruited by UK, but likely wouldn’t have a spot in this class due to other commits.
When looking at uncommitted players, Kentucky and Louisville have gone head to head for several this year. With Stoops’ staff soundly beating Strong’s on the recruiting trail, especially in Ohio. Right now the two Bluegrass schools lead for a pair of four-stars in ATH TJ Harrell and DB Kendall Randolph. They could also both be in the mix for DE Lloyd Tubman, a Louisville native, should he decommit from Vanderbilt if James Franklin leaves.
Once a new staff is in place, there will be a number of players transfer from UL as well. Several that would be good fits in Lexington. However it seems unlikely that many, if any, would want to play for Kentucky. The rivalry being what it is. But who knows, never say never. One transfer to watch may be Ian Silberman, who was set to transfer from Florida to Louisville. He has re-opened his search and the Cats could use a veteran offensive lineman.
On the flip side of all this, Kentucky could have some concern about their own commitments. As previously mentioned, several commits considered the Cards before becoming Wildcats. Depending on the new coaching staff at UL, UK might have a fight on their hands for a few guys. There is no one in particular that seems very likely and we have all heard how tight this group is, but it’s a scenario to consider. It could also have a huge effect on 2015 recruiting. The state of Kentucky is expected to have a strong class and UL under Charlie typically ignored the in-state players, but now there could be some competition for the likes of Sindelar, Smith and Brown.
So, speaking of the new staff at Louisville. who is it going to be? Tom Jurich has vowed to go after the very best for his program and I’m sure he will go after them. The only issue is that Louisville has been a little too big for their britches for a while now and many over-estimate the kind of coach they will be able to attract. Louisville is certainly more attractive that their Conference USA roots, but it is hardly a “destination job”. Stories of luring Rich Rodriguez away from Arizona or chasing Kirby Smart seem a bit optimistic. On the flip side, it would be laughable to see UL re-hire Bobby Petrino, as some Card fans seem to be dead set on. One of their best options may be to promote Strong’s defensive coordinator, Vance Bedford, for some consistency. I would expect them to hire a BCS coordinator or maybe a head coach from a smaller school. (Also whomever is willing to keep Clint Hurtt around, there I said it.) I wouldn’t expect a retread from the junk heap, Houston Nutt I’m looking at you.
It will be interesting to see who Jurich lands. One way or the other, this hire will likely shape the college football landscape in the state for several years. With Kentucky on the rise, Louisville really can’t afford to whiff this time around. A bad hire, losing the core of the team and moving to a BCS schedule for the first time could really spell trouble. Let’s hope it does.