ICYMI: Wildcats Benefit From Improving Football Talent in Kentucky

Oct 5, 2013; Columbia, SC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Ryan Timmons (1) and Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Demarco Robinson (9) celebrate a Timmons touchdown in the fourth quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Over the years one of the main drawbacks to the Kentucky Football job was that there was no in-state talent base to recruit.

Coaches who came in had to build pipelines in other areas to fill the roster. Except in one unfortunate incident where UK’s president crippled the football program by restricting them to signing only in-state players. Most worked over the south pretty good. Marl Stoops has taken the Cats gospel into Ohio. But all of that could be changing.

Just this year the bluegrass has produced two Army-All Americans and there are currently thirteen Kentuckians committed to FBS schools. (Matt Elam will be #14 when he chooses between UK and Alabama) A handful of others will likely walk-on or sign with FCS teams to play in college. Last year sixteen signed with D1 schools. The year before that it was fifteen.

This marks a significant shift for the state, because not only are there more players to recruit but they are more talented ones. Kentucky is producing All-Americans on an annual basis and with the new staff in Lexington, those players are interested in the Wildcats. Last year saw UK snag Jason Hatcher and this year they got Drew Barker and possibly Matt Elam. The quality of football being played in the state is improving and one would think it must be directly attributable to the time a few years ago where Kentucky and to a lesser extent Louisville were both winning programs. Before Card fans jump on that last statement, it holds because approximately 80% of this state consists of UK fans, so Kentucky’s success has a greater impact on the state as a whole. It’s historically been difficult to get talented athletes to play football here simply due to a lack of interest, but when there is cause for interest the talented guys put down their basketballs or baseballs and dress out.

The best news is that it seems to only be getting better, 2015 might have the best crop yet. The class looks a little top-heavy right now but there are already four players who could end up as All-Americans next year. Damien Harris is the top running back in the nation. As the 2014 class wraps and coaches start mining for talent in next years class, you will more Kentucky kids getting ranked and getting some offers as well. The number of players that play in college figures to increase again as well. (It can’t hurt that Jeff Brohm will recruit the lesser-known Kentucky kids hard at WKU) The best news may be that Kentucky has a great shot at any of them that they want out side of Harris, and even he may be warming up after Michigan fired the offensive coordinator he liked.

This only serves to make it more vital for UK strides on the field next year, because you can only sell playing time for so long, at some point you have to have something tangible to show a recruit. That doesn’t mean eight wins, it doesn’t even have to be a bowl game, but Kentucky needs to clean up the offense and most certainly improve on the two victories that they earned in 2013.