Kentucky Football: How Former Top Recruits Fared

Given the fact that the entire state has been focused on Kentucky’s top high school football players this past week and the general trend that in-state talent is improving every year, I thought it may be interesting to see what became of the last ten players to hold the top ranking in the Commonwealth. Since Mark Stoops became head coach for Kentucky Football, the Wildcats have been much better at keeping these players in-state.

For this exercise we will use Rivals.com rankings.

2014- QB Drew Barker- Barker signed with Kentucky to much applause and enrolled in school early to take part in Spring Practice. Not surprisingly, he put up a fight for the starting position but fell short and redshirted this past season. He had very positive reviews from the scout team and looks to compete for the starting job again this spring.

2013- WR James Quick- Quick turned down big programs to stay home and sign with Louisville. He played as a freshman but his impact was minimal. With the Cardinals stacked at receiver he had a tough time seeing the field during meaningful minutes. As a sophomore, Quick carved out a role for himself in Bobby Petrino’s offense and set himself up the be the go to receiver in 2015.

2012- QB Patrick Towles- Towles signed with the Wildcats and planned to redshirt as a freshman. Injuries forced him into action and he got off to a fast start until an injury of his own derailed his season. Redshirting as a sophomore due to some off-field issues, Towles returned in Spring 2014 and took the reigns as the starting quarterback this past season. His first year as a starter was up and down but he showed flashes of brilliance and was undeniably a leader.

2011- LB Lamar Dawson- Dawson famously chose to enroll at Southern Cal rather than play for the Cats and was an early impact player in LA. Injuries have somewhat slowed Dawson in college but he has a season remaining to improve his draft stock. This one still stings as Dawson was a star at a position of need that is still thin four years later.

2010- LB Tim Patterson- Long thought to be a Louisville lean, Patterson signed with Kentucky in a bit of a surprise. A fierce edge-rusher, Patterson’s future in Lexington was bright but academic issues derailed his career. After attending junior college he looked to enroll at UL but finished his career at Lincoln University.

2009-DB Justin Green- This is where the disturbing trend of Illinois reaching into Kentucky and poaching top prospects began. A four-star defensive back, Ron Zook sold Green on playing offense, which he did for a year. He followed that up by starting three years at cornerback for the Illini. Green was a solid player in college but was not drafted.

More from Kentucky football recruiting

2008- WR Aaron Boyd- Boyd may have been the first Kentuckian to have a live stream anoouncement when he picked Kentucky over Oregon on Signing Day. The expectations were great for the four star but a bout with mono slowed his freshman season and Boyd never seemed to recover. Struggling with separation and the speed of SEC defenders, many thought Boyd would be best served by converting his big body to tight end but the move was never made. He finished his college career a one of the most disappointing signees in UK history.

2007- DB Chase Minnifield- The son of former UK basketball player Dirk Minnifield, Chase never seemed to seriously consider Kentucky and signed with Virginia. He was a star for the Cavaliers but went undrafted by the NFL. He signed a free agent deal with the Washington Redskins but is currently not a member of the team.

2006- DE Micah Johnson- A bonafide high school star, Johnson chose the Wildcats for an opportunity to play linebacker and to play with his brother. Johnson was a star at UK, playing linebacker, defensive end and even toting the ball in goal line situations. As a senior he earned All-SEC honors. Despite all of this this Johnson went undrafted and bounced around several teams practice squads before playing in an amateur league.

2005- DT James McKinney- In a year when the Wolverines reached into the Bluegrass and took whomever they wanted, Michigan stole four star McKinney from Louisville. After things didn’t work out in Ann Arbor, McKinney transferred home to UL but was dismissed from the team by then coach Steve Kragthorpe. The last we heard of McKinney he was in jail for robbing a teenager at gunpoint. Certainly the saddest story on this list.

2004- QB Brian Brohm- To absolutely no ones surprise, Brohm signed with Louisville out of Trinity High School and the rest was history. UL coach Bobby Petrino had some success before, but once Brohm ascended to the starting job, the Cardinal offense really took off and they became a contender. After rewriting the UL record books Brohm was drafted by the Green Bay Packers as the heir apparent to Brett Favre. He is currently out of the league.

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