UK football: Will the Wildcats land more in-state talent?
By Drew Koch
![LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 4: Head coach Mark Stoops of the Kentucky Wildcats is congratulated by fans after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Commonwealth Stadium on October 4, 2014 in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky defeated South Carolina 45-38. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 4: Head coach Mark Stoops of the Kentucky Wildcats is congratulated by fans after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Commonwealth Stadium on October 4, 2014 in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky defeated South Carolina 45-38. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/609f3a35a652eb1b1fe31f79aa2a3b479941be1e7a34795dfb23f580aed0ca82.jpg)
Eli Cox of Nicholasville was the first UK football commit from the state of Kentucky in the last two years. Will the Wildcats land some more in-state recruits in 2019?
Eli Brown of Nicholasville became Mark Stoops first in-state recruit in the past two years. The offensive lineman from West Jessamine High School committed to the UK football program this past week. Will we see some more recruits from Kentucky join Brown in 2019?
We all know that Coach Stoops loves to roll through Ohio and gather recruits fhas rom the Buckeye State. The Wildcats have 27 players from Ohio on the 2018 roster. Benny Snell, Lynn Bowden, Jordan Jones, and Mike Edwards all hail from up Interstate-75.
While Stoops has had a great deal of success snagging prospects from Ohio, Florida and other states, nothing puts a smile on UK football fans’ faces quicker than seeing a local player from the state of Kentucky have success. Brown, a 3-star offensive lineman, is the first in-state recruit Stoops has signed recently.
This begs the question, are there any other prospects from Kentucky on UK’s radar for 2019? The answer is yes.
https://twitter.com/elicox59/status/991423759000199173
2019 in-state targets
Wandale Robinson, a 3-star running back from Frankfort is a target for Kentucky. Recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow may need to step up his game if the Cats hope to land Robinson. According to 247 Sports, the Duke Blue Devils are the leader in the clubhouse for Robinson’s services.
Aidan Robbins, another 3-star running back, is also on UK’s radar. Robbins, who plays for DuPont Manual in Louisville, Kentucky is a bigger back at 225-pounds. He’s said to be leaning toward Kentucky’s in-state rival Louisville.
Next: Which 2 freshmen will start for the Wildcats in 2018?
Two of the state of Kentucky’s best players are heading out of the Bluegrass all together. Jacob Lacey is a 4-star defensive tackle from Bowling Green. He’ll playing for Notre Dame in 2019. Fellow 4-star defensive lineman Stephen Herron will be setting the edge for John Harbaugh in Ann Arbor. Herron committed to the Michigan Wolverines last summer.
Hopefully Eli Cox is just the first of many Kentucky kids to join the Wildcats in 2019. Stoops and the UK football coaching staff have done a great job getting out-of-state talent. Let’s see if they’re able to keep more in-state talent and give them a home in Lexington.