Bluegrassrivals

Cats added second JUCO from Texas

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Another day, another junior college commitment for the Kentucky football program. Today the verbal came from Ryan Flannigan, a linebacker from Brenham (Tex.) Blinn College.

Flannigan's teammate Shyquawn Pullium committed to the Wildcats on Sunday. At the time, Flannigan told Cats Illustrated that was likely to nudge him in UK's direction as well.

CatsIllustrated.com first reported Flannigan's commitment and shortly after he gave the word to the UK staff he spoke with us.

"It just felt like it was the right place for me," Flannigan said. "It's the right decision to make. I'm comfortable with them and they seem like they have a good educational system.

"They said they need linebackers real bad and they said I can be a 'Day One' kind of guy for them. Going in I should be able to play. It's not going to be handed to me but I'll be able to compete."

It helped UK that assistant coach Chad Scott has been recruiting Flannigan for years. He was his primary recruiter on the Texas Tech staff when Flannigan committed to the Red Raiders in the class of 2012 as a senior at Missouri City (Tex.) Fort Bend Marshall.

"Coach Scott has been down with me since I didn't qualify to go to Texas Tech," Flannigan said. "He's been watching out for me and he'll take care of me."

Flannigan said defensive coordinator and linebackers coach D.J. Eliot visited earlier this spring to watch practice at Blinn.

As a high school senior Flannigan was a three-star prospect ranked the No. 60 outside linebacker in the nation. He's not currently ranked but he did have offers from Texas Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia and Cincinnati, among others.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1512741

Memphis prospects set to visit Kentucky Thursday

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Kentucky's big recruiting event may be on Saturday but Thursday should be a pretty big day too. UK is set to host some of the top prospects from the talent-rich city of Memphis.

Many of Memphis' top prospects are currently on a tour of SEC schools that took them to Alabama and Auburn on Tuesday. It will take them to Georgia and Tennessee on Wednesday. Then on Wednesday night they get back in the car and head up to Lexington, so they can visit Kentucky and Vanderbilt on Thursday.

It's a whirlwind tour and each school only has a very brief time to make an impression. But it's big for UK.

As Cats Illustrated reported earlier this year the current Kentucky staff has plans to tap into the city of Memphis, one of the most important recruiting areas for SEC schools.

The prospects making the trip to UK on Wednesday and Thursday include Jamal Jones, Cornelius Sturghill, Deddrick Thomas, Johnathan Johnson, Joshua McMillon and Nikia Cathey.

Sturghill is one of the top athletes in the state of Tennessee, and of the visitors he's perhaps the one that UK has been most closely watching.

Cathey is a Mississippi State commitment and the others are Class of 2015 prospects. McMillon, who attends Whitehaven, is one of the nation's top rising junior linebackers and will attend the Rivals Challenge as one of the few underclassmen performing.

The prospects will be accompanied by Bryan Williams, a coach from the area.

"We'll be at Kentucky on Thursday morning," Johnson said. "We're actually coming into Kentucky on (Wednesday) night. We're going to spend the night in Kentucky and we'll be on campus on Thursday."

Assistant coach Scott spent some time in Memphis during the spring evaluation period last month. It didn't appear as though UK was on the verge of making progress with any recruits, but this week's visitors could be a sign that his efforts are paying off.

"The new coaching staff said they wanted to recruit Memphis," Johnson said. "I don't think any of them have been up to Kentucky. We wanted to get these kids on campus, let them see the program, and let them meet the coaches.

"Every kid I have in the car with me are top kids in Memphis, 2014 and '15. I got in touch with coach Scott after I watched Kentucky's spring game. I saw the direction they're going with that offense. I called up there and told him we've got some kids that would fit that system perfectly."

Cats Illustrated will have more on their trip as well as plenty of coverage from the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in the days ahead.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1512380

McKenzie small in size, but WR has a big game

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Isaiah McKenzie may be small in stature but his game speaks for itself. He's on Kentucky's radar as a wide receiver to watch.

When Cats Illustrated caught up with McKenzie this week he said he had received upwards of 30-plus offers, though it is not clear how many are "committable" at this point in time.

The 5-foot-8, 165-pound receiver from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage has spoken to UK assistant coach Jimmy Brumbaugh on "at least" three separate occasions. He's still learning more about the Wildcats but he likes what he knows.

"He's told me that he really likes me at the receiver position for them. He likes everything about me and coach (Mark) Stoops did too. I talked to (Stoops) on Friday," he said.

McKenzie classified his interest in Kentucky as "medium" and said he does not have any favorites to speak of right now.

Cincinnati, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Kentucky, Marshall and East Carolina are the schools McKenzie said are recruiting him the hardest.

"I prefer a spread (offense)," McKenzie added. "But I don't have any favorites."

The only visit McKenzie has scheduled is to Notre Dame. That trip is set for June 11.

McKenzie is ranked the No. 70 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals.com.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1512394

Cats in front for JUCO lineman Hayes

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Kentucky is obviously hitting the junior college ranks hard in an effort to build immediate depth and put a competitive product on the field right away.

To that end the Wildcats have accepted verbal commitments from junior college prospects like Za'Darius Smith, Steven Borden, Javess Blue, Nate Willis, Melvin Lewis and most recently Shyquawn Pullium.

Now UK leads for a junior college offensive lineman from El Dorado (Kan.) Butler County C.C.

"Kentucky offered me on Tuesday, I think it was," said tackle Luke Hayes. "My top three right now would be K-State, just because it's close to home, and Kentucky and Baylor. That would be my top three. if I put it in order it would probably be Kentucky at the top."

Kansas State, Baylor and Kansas are the other schools that have offered the 6-foot-6, 290-pound tackle.

Originally from Kansas, Hayes told Cats Illustrated he didn't grow up a big fan of either in-state football program. That has provided an opening for UK.

"I've talked to the offensive line coach, coach (John) Schlarman. Then I also talked to coach (Neal) Brown, the offensive coordinator. They told me about themselves and told me about the school. They said that they're getting ready to do some things, some new things to their stadium. They're getting a new football facility.

"I definitely have a lot of interest in them. Right now I'm just kinda keeping my options open and keeping an open mind."

Kansas State is the only school Hayes has visited recently. He was in Manhattan for the Wildcats' spring game.

Hayes was not a highly recruited prospect coming out of high school in part because he played tight end and defensive end.

"Now I'm playing offensive tackle and I think that suits me better. I wasn't ever really fast but for an offensive tackle I'm pretty fast," he said. "I'm a lot more confident in myself. I play more aggressive, which is another good thing that has helped me."

Hayes said he will wait until the beginning of September before he sets his official visits.

Conference affiliation could really help UK with Hayes.

"I definitely want to go play in the SEC because that's where the best talent is," he concluded.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1512398

McMillon picks up UK offer on unofficial visit

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Memphis (Tenn.) Whitehaven linebacker Joshua McMillon could be one of the top Class of 2015 prospects in the nation and he was the headliner when several prospects from his hometown visited Kentucky on Thursday.

McMillon already had "about fifteen" offers heading into the Kentucky leg of his SEC tour, which took him to six other schools. While the UK trip came after he had been on the road a while and he was pretty worn out, the Wildcats had some good news for him.

"I received a Kentucky offer," McMillon told Cats Illustrated as he and his fellow Memphis recruits were on the road back home.

"I was excited. Coach (Chad) Scott had come down and was at one of the spring practices we had. He seemed like he was real impressed with what he saw."

Thursday was McMillon's first experience at Kentucky and while he didn't have too much time at the school he was able to get a feel for the changes the program is experiencing.

"I was very impressed with the $110 million they're putting into the new facility and with them having that new crew down there, it's very impressive what they're trying to build," he said. "The coach from Florida State, the offensive coordinator from Texas Tech; I was very impressed. The head coach has a bunch of defensive guys."

Kentucky's need at linebacker was also mentioned. Of course, the top priority is finding help at that position in the class before McMillan's. UK is well on their way to doing that with three commitments at the position.

McMillon cited trips to Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Mississippi State as visits that stood out on his tour. He's starting to get a good idea of which schools he likes most as well.

"Definitely Mississippi State," he said. "I like coach Collins from Mississippi State. I love Auburn and I love Vanderbilt's head coach James Franklin."

McMillon was scheduled to participate in the Underclassman Challenge in Chicago as one of the select few 2015 recruits invited.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1513162

Excited for season

2015 athlete Thomas gets a look at Kentucky

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Before the six recent Memphis visitors stopped by Kentucky the coach that was traveling with them, Bryan Williams, told Cats Illustrated that Deddrick Thomas had singled UK out as a school of interest.

Thomas and the other recruits he was traveling with had a chance to visit about half of the schools in the Southeastern Conference over the last week. Not only was Thomas able to see Kentucky, but he was able to compare it to a lot of the other schools he's likely to consider.

As a 5-foot-10 and 165-pound athlete, Thomas said he believes he will be recruited as a receiver at the college level. And Kentucky's offense makes the school an attractive choice.

"It was straight," Thomas said. "They're really building a program. You could tell that as they were talking and showing us how the new coach had come in and done things with the defense and the offense he was putting in.

"I was talking to the receivers coach (Tommy Mainord) and we went to the receivers' conference room. He showed us the offense they're putting in. I like the offense and they're showing a lot of interest."

The Memphis (Tenn.) Central rising junior said he hasn't paid too much attention to which schools are recruiting him. He does have early verbal offers from Ole Miss and Memphis, but his coach has been handling most of his recruitment so far.

One of Thomas' in-state schools was especially impressive while he was touring the SEC.

"I'd probably say Tennessee is one of my favorites. It was just nice and everything was pretty good. The players were cool," he said.

Williams told Cats Illustrated that UK offensive coordinator Neal Brown had hinted that offers could be coming soon for Thomas and fellow 2015 athlete Johnathan Johnson.

He then told Brown that if UK comes through with offers soon then he would bring both prospects back for a camp this summer so the coaches can watch them work out in person. Those offers can't go through until Mark Stoops okays them.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1513171

WR Malone talks Kentucky, Barker bond

T.J. Walker
CatsIllustrated.com Staff Writer

CHICAGO - Josh Malone is highly coveted.

The 6-foot-3, 187-pound receiver from Gallatin, Tenn., has more than 40 offers and he's ranked the third-best wide receiver in the country. His performance in the Rivals Camp Series in Atlanta earned him to a trip to this week's Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, where he spoke to Cats Illustrated about his interest in the Wildcats.

And first and foremost, Malone said it's strange that he's even considering UK based on its football history. But he does realize that changes are being made and the Cats are making moves.

"It's weird because Kentucky doesn't have much tradition, there's really nothing to go off of," Malone said. "Really the biggest-named players they have are Stevie Johnson and Randall Cobb, and that's really the big wide receiver names they have coming out of there.

"It's kind of weird because there's not much tradition and not much (historic) support of the program unlike now."

Malone, who attends Station Camp, doesn't have a top five and few of the 104 players at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge few did more interviews. He hopes to narrow his list down to five before the season starts, take his five official visits to those schools and make his decision by the end of the season.

He'll learn everything there is about Kentucky when he visits sometime this summer. Malone isn't sure when it will be but he says he'll "definitely" check out UK's campus.

And during his recruiting process, he has one future Cat in his ear. Malone and Drew Barker have been camping together since their freshman year of high school and Barker hasn't been shy about his desire to play with Malone.

Barker's main selling point is UK's family atmosphere, which is important to Malone.

"He tells me it's a great place, it will feel like home and it's a great place to be," Malone said. "Me and Drew go way back. We went to a few camps together going back to our freshman year, so we have a little bit of chemistry."

Malone says that chemistry could carry over to the next level.

"Yeah I could see that," he said.

Currently Malone talks to someone from UK's staff about once a week, and is intrigued about the idea of playing in the Southeastern Conference. He realizes UK is one of the few schools that offer instant playing time.

"Yeah I thought about (playing time); it's a good feeling," Malone said. "That's why I'm going up there to check them out because of that availability and opportunity to play early."

But he realizes that even if he plays instantly, the winning part won't come easy. But knows with Barker and the current coaching staff, UK can be a contender.

"I know they have a good strong coaching base, but right now it's just the upstart," Malone said. "Starting from the bottom. Yeah, I think they can be a contender. It'll take some time but they can be a contender."

The school Malone picks will have to take academics seriously and feel like home, and the school that wins the Malone sweepstakes will be getting a do-everything receiver.

"I'm a very balanced wide receiver," Malone said. "Fast for my size and good pair of hands and good route running and a good burst level."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1513443

Crestview HS(FL) DE Denzel Ware recommitted to Kentucky today! He is currently ranked 15th at his position. Hopefully he will remain solid with his commitment this time!

Ware commits to Kentucky for second time

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

The recruitment of Denzel Ware has been one of the more interesting story lines of the current recruiting class and it took another turn this weekend when he committed to Kentucky for a second time.

The three-star prospect has transferred from Alabama back to Florida but that's not the only recent change for Ware.

He visited Kentucky for the first time this weekend and let the coaches know that he's committed to Kentucky. For good this time.

After a decommitment from UK and a brief and rather public flirtation with Florida, Ware is back with the Wildcats.

"I'm excited about the commitment," Ware said Sunday evening. "It was everything. The facility, the campus, the fields and the class that's coming up in 2014. (It) just made me want to come back and stay. It's a family thing here and I feel comfortable here and that's what's best for me."

Upon arriving in Lexington he quickly hit it off with some of his future teammates.

"I've been tight with Thad (Snodgrass) and Mikel (Horton) and Drew (Barker) but now I met other recruits. Now (he's) just waiting for camp to experience with the team."

Ware said head coach Mark Stoops is the coach that he knows best on the staff but he's also close with defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot and has come to know defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh this weekend as well.

"He knows the game and I like that because he can help me for the next season and (next) level," Ware said of Brumbaugh.

He confirmed that UK has recruited him as a defensive end and said that he's measuring at 6-foot-2 and 235-pounds.

Ware's plan is to camp with UK on Monday and then leave to return home tomorrow.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1513961

OL McBride picks up Alabama offer, will visit UK

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Montel McBride and some others from Florida are on a bus tour visiting several colleges and Kentucky is one of the stops they will be making.

The stop in Lexington will be especially important for McBride because Kentucky is one of his top choices. The Wildcats offered the 6-foot-4, 332-pound guard from Plant City (Fla.) long ago, but more recently a formidable foe emerged: Alabama.

The Crimson Tide offered McBride within the last week and as you might imagine that was a big moment for McBride.

"I was excited. I was ecstatic," McBride said. "I was about to go crazy. That's definitely a big one. I was so excited but I've got to keep working hard and set my goals even higher."

But the offer doesn't necessarily mean McBride will land in Tuscaloosa. It's a great option but he wants to take his time.

"I'm really excited about (Alabama) and it's a great opportunity. It's definitely one I'm very interested in but I don't have any favorites yet. I don't want to just say they're definitely at the top of my list," he explained.

McBride's current bus tour will take him to places like Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee, and will end around the middle of this week. UCF, Florida State and FIU are among the more local schools that are recruiting him hard.

Kentucky has a good shot with McBride largely because of [db]Chad Scott[db].

"Coach Scott, that's my man right there. He's a great guy and he actually went to my high school," he said. "He's a real cool dude that keeps it real with you. He tells me a lot about how the school is and he tells you the truth about what's going on.

"(Kentucky is) putting together the best recruiting class in (their) history and they want me to be a part of it. Maybe I will, maybe I won't, but I'm excited to get up there."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514175

Edwards gives Cats 13th verbal commitment

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

It appeared it was going to happen a long time ago but from Kentucky's perspective it's better late than never. Mike Edwards is a Wildcat.

The three-star safety from Ohio, ranked the No. 19 prospect in the Buckeye State, committed to Kentucky while visiting the school on Monday.

While Edwards was on campus he was able to spend time with several fellow Kentucky commits from his home state as well as Drew Barker. Top UK target Matt Elam was also with the group.

Edwards has long been a heavy Kentucky lean and it appeared he was set to announce for Kentucky much earlier. However, a series of events led him to rather publicly postpone his announcement.

At one point it appeared Edwards was preparing to take visits to other schools, but the efforts of assistant coach [db]Vince Marrow[/db] and the staff convinced him to stick with his gut, commit and go public.

Shortly after Cats Illustrated broke the news of Edwards' announcement he confirmed it with a series of public messages on Twitter.

Edwards is Kentucky's third defensive back, joining Jared Tucker and junior college cornerback Shyquawn Pullium, and may fill one of at least two spots being held for safety prospects.

His commitment gives Kentucky its seventh commitment from Ohio, with each having Marrow as their primary recruiter. The Wildcats now have thirteen total commitments and their class ranks No. 7 nationally, one spot behind Clemson and one spot ahead of defending national champion Alabama.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514268

With the commitment of Mike Edwards, Kentucky currently has the 7th ranked recruiting class in the country and the 3rd best in the SEC with only Texas A&M and Tennessee ahead of us!

West keeps UK momentum alive with commitment

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Mike Edwards had his fifteen minutes of fame but it wasn't much more than that. Fellow Ohioan and four-star safety Darius West committed shortly after Edwards.

Long believed to be a Kentucky lean, just as Edwards was, West committed to the Wildcats on Monday evening.

The four-star prospect from Lima (Ohio) Central Catholic had been planning to visit Kentucky this week and he made a quick trip over to Lexington on Monday with so many top prospects in town and with news of Edwards' commitment out.

West was not immediately available for comment, as he was with many of his fellow Kentucky commitments, but multiple sources confirmed that he had committed while talking to Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow.

The 5-foot-11, 196-pound prospect is ranked the No. 5 overall rising senior in Ohio, which makes him the Cats' highest-ranked commitment from the Buckeye State. Kentucky now has seven commitments ranked among the top 35 prospects in Ohio, which is more than any other school.

West is also ranked the No. 15 safety and the No. 185 overall prospect on the Rivals250. He is the fourth Rivals250 prospect to commit to UK, joining Drew Barker, Mikel Horton and Thaddeus Snodgrass.

He earned accolades and a better ranking on the heels of a strong performance at the Rivals Camp Series' stop in Cincinnati, where his cover skills stood out against some solid receivers. West's cover skills and athleticism have convinced some that he could play safety or cornerback, but it is widely believed he is destined to play safety in college.

Notre Dame had offered West more than a week ago but the Irish never seemed to gain much traction. West had been scheduled to commit to Kentucky late last month but he postponed his decision until today.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514432

Sturghill talks about visits to UK, other SEC schools

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

When UK assistant coach Chad Scott visited Memphis earlier in the spring one of the prospects he took a look at was Melrose athlete Cornelius Sturghill.

Sturghill, a 5-foot-11, 169-pound prospect ranked the No. 13 rising senior in Tennessee, had not heard much from Kentucky before that.

Contact has still been limited but now he knows the Wildcats are at least interested. He and five underclassmen from Memphis visited UK last Thursday, shortly before stopping at Vanderbilt while he was back on the way home.

"It was real nice," he said of Kentucky. "The coaches seemed laid back. They're great guys.

"They were talking about the head coach (Mark Stoops) and they showed me what he did at Florida State. He's got a lot of big things planned for the program."

Sturghill said he's being recruited as a defensive back. Stoops has mentioned the skill positions on both sides of the ball as spots on the field that need a talent upgrade and better depth.

So there would seem to be an opportunity.

"Yeah, they said if you come in you've got a chance to play," Sturghill acknowledged.

While the trip to Kentucky was enjoyable Sturghill said the trips to Georgia, Vanderbilt and Tennessee stood out. One of those in particular caught his attention in a big way.

"I'd say Georgia was the best. Just everything from the coaching staff to how they're interested in the players," he said.

Sturghill said he does not have any more summer plans yet but that could change soon. He also said he does not have any favorites.

The nation's No. 43 athlete claims offers from UCLA, Mississippi State, Purdue, Vanderbilt and several mid-majors.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514100

Kentucky keeps rolling with Firios commitment

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Longwood (Fla.) Lyman linebacker Nico Firios is the latest commitment for the Wildcats and he pushes UK into the top five of the national recruiting rankings.

Firios visited Kentucky over the weekend for the Wildcats' Saturday Night Primetime Camp and he spent plenty of time with assistant coach Chad Scott, his primary recruiter.

Upon returning home he thought things over and decided that Kentucky was the best choice for him. He announced his decision via Twitter around 1 p.m. EST on Tuesday afternoon.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound prospect is coveted for his athleticism and hitting ability. He also held offers from Louisville, Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers, South Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa State and a host of others.

He is Kentucky's fourth linebacker commitment. Previously Dorian Hendrix, Kobie Walker and junior college prospect Ryan Flannigan had also committed to Kentucky.

Linebacker was an important area of need for the Wildcats in this recruiting class and they seem to have addressed it well, but there is a possibility that UK could add a fifth linebacker if they find the right fit.

Firios' decision pushes Kentucky to No. 4 in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514614

K. Walker Jr @KobieWalker To play with the best you gotta sign the best. With the #4 class in the country we'll bump with the best

As the tweet say, we currently have the 4th best recruiting class in the country and 3rd best in the SEC! At the rate we are getting commitments and expected to get commitments this week, I don't think it's a stretch to say that we could have at least the #2 recruiting class in the country by the end of the week!

Oh, it would be so sweet if we could stay this high. I'd be very satisfied to be top 20 by the end of the year.

We're also #4 in the 24/7 rankings.

I definitely think this class will stay top 20. Some of our 4 stars will turn into 5 stars, and we keep adding commits like this, it's going to by far the best class we've ever had. A year after the previous best (this year), lol.

Aslan Wrote:Oh, it would be so sweet if we could stay this high. I'd be very satisfied to be top 20 by the end of the year.

I am Asian's biggest fan after seeing this fine woman slide it on! Damn!

Harrell still pondering possible move north

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Will T.J. Harrell actually consider leaving the state of Florida for his college years? That's what he plans to find out this week.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound prospect from Tampa (Fla.) Catholic will be on the road this week and visiting schools like Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Louisville and Kentucky.

He'll be in Lexington on Saturday and that's a trip he's especially excited about. One reason: Chad Scott. Not only is Scott one of Harrell's favorite recruiters. He's also family.

Months ago Harrell came to the realization that he and Scott are related by marriage on his father's side of the family. The connection is somewhat distant, but it left a lasting impact on Harrell.

"We started talking a little more. I know I can rely on him to take care of me even if football doesn't work out," Harrell said.

Then there are the fans, who have already impressed the three-star prospect.

"But it's all the coaches, too," he added. "I'm talking to them all the time and they're making me know that I could probably come in and make an impact right away. It could be a really good situation for me."

Harrell hopes this road trip across the South and into the Bluegrass gives him a better idea of what schools he likes.

"I've actually been thinking about starting to narrow it down. I could come out with a top ten or fifteen soon but I can say Florida State, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and NC State will be in there," he said.

Many have wondered what position Harrell is likely to play in college. That's a question that no school seems certain about, but it doesn't seem to bother any of them.

Harrell is open to anything but has some thoughts on the matter.

"I feel like I play them all (running back, linebacker, defensive back) equally well but people like my dad are saying safety might be the best fit for me. Speed comes into it," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514520

USF commit Bayes still open to UK, other schools

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Kentucky is one of the schools staying in contact with USF linebacker commitment Jimmy Bayes. Are they making up any ground?

The short answer is it's too early to tell.

With three linebacker commitments on board the position isn't quite the urgent priority it was a couple of months ago. But it's still an area the coaching staff wants to continue to address.

Bayes is the kind of talent they're looking for. At 6-foot-3 and 197-pounds he's a fast, athletic presence at the linebacker spot, and to date he has been one of Willie Taggart's top pledge's since he arrived from Western Kentucky.

The Bulls and Wildcats have gone head to head a number of times, and while it appears USF may win this one, it's not over yet.

"I'm still hearing a lot from Miami, West Virginia, Louisville and Kentucky," Bayes said this week.

Bayes said on a scale of 1-10 he would rate the strength of his commitment to USF at "about a 7.5," indicating that he's still fairly open to other schools.

One of the schools he's very open to is Kentucky.

"Coach (Jimmy) Brumbaugh and coach (D.J.) Eliot both came down to school in the spring and it was really good to see them showing interest," he said. "Coach Brumbaugh is my main recruiter and he seems like a real cool guy. It seems like he knows what he's doing.

"They would know how to use a guy like me. They didn't sign any linebackers in their last class and they're looking for guys that could help. They could really use me."

Bayes said he's not sure if he will take an official visit to Kentucky because "there are a couple of schools that haven't offered" that he's waiting to hear more from.

"I will definitely take an unofficial visit sometime in July, though," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514902

Firios has "full faith" in UK coaching staff

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Mark Stoops and his cast of assistants were able to gain the trust of Nico Firios and that's why they were able to land the three-star Florida linebacker.

Firios committed to Kentucky via Twitter on Tuesday afternoon and his pledge boosted the Wildcats to the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation.

Cats Illustrated spoke with him about his decision and he said he found the perfect fit in Lexington.

"I picked UK because they really made me feel at home while I was there and the people up in Lexington are just good people," Firios said. "Everywhere I went everyone was so nice and I just loved every bit of it."

The coaches had a big part in his decision too. Chad Scott recruited him and Stoops' resume caught his attention.

"(With) Coach Stoops coming from FSU and turning their defense around, (that) really helped too. And they need linebackers and I just trust the coaching staff to do what they want to do. I have full faith in them," he said.

"I'm really excited to be a part of their first full class and it's shaping up to be the best in the SEC."

Whether the class finishes ranked number one in the SEC, it's shaping up to be in the history of the Kentucky football program, at least in the modern era.

One of the schools he chose UK over was Louisville, another school he had seen and gave some thought to.

"Obviously I picked UK over Louisville," Firios said. "I'm not trying to bash UL at all. All I can say is I felt more comfortable at UK and I felt like that is where I needed to be."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1515013

Williams gets second look at Kentucky

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

The fact that wide receiver T.V. Williams has visited Kentucky twice should probably be telling. It's only June and he's from Texas.

Trips from McKinney (Tex.) to Lexington aren't exactly easy, but Williams and his family have done it twice. They were at Kentucky for the inaugural spring game of the Mark Stoops era and Williams was at the school again early this week.

"It was fun. I enjoyed being with those guys," Williams told Cats Illustrated. "The first time I was there really for the spring game. This trip was probably more just about spending time with the commits and everything. That was the biggest thing this time.

"Me and Thad (Snodgrass) were already pretty close so that was cool. I got to meet Matt Elam and Drew Barker, so we got pretty close. I met Kobie (Walker) and pretty much everybody. We all just hung out 24/7. I had a lot of fun with those guys. They're fun guys to be around."

So were the coaches, according to Williams.

"I talked to all of them," he said. "Coach Stoops, coach (Neal) Brown, coach (Tommy) Mainord and coach (Vince) Marrow.

"Coach Mainord is a good guy. I knew him a little bit when he was at Tech because they were recruiting me there. That kinda transferred over. They talked plenty about the offense. We probably talked more about the offense when we were there for the game. Not so much this visit but they did talk about how it's going to be like at Tech."

Williams, a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com, is impressed with the class Kentucky's staff is putting together. He sees big things ahead for the program.

"After that linebacker (Nico Firios) committing they're the number four class in the nation. That's big. That's really impressive," he said.

Some had speculated that Williams could commit to Kentucky on his visit. He admits UK is in good shape, though he said he doesn't have a clear favorite, and he might not wait too much longer before making his decision.

"I'm close but I still need to go visit a couple more places to try and get my head around everything."

Williams said he was "95 percent sure" he will make his decision after he attends The Opening.

He was en route to Nebraska from Lexington when Cats Illustrated spoke with him. Williams wanted to visit Nebraska and Iowa as perhaps his final two college trips before his decision.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1515017

Wide receiver Bone talks Kentucky visit

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Woodruff, S.C., wide receiver Blake Bone visited Kentucky over the weekend and Cats Illustrated caught up with him to find out how that trip went.

Bone has been holding steady at five favorites over the past few weeks. Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, South Carolina and Ole Miss are the five that have been standing out, and he was in Lexington Saturday.

He arrived at Kentucky around noon and stayed for much of the day.

"It was a great visit," Bone told Cats Illustrated.

It was his first trip to Kentucky and if he visits again it would probably just be for an official. In other words it was a first impression, which is always key.

What were the highlights of the trip?

"Interacting with all the coaches and players there," he said. "We were just hanging watching the camp they had going on. I hung out with Drew Barker, Matt Elam, some running back that's committed there (Mikel Horton) and Thad Snodgrass."

While visiting Lexington, Bone tweeted that his interest in Kentucky was rising. However, he did not make a decision or formally change his official list of favorites coming out of the trip.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1515037

Nation's top all-purpose back commits to Kentucky

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Mark Stoops hinted to his followers on Twitter yesterday good news might be on the way. The signature "Yahtzee" indicated a commitment was on the horizon.

Turns out he was right.

Stanley Williams, nicknamed "Boom," committed to Kentucky on Thursday afternoon while he and his family visited Lexington for the first time. Williams is a four-star prospect ranked as the No. 1 all-purpose back and No. 96 player in the class of 2014.

Williams was not immediately available for comment but has stayed in regular contact with Cats Illustrated over the course of his recruitment.

His commitment moves Kentucky to No. 3 in the team rankings for 2014 according to Rivals.com. He is the second four-star running back to commit to Kentucky this year along with Mikel Horton of Ohio.

Williams' primary recruiters were Bradley Dale Peveto and Derrick Ansley, Kentucky's two main workhorses in the state of Georgia.

He had at one point narrowed his list to Clemson, Kentucky and West Virginia. Earlier this month he indicated that he might be postponing his decision, but this week word got out that Williams would possibly commit on his trip to Kentucky.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1515560

The commitment of Stanley Williams is easily the best so far in the Stoops era and other than Micah Johnson, it's the biggest commitment we have gotten in a long time!!

As many of you already know, with the commitment of "Boom" we now have the #3 recruiting class in the country and would only take a commitment from a mid-level 3 star recruit to put us in the #1 spot!

Never thought I would be saying that!

Cats still in the mix wit Texas OL Barrett

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Dallas Skyline offensive tackle Ty Barrett recently listed his six favorite schools and Kentucky was in the mix. He's got a lot of positive things to say about UK.

The Wildcats have their work cut out for them. Ole Miss, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are among the other schools he's looking at the hardest, and those schools are all closer to home.

Barrett is at least intent on visiting Lexington and feels like he owes it to himself to see what it's like.

"I mainly like Kentucky because of the coaching staff. The first day they could come into Dallas they came in to the school," Barrett said.

"Coach (Tommy) Mainord is recruiting me and their coaching staff has just always been around. They've always been with me."

Even before they were at Kentucky.

"Coach Brown gave me my second offer when he was at Texas Tech," he recalled.

Barrett is impressed with the coaching staff at UK and it helps that three assistants have ties to Texas Tech, an in-state school. But there's a lot more he likes about the Cats, even though he has never visited.

"Coach Mainord was talking to me and he showed me the schedule this year. They're playing Georgia and all these schools. It's the toughest schedule in the country," he said. "They've also got a top recruiting class and a top quarterback coming in, and he's been recruiting me a little bit.

"I'm trying to get up there but I don't have (a date) yet. I'm trying to visit Ole Miss, too."

The 6-foot-4, 309-pound lineman is ranked the No. 45 offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1514910

Should be #1 with today's commitment.

FBALL Wrote:Should be #1 with today's commitment.

I am assuming that you are talking about Tyre Brady. I know that it's all over twitter but, for reasons not being released, Rivals has not made it official. Stating that their keeping Kentucky's official commitment list at 16.

If, it had been made official he unfortunately is not a highly enough rated 3 star to put us in the #1 spot. We would be ranked 2nd behind only Texas A&M.