Bluegrassrivals

Blue Chrome Wrote:I do hope you're being facetious. Elam on Kentucky's DL instantly gives them credibility, something they are severely lacking this year.

I am not joking in any shape form or fashion. He is too heavy and out of shape, takes too many plays off, and can't get in a stance half the time.

Iam4thecats Wrote:I am not joking in any shape form or fashion. He is too heavy and out of shape, takes too many plays off, and can't get in a stance half the time.

If this was the case, he would not be such a highly touted recruit! 24/7 Sports has him as a 5 star and he is a 4 star Rivals250 recruit. You don't get that by being out of shape and taking plays off.

How Kentucky football recruits fared over the weekend

Derek Terry
CatsIllustrated.com Staff Writer

Cats Illustrated is embarking on a season-long project to track the weekend performances from Kentucky's commitments and top recruits. Week two started for some commits, but the excitement and optimism of a new season began for others.

In what may come as no surprise to Wildcat fans, quarterback Drew Barker put up one of the most impressive performances of any UK commit over the weekend. In just one half -- the game ended after first half due to heat -- Barker put up a combined 398 yards and six total touchdowns. He finished 8 of 11 passing for 235 yards and four touchdowns. He ran the ball four times for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Conner won its season opener 40-7 and will take on Russell County next Friday.

Over in Western Kentucky, defensive tackle Adrian Middleton and South Warren cruised to a 55-0 victory over Logan County. Stats for Middleton were not available, but South Warren pitched a shutout for the second consecutive week and has outscored opponents 85-0 to start the season.

UK's lone commit from the football-crazed state of Texas, wide receiver T.V. Williams, caught three passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Despite his two touchdowns, McKinney fell to Mansfield (Texas) Legacy 38-28. McKinney is 0-1 on the season and will play Heritage next week.

Running back Stanley Williams turned in an impressive scrimmage last week when he scored two touchdowns and rushed for 161 yards on just three carries. In his first official game of the season, Williams toted the ball 22 times for 232 yards and two touchdowns in a 36-10 victory over First Presbyterian Day. George Walton Academy and will take on Aquinas (Ga.) next week.

Staying in the Peach State, safety Jared Tucker helped lead Stephenson to its first win of the season over Norland (Fla.) 29-6. Tucker recorded four tackles, two pass break-ups and a kick return of 43 yards. It appears to be another year, another great roster at Stephenson. The Jaguars will take on Arabia Mountain next week.

Moving on to Ohio, a highly anticipated match-up between two UK commitments took place on Sunday night. Lakota West, led by running back Mikel Horton, fell against Mike Edwards and Winton Woods in an overtime thriller 27-24. The season opener for both teams was supposed to be played on Saturday night, but inclement weather pushed the game back to Sunday. Winston Woods' next opponent will be Hamilton. Lakota West will take on Glen Este in search of its first win next week.

Tight end Darryl Long and his Westerville South Wildcats beat Groveport-Madison 48-20. Long caught five passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Westerville South's next opponent will be on the road at Northmont.

UK's highest-rated offensive line commit, four-star Nick Richardson, helped lead Westerville Central to an easy 22-0 win over St. Francis de Sales. Westerville Central is 1-0 on the season and will play New Albany (Ohio) next week.

Offensive lineman Jarrett LaRubbio and his Lakota East squad rolled over Western Hills 40-8. Lakota East is 1-0 on the season and will play at Lancaster next week.
Huber Heights (Oh.) exploded for a 62-28 win over Lincoln. Stats for linebacker Dorian Hendrix were not initially available. Huber Heights is 1-0 and will take on Trotwood-Madison next week.

Wide receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass and his Springfield Wildcats fell to Trotwood-Madison 43-8. Snodgrass had one reception on offense, but three tackles on defense, where he forced a fumble. Springfield is now 0-1 this season. Next opponent: at Middletown.

Defensive end Tymere Dubose and Youngstown Christian (Oh.) came up short to Lowellville, losing 21-19. Youngstown Christian is now 0-1 on the season. Its next opponent will be Springfield.

Lima Catholic Central, home to Darius West, rolled over Bath 48-6 on Saturday in its season opener. West is still recovering from a leg injury.

Kentucky currently has four commitments from Florida, and all three saw their teams in action over the weekend.

Winter Garden receiver Garrett Johnson helped lead West Orange to a blowout win over Boone. Johnson caught nine passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. West Orange is 1-0 on the season and next will take on Freedom (Fla.), the alma mater of UK wide receiver Jeff Badet.

Offensive lineman Derrick Kelly, who recently received a bump in his ranking to become a three-star prospect, helped East Gadsden even its record at 1-1 after defeating Pine Forest 14-6. Its next opponent will be Rutherford.

Crestview defensive end Denzel Ware was injured in the first half of his game on Friday night. Crestview head coach Tim Hatten told Cats Illustrated recruiting analyst Justin Rowland that Ware's injury isn't serious. Hatten said Ware had whiplash and a "weird feeling" in his neck, and that the school didn't want to take any chances. Crestview went on to win the game by a 14-13 over Milton. Next week, the Bulldogs will take on Choctawhatchee.

Linebacker Nico Firios and Lyman High School came up a short in a 27-13 season-opening loss to Oviedo. Stats for Firios were not available. Lyman will play Evans next week.

Linebacker Kobie Walker and Olney (Md.) Our Lady of Good Counsel traveled to Florida to take on Immokalee on Friday night. After falling to Gilman last weekend, Good Counsel bounced back to dominate Immokalee 33-0. Walker had three tackles, two for a loss, and one interception in the win. Good Counsel is 1-1 on the season. Next opponent: St. Frances Academy.

Wide receiver Blake Bone became the newest UK commitment last Tuesday when he announced for the Wildcats over a handful of other schools. The 6-foot-5, 183-pound four-star prospect kicked off his senior season at Woodruff (S.C.) High with a 35-14 win over Abbeville. Bone had three catches for 50 yards and one touchdown. Woodruff take on powerhouse Byrnes (S.C.) High School next week.

Cornerback Shyquawn Pullium and linebacker Ryan Flannigan both put up three total tackles as Blinn College was blown out by Butler Community College, 47-14. Blinn is now 0-2 on the season.

Defensive tackle Cory Johnson and ASA College are still awaiting to kick their season off next week. They will take on Widener University.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1544014

UK commit Kelly quietly building some buzz

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Of all Kentucky's commitments from the 2014 class, perhaps the least heralded is Derrick Kelly.

That's not indicative of what the coaching staff thinks of him apparently. Kelly visited UK for a camp over the summer and shortly thereafter he picked up an offer from the Wildcats.

There was plenty of buzz around the Havana (Fla.) East Gadsden offensive tackle and according to UK's coaches that have talked to Kelly there's plenty to like.

"They've told me that they like that I'm very aggressive and they like that I make smart decisions on the field," Kelly told Cats Illustrated. "They also like that I can change directions very well."

The coaches also liked Kelly's family ties to UK, as two relatives have played for the Wildcats. They believe those ties and Kelly's eagerness to commit make him someone that will hold firm in his commitment through thick and thin.

The 6-foot-5, 268-pound tackle acknowledges that assumption is correct.

"I'm definitely solid with UK," he said.

Kelly believes East Gadsden can have a solid 2013 campaign although it was blanked 3-0 in its season opener. That obviously doesn't bode well for the offense even though defenses are usually at an advantage early in the season.

"I think we're looking pretty good," Kelly said. "We're coming back with a lot of experience and the team is well disciplined. This past summer I would say we came together as a family and got on the same page so it's looking very promising for us."

Kelly said he's been working on his pass protection more than anything over the pass year and it's his upside in that area that has UK's coaches especially excited about him given the Air Raid offense they will be employing.

Initially Kelly was given a two-star ranking by Rivals.com but after more film was recently made available, he was given the bump to three-star status. That means every recruit that is a part of UK's class is rated at least three-stars.

Bradley Dale Peveto has served as Kelly's recruiter. The Florida recruit said he likes the UK assistant because he has been truthful and open with him throughout the process.

While Kelly may be unheralded relative to some of UK's other commitments he believes he can play early at the next level.

"I've been thinking of that a lot lately," Kelly said. "If I continue to work hard and improve on my skills then I might start my freshman year."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1544144

UK commit Ware recovering after injury scare

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Denzel Ware had quite a scare in his second game but it appears everything will be fine and he should be good to go.

The 6-foot-1, 241-pound defensive end returned to Crestview (Fla.) after residing briefly in Opp (Ala.) and the move has seemed to be a good one for Ware. He's got a bit more stability in his life, his commitment to Kentucky seems more solid, and he had three sacks in Crestview's season opener.

Then came the scare.

On Friday the three-star lineman went down with an injury that appeared to be severe. He left the field on a stretcher though he did show that he still had movement.

Cats Illustrated caught up with Ware's coach, Tim Hatten, and he said the news right now is all good.

"He's okay," Hatten said. "No head trauma, no concussion, no cervical, no loss of movement. He's fine. Somebody kinda hit him in the side helmet to helmet. It was just a shot to the side of the head, a blow to the shoulder but really the head more so than the shoulder.

"The way he went down he kinda got whiplash but his head never hit the ground. He's gonna be okay."

As you would expect plenty of precautions were taken and that's one reason reports of a potentially serious injury had everyone concerned.

"He had some weird feelings in his neck and we don't want to take any chances with that. We got him checked out good and he was actually in the locker room after the game," he said.

Hatten did not say whether Ware will play in Crestview's next contest but it seems as though he should be good to go for most of the rest of the year. On Ware's three-sack performance in the season opener Hatten said, "He's playing pretty good for us."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1544862

I just watched highlights of Matt Elam. He's not very fast, or quick on his feet, but he just goes straight for whoever has the ball. And he would really help us to stop runs inside.

How Kentucky recruits fared over the weekend

Justin Rowland and Derek Terry
CatsIllustrated.com Staff

Week Three is in the books and Kentucky's commitments from the 2014 class had several strong showings over the weekend.

Quarterback Drew Barker did his part but Conner lost their first game of the year 42-35 against Simon Kenton. The 6-foot-3 UK commit was 28-of-44 through the air with 356 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He also carried the ball 20 times for 57 yards, and those rushing stats would have been a lot better but Barker was sacked three times and that hurt his total.

For the season Barker is 36 of 55 (65 percent) for 591 yards with eight touchdowns and no picks. He has rushed 24 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Conner is 1-1 on the year and is in action at Union (Ky.) Ryle on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

North of the border in Ohio running back Mikel Horton rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries as Lakota West held off Glen Este 21-18. It was a big bounce back win for Lakota West on just four days of rest after a 27-24 loss to Cincinnati Winton Woods.

Speaking of Winton Woods and cornerback Mike Edwards, they moved to 2-0 with a dominating 45-10 victory at home over Hamilton.

Westerville South fell to Northmont 24-14 and while Darryl Long participated his stats were not immediately available.

Lakota East and offensive lineman Jarrett LaRubbio punished Lancaster (Ohio) 41-0 and now the future UK lineman's squad is 2-0 with a contest against Northmont looming. Meanwhile fellow UK line commit Nick Richardson and Westerville Central had a heartbreaking loss in a 57-50 shootout against New Albany.

Individual statistics were not immediately available for defensive end Tymere Dubose but Youngstown Christian struggled mightily losing to Springfield 52-13, dropping them to 0-2 on the season. They travel to Streetsboro (Ohio) on Saturday.

Safety Darius West is still returning from an injury and it's not exactly clear when he will return but Lima Central Catholic defeated St. John's 21-6.

Dorian Hendrix and the Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne defense held Trotwood-Madison to three touchdowns, not a bad accomplishment, and the offense did the rest in a 35-21 win. That moved Wayne to 2-0 on the season.

Down in Georgia all-purpose back Stanley Williams went for 101 yards and a score on the ground before going down with an injury that kept him out of the second half. That could have been the difference as George Walton Academy fell to Aquinas 19-16 in overtime.

Stephenson (Ga.) Stone Mountain corner Jared Tucker helped his squad to a 46-7 victory over Arabia Mountain and his stat line was impressive: Four tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble return of more than 50 yards and a pass breakup.

Of UK's commits from the Sunshine State the star of the weekend was Garrett Johnson and West Orange posted a win. They defeated Freedom 40-12 and Johnson had a huge hand in that with seven catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He added 33 yards on the ground on just two carries and he scored on a 98-yard kickoff return as well.

Derrick Kelly and the East Gadsden offensive line had a stellar performance against Rutherford, paving the way to a 49-31 win. Their next contest is against talent-rich Tallahassee (Fla.) Godby, home of former UK targets like Jacob Pugh and Louisville commit De'Eric Culver.

Denzel Ware returned from his stinger the previous week and registered 10 tackles and a forced fumble against Choctawhatchee but it was in a losing effort as Crestview fell 14-13 with the defense holding up its end of the bargain.

Nico Firios and his Lyman team dropped to 0-2 after a 32-13 beatdown at the hands of Evans.

McKinney (Texas) defeated Heritage 28-14 and receiver T.V. Williams was responsible for two of their four touchdowns.

Meanwhile Good Counsel's defense and Kobie Walker shut down St. Frances Academy in a 42-6 win.

The Wildcats' most recent commitment, wide receiver Blake Bone helped Woodruff (S.C.) to a 26-23 nailbiting victory over Byrnes (S.C.) in a non-conference win.

Blinn C.C. handled Southeast Prep Academy 55-7 and Kentucky's commits had a big hand in the defensive effort. Ryan Flannigan had just two tackles but he intercepted two passes and returned one 68-yards for a touchdown. Shyquawn Pullium added a stop and broke up two passes.

Southeast Prep had just 10 first downs for the entire game and completed only 9-of-35 passes for 77 yards.

ASA College's first game against Widener was canceled so Cory Johnson will see his first regular season action next Sunday against Georgia Military.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1546984

Wow guys you been slacking its been exactly 1 month since the last update on here about recruiting. I would love to have some updates

sportsguru4u Wrote:Wow guys you been slacking its been exactly 1 month since the last update on here about recruiting. I would love to have some updates

Sorry about that, I started a new job a little over a month ago and I have been putting all my focus on that because it is by far the best job I have ever had. I will see if I can gather some information over the next few days if I am able to get the time.

As I am sure many people know, Kentucky currently has the 7th ranked recruiting class in the country and 4th in the SEC behind (1)Alabama, (2)Tennessee, and (4)Georgia.

Braxton Berrios press conference is going right now with his Top 5 hats in front of him. In no particular order they are Oregon, Miami, Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina.

Well, Kentucky made a good run at him but, as everyone thought down the stretch, he has committed to Miami.

Kentucky commit Flannigan talks official visit

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Ryan Flannigan went into his official visit to Kentucky with high expectations. The trip measured up and exceeded those expectations in every respect.

Flannigan had committed to Kentucky at the start of the summer so the 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker from Brenham, Texas, Blinn College has clearly thought highly of the school for a while. Both he and teammate Shyquawn Pullium took their official visits to UK over the weekend.

Both prospects plan to enroll at UK early so the staff wanted them to take their official visits before the end of the season. The weekend of the Florida game worked out because Blinn had a bye on their calendar.

Flannigan arrived at Kentucky at the start of the weekend and his flight didn't leave for Texas until around 5 p.m. late Sunday afternoon. In between he had one of the best weekends he's had in a long time.

"I had a real good time," Flannigan told Cats Illustrated. "It was real good. It's very different than Texas so it was great to see something new. In Houston it's real hot and it's just it's own place. I thought at Kentucky the weather was good, the campus was great and everybody was real nice."

His host for the weekend was Javess Blue, who was a junior college transfer himself coming into this season. Blue shed some light on what the transition to UK from that level has been like.

"I met all the coaches and they're all really good people. I enjoyed meeting a couple of the players, too," Flannigan added.

On the field the Wildcats didn't have the result they hoped for. But the 24-7 loss was still enough to show Flannigan the players are responding to the coaches, and he believes progress is inevitable under this staff.

"They're going to be really good in a couple of years," he said. "They hung in there until the second half with a really good Florida team so I was impressed with how hard they played."

When Flannigan committed the talk was he would be a linebacker for the Cats. More recently there have been some rumblings that Flannigan has the versatility to play at different spots on the field. Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot explained his plans for Flannigan in a meeting on Sunday morning.

"He wants me to mostly play Will linebacker but when the other team puts someone in the slot I'd be able to cover him. But mostly Will linebacker," he said. "Of course they expect me to play early but every football player knows that nothing is handed to you."

Flannigan said he is 100 percent solid with Kentucky and is looking forward to enrolling in January.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1556156

UK commit Pullium gets first look at Campus

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

When Shyquawn Pullium committed to Kentucky he did so even though he had never visited the school. So his official visit over the weekend was pretty important.

It was a first impression and a last impression as well. Pullium won't be visiting Kentucky again before he enrolls in January, so this was his only opportunity to ascertain whether he could actually see himself in Lexington.

He gave the trip good reviews when Cats Illustrated caught up with him shortly before he boarded his plane.

"I had a good time. It's a pretty nice campus. The coaches are good guys and the players seemed to get along pretty well," Pullium said. "Coach (Derrick) Ansley and Coach (Chad) Scott are the coaches that were around the most so I talked to them a lot."

Ansley and Scott were the two largely responsible for recruiting Pullium. Ansley will be his positional coach once Pullium arrives in Lexington and joins the football program and Scott has a big hand in recruiting junior college prospects.

The coaches arranged it so Melvin Lewis and Nate Willis would spend plenty of time with Pullium throughout the weekend. The two Wildcats, both junior college transfers themselves, made Pullium feel right at home.

On the field Pullium saw some problem areas but believes the fix is just a matter of getting the right players in the right places.

"The game was all right. It was a pretty good game. They've got a couple of guys playing in different positions but I thought they played pretty good," he said.

"Overall the trip was real nice. I'd say it was better than I expected it to be."

Pullium, who was committed to Penn State coming out of high school as a member of the Class of 2010, had said prior to the official visit that he still would take trips to Arizona State and Cincinnati. Has that changed?

"I probably still will visit Arizona State and Cincinnati but I'm committed to Kentucky and that's not gonna change it," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1556537

UK commit Williams making most of opportunities

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

T.V. Williams hasn't been able to get as many touches as he hoped in the first half of his senior season but he's making the most of his opportunities.

McKinney (Tex.) is 3-2 and coming off a tough loss to Ryan (Tex.) so it's in a good position to finish strong. Williams, UK's speedy slot receiver commit, has had limited touches this fall but he's making the most of his opportunities.

Williams had 18 receptions for 350 yards and six touchdowns through the first four games of the year, so he's scoring a touchdown every third time he gets his hands on the ball.

"We've got some younger quarterbacks and we're a younger team so I've struggled to get the ball," Williams said this week. "It's definitely a little frustrating but I'm making the most of it. I'm keeping in touch with Thad (Snodgrass) and he's kind of in the same situation with his team struggling. Sometimes we'll catch up after games and just let it out."

The three-star receiver said he has been following Kentucky's season closely and thinks it has been a mixed bag. But he also believes the team is doing as well as it can.

"They're playing great. The defense is playing great but the offense is struggling," he said. "They're going to be fine. They've got a lot of guys on offense, like quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, that weren't really recruited to play in that wide open offense."

Williams will be taking his official visit to Kentucky after the season with most of the rest of his class. That will be on December 14. But he also plans to unofficially visit Kentucky once again when the Wildcats take on Alabama in October.

In the meantime he's doing a little recruiting for the Wildcats down in the Lone Star State.

"Coach (Tommy) Mainord said they're not really recruiting any more 2014 guys in Texas but there's a quarterback in 2015 (Jarrett Stidham) that we're trying to get. So I try to talk to him a little bit," he said.

Since Williams committed to Kentucky other schools have continued to recruit him, notably Nebraska and Iowa, but Williams said he is 100 percent on board with the Wildcats.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1556903

How Kentucky football recruits fared over the weekend

Justin Rowland and Derek Terry
CatsIllustrated.com Staff

Conner High School and Drew Barker have a tendency to live on the edge and they were in another close one on Friday, this time emerging victorious 26-21 over Cooper. And once again Barker made plays in the clutch that helped seal it. This time it was a touchdown pass of more than 60 yards in the fourth quarter that gave Conner a lead it was able to hold onto.

West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West moved to 5-1 on the season with a 37-23 win on the road at Mason. Four-star running back Mikel Horton had another fantastic game even as Lakota West divides carries up. Horton had 16 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown, with a 28-yard long on the ground, to go along with three receptions for 32 yards.

Westerville South dropped a home contest to Dublin Scioto in overtime, 31-24, but tight end Darryl Long had an impressive performance with four receptions for 40 yards.

Jarrett LaRubbio wasn't enough up front for Lakota East to keep up with Oak Hills. A 41-21 loss dropped them to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in league play. Nick Richardson and Westerville Central fared much better, dominating Hilliard Bradley 69-31 to move to 5-1 and 3-0 in the conference.

Linebacker Dorian Hendrix told Cats Illustrated his stats would be available early this week. Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne defeated Thaddeus Snodgrass and Springfield by a 33-15 score. That wasn't a surprise as Wayne is having a much better season. Wayne is 5-1 and Springfield is still looking for its first win.

Three-star safety Mike Edwards might be having a season as good as any of the other commits, and he turned in another fantastic performance in a 44-20 win over Renaissance Christian, which moved Winton Woods to 7-0. Edwards had seven tackles and returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown.

Woodruff (S.C.) defeated Union County 19-15 in a defensive struggle and Blake Bone had just three catches facing double and triple teams throughout the game.

Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson and Jared Tucker had a bye this week.

Blinn C.C. defeated Kilgore J.C. 22-17 in a game with a distinctly UK feel to it. Ryan Flannigan stayed out with a minor injury but Shyquawn Pullium had a tackle for Blinn. Meanwhile Michael Mathis had three tackles, an interception and a pass breakup for Kilgore.

ASA College defeated Dean College 55-17 but Cory Johnson did not have stats immediately available. ASA is now 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.

Defensive tackle Adrian Middletonhad five tackles but South Warren still lost to Daviess Central 8-3 in a defensive slugfest. That was South Warren's first loss of the season.

George Walton Academy dominated Hebron Christian Academy on Friday night by winning 50-20. Four-star running back Stanley Williams carried the ball 17 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns. GWA is now 4-2 this season.

Denzel Ware received good news this week as doctors cleared him to play. He had missed a few games with an elbow injury. Ware made the most of his comeback by having six tackles, including a sack, and also forcing a fumble. Crestview defeated Leon 49-21, ending a four game losing skid.

Staying in Florida, Derrick Kelly helped push East Gadsden to a big home win over Marianna (Fla.) by the score of 27-25. East Gadsden (3-3) is back to .500 after the win.

Our Lady of Good Counsel and Kobie Walker played a rare Saturday night game this week. The result was a positive one though as Good Counsel pitched a shutout against Bishop McNamara 41-0. Stats for Walker were not available.

Longwood, Fla. Lyman andNico Firios had a bye this week, as did McKinney (Texas) and wide receiver T.V. Williams.

One of the best match-ups in Florida over the weekend featured two great programs in Apopka and unbeaten West Orange. West Orange, led by three-star receiver Garrett Johnson couldn't overcome a 31 point second quarter by Apopka. Apopka won the game 52-35, but Johnson had another very impressive performance. He tallied 10 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns. West Orange is now 5-1.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1558458

Williams having a huge senior year

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Bethlehem (Ga.) George Walton Academy is 3-2 on the year and they have been competitive in their two losses. It's tough to imagine where they would be without Stanley Williams.

In just five games of action as a senior Williams has more than 1,000 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, meaning he's one of Georgia's most productive backs through half the year.

Those numbers are an improvement from what was a stellar junior campaign. Last year Williams had 130 carries for more than 1,900 yards and 24 scores.

"It's been a good year for me," Williams said. "The credit goes to everyone blocking for me and the coaches for getting the ball in my hands. It's been a fun year. I don't think many people expected me to put up those kinds of stats this year but the credit goes to everyone blocking and the coaches."

Don't expect Williams to put up those numbers in college. Getting on the field early is going to be the goal but it will also be a fierce competition. With Jojo Kemp, Braylon Heard and Mikel Horton all also vying for time in the backfield next year the Wildcats will have an embarrassment of riches at the running back position.

That's a competition Williams isn't afraid of.

"Coach (Chad) Scott is a great running backs coach and you look at the players he's coached before. You want to play for him," Williams said. "In Neal Brown's offense you can put as many play makers on the field as you want. You can line them up all over the field. Not just at running back. You can do a lot of things so if you're a play maker then you're going to play."

The four-star running back, also ranked the No. 2 all-purpose back in the nation according to Rivals.com, attended the Kentucky-Louisville game in Commonwealth Stadium last month. He has been following the team closely in its other games.

"I think the team is doing well even though it doesn't show in the record. That's kinda what everybody expected coming into this year with the new coaching staff and the new offense," he said. "Everybody expected this season to be a struggle. People weren't expecting us to have a ten-win season or anything like that.

"I've been watching the games I haven't been at and they're putting up great fights. There are some mistakes, some dropped passes or those kinds of things. That's part of the game. Overall I think they have answered the call against adversity. We'll keep improving every year and we'll be one of the top teams in the SEC once we come together and get used to the offense. With the way coach (Mark) Stoops coaches as a head coach, once everybody is in sync Kentucky will be one of the most dangerous teams in the country."

Williams said he hasn't been hearing from other schools lately and he reiterated that he's solidly committed to Kentucky. He noted that the UK coaching staff is primarily focused on the 2013 season, so his contact with the staff is a little less frequent than it otherwise might be. Of course, he's busy at high school as well.

He also noted that he's trying to help the coaches recruit other players as best as he can.

"There are a couple more guys (the recruits) are after. We're still trying to get Matt Elam. We're still trying Braxton Berrios. I'm still trying D.J. Smith, the big-time defensive back out of Walton. There are a couple more guys we're trying to influence and see if they can be a part of this big move," Williams said.

"(The coaches) are trying to get the team prepared every week and we're trying to do our job with the recruiting part. I'm just telling guys why I chose Kentucky. I don't want to rush anybody's decision and I'm not overdoing it because I want them to make the right decisions for their families but most importantly their futures.

"The last time I talked to D.J. he was down to five schools and we were in that top five. Obviously he's going to take those five official visits so hopefully UK is what he wants family-wise, on the field and helping him to get to that next level. I'm also trying to get Dante Sawyer out of North Gwinnett. I'm trying to get Nick Glass and a couple more guys down in Georgia."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1558874

Justin Rowland answers recruiting questions

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Periodically I'll take your Kentucky football recruiting questions from our premium message board, the House of Blue, or Twitter. Here are some of the best conversation starters from the past week.

Will Kentucky take another offensive lineman with its limited numbers remaining in this class?

Absolutely. In fact, the Wildcats could even take two more offensive linemen. Months ago it seemed a near given that Kentucky would sign five offensive linemen. More recently it appeared that four could be the magic number, but five is still possible.

The two names standing out at this point are Marcelys Jones and Luke Hayes.

Jones, an Ohio State offensive guard commit, is a four-star prospect from Glenville (Ohio) and if you talk to most Buckeye people the possibility that he could flip to Kentucky will be dismissed right away. But sources close to UK have consistently maintained they feel great about where they are with Jones and recently they have sounded more confident than ever.

Hayes is a junior college prospect from Kansas with a great build that could come in and compete for a starting spot right away. Land just one of those guys and it's probably the best offensive line class Kentucky has signed in the modern era. Land both and it's one of the SEC's best this year.

Avery Gennesy, another junior college prospect, is still on the radar but it seems other schools like Texas A&M have been surging a bit lately. And there are other players the staff is keeping tabs on.

Which of Kentucky's current commitments will compete for time next year?

That's a great question and one that's popping up a lot because many believe the Wildcats need to show serious progress in 2014 in order to keep the momentum the program currently has.

Let's start at quarterback, where Drew Barker absolutely has a chance to come in and win the job. I'd expect Braylon Heard and Jojo Kemp to have the inside track for the starting running back position but it's tough to see Stanley Williams or Mikel Horton redshirting.

The Cats still need numbers at receiver and I think Garrett Johnson has a real chance to surprise a lot of people early in Lexington. If the Cats land Dorian Baker he could make an immediate impact, too, as could the other commitments. And don't be surprised to see Darryl Long compete for time early.

Any junior college offensive line transfer would compete right away, as would Matt Elam at defensive tackle if he chooses UK.

At linebacker the most likely candidate for early playing time would be Ryan Flannigan, and he's the kind of guy that can cover in space as well.

Four-star safety Darius West and junior college transfers Shyquawn Pullium and Michael Mathis would also be called upon to play immediately. In other words, upwards of half the class could be asked to contribute next season.

Which UK recruits have had the best seasons?

Great question and a few guys come to mind. Williams is putting up excellent numbers for George Walton Academy, averaging about 200 yards per game. His team is very dependent on his production and he hasn't let them down once this year. His stats would be outrageous if he had logged as many carries as he's capable of.

Blake Bone and Johnson are the two receivers that have really consistently produced. I really think Johnson has a chance to be one of the biggest surprises of the class and think he was born to play in Neal Brown's offense.

I've spoken to several people that have been very complimentary of Nick Richardson, saying he's played lights out on the line for a Westerville Central offensive line that is paving the way for a potent attack.

Prior to his injury Denzel Ware was getting outstanding pressure on the quarterback and showing good burst off the edge. He seems to have put on some good weight, too.

At linebacker Dorian Hendrix has been active and all over the field this year. It seems like he's got a big tackle total every week and has great production.

In the secondary Mike Edwards has spearheaded a Winton Woods defense that is performing week in and week out. The team is undefeated and Edwards is making big plays every week, both on defense and on special teams in the return game.

How has Drew Barker played this season?

As you would expect Barker is the best player in every game he plays in at the high school level. He hasn't had a perfect year but he's been very good. One of the things that stands out about Barker is just how many clutch plays he's had and timely drives he's orchestrated in crunch time. That goes back to last year, too.

When it comes to moving the team down the field and pushing his team over the hump late in close games, he gets an A-plus. I'm sure he's not thrilled with some of the interceptions, but not all of those have been his fault. It's been a good year and his current ranking is not in jeopardy. It probably won't significantly change one way or the other.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1558879

One school ahead of the pack for WR Baker

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Dorian Baker has been at or near the top of Kentucky's board at wide receiver ever since a stellar performance at a summer camp in Lexington.

Many that observed the 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver at that UK summer camp were impressed, to say the least, with his combination of size and explosiveness. Baker likes the idea of bringing that skill set to the Air Raid offense and he has been open about the fact that the Southeastern Conference has special appeal.

"I've been talking to Indiana, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Minnesota the most," Baker said. "I don't know if you could say that's my top four but those are the (schools) that are really talking to me."

While Baker doesn't want to call that a top four he doesn't seem to have any problem calling one school the frontrunner. When asked whether the Wildcats are still in front of the field Baker didn't even seem to blink.

"Oh definitely," Baker said. "That hasn't changed. "They've definitely shown me a lot. I feel very good about the situation there."

That remains unchanged but what about Baker's father, who apparently had some hesitation at one point regarding the forecast for football success at Kentucky?

"It's funny you ask that," a laughing Baker said. "About two days ago my dad talked to Coach (Mark) Stoops for something like two hours and they hit it off extremely well. After that conversation he was like, 'That's where he needs to be.' Coach Stoops said if he sent me here then he would help me become a man and he hadn't heard that from a coach before."

So it would seem all that remains is for Baker to seal the deal and wrap things up with a commitment. He's not quite sure when that will happen, though the Wildcats are pushing for it to happen soon.

"I don't know when I will," he said. "Not sure when I'm going to seal it. I kinda want to wait until after my season so it's not a distraction for my team but I'm not sure."

Baker said he has 14 receptions for 545 yards and five touchdowns this year for Cleveland Heights.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1559420

Catching up with linebacker commit Hendrix

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Dorian Hendrix was one of Kentucky's earliest commitments, hence one of the recruits that got the ball rolling in the Class of 2014.

This is his last semester of high school and he's making the most of it.

The 6-foot linebacker from Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne told Cats Illustrated this week that he's happy with how his team has performed and how he's playing individually. Wayne is 5-1 on the season with a big game against Beaver Creek this week.

"Things are setting up pretty well," said Hendrix, who is his team's leading tackler with around 50 stops on the season. "It's going pretty well right now. I've been more focused on the team than what I'm doing individually but I think I've been playing pretty well."

In the past Hendrix was exclusively an inside linebacker for Wayne. That's still where he's playing for the most part but his coaches are switching him to play on the strong side at times as well.

"The coaches have told me they want me to come a little more downhill this year. It's been a 100-percent difference from last year. I've become a head hunter," Hendrix said. "I'm hitting harder. I'm going a little faster. They've said I've gotten better so going downhill is something I've focused on."

Hendrix, ranked the No. 26 inside linebacker in the nation according to Rivals.com, said he has attended Kentucky's games against Louisville and Miami (Ohio).

He was disappointed the Wildcats couldn't pull off the upset of Louisville and doesn't seem to be the type for moral victories.

"It was a great atmosphere," Hendrix said. "The game was sold out from what I was told. It gave me an idea of what I'd be expecting to play in front of in the next couple of years. They did well defensively and gave the offense shots at times. I think a couple more play makers are needed on that (offensive) side of the ball and defensively as well.

"I know coach (D.J.) Eliot and coach (Mark) Stoops are going to have the defense better than it was in the past. They showed me a lot."

The coaching staff has told Hendrix they want him to arrive in Lexington between 225-230 pounds. Since he's at "226 or 227" by his own estimation, Hendrix is focused on maintaining his current weight.

Hendrix plans to enroll at Kentucky early in January.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1560070

Hey congrats on the new job that is awesome. Yeah I just had missed all the recruiting news I love reading about it. I now that we are get some wins here in the 2nd half of the season and next year with this recruiting class we have coming in along with the redshirts and transfers we have that will be eligible after sitting out this season has me super excited. Thanks so much for posting all of those. Hopefully you will be able to find a lil time and keep us all updated on the football recruiting news. Thanks again:Thumbs:

3* WR Dorian Baker committed to Kentucky yesterday. Forgot to post it on here.

UK will only take two more players. You gotta think they will save one of those for Elam.. so not much news left for this class.

They're trying to reserve the last 3 spots for OL/DL. I think we get that, including Elam.

Reed calls Kentucky trip "amazing"

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Three-star defensive tackle Jarran Reed took an official visit to Kentucky over the weekend and the trip went about as well as it possibly could.

Reed, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound prospect from East Mississippi C.C., is a name that Kentucky football fans are probably familiar with. In the last recruiting cycle he was being recruited by the Wildcats but never went through with a trip to Lexington.

He ultimately signed with Florida but didn't have enough credits to make it in to Gainesville.

This is Reed's last semester at East Mississippi and he told Cats Illustrated that everything is on track to enroll at a four-year school for the spring semester.

He finally made it to Kentucky on an official visit where he re-connected with Za'Darius Smith and Jimmy Brumbaugh, two familiar faces from earlier in his time at junior college.

"Oh man, it was amazing," Reed said of his visit. "I had a great time seeing what Kentucky is all about, especially coaching up with 'Z' and coach Brumbaugh.

"'Z' was my host on Saturday night. We're real close. We had been roommates (at EMCC) so it was just like old times. Coach Brumbaugh, I already knew what he was all about and we have that bond. They were talking about how I could come in and make a difference right away."

It certainly helps that Smith has had plenty of success since transferring in to Kentucky himself. That, coupled with Mark Stoops' track record with defensive linemen, are key to the Wildcats' messaging.

Reed had hoped to visit UK before this weekend but better late than never.

"It was way different (than he imagined it would be). Totally different," he said. "It's a great place. It's a big place. I could see myself there."

Up next for Reed is an official visit to Tennessee (Nov. 23). He wants to take other visits too and Alabama, Nebraska, Mississippi State and UCF are among the other schools that have been recruiting him.

Older and a little more seasoned as a recruit, Reed is trying to go about his business quietly this time around. He wants to stay focused on taking care of business.

"This time's a little different," he said. "I'm just taking my time with it. Mostly I'm looking for a situation where I can come in and make an impact right away."

That's something he said he's already found at Kentucky.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?C...&PT=4&PR=2

Baker is Kentucky's fifth pledge at wide receiver
October 20, 2013

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Kentucky is going to have some serious talent at wide receiver in the years ahead. Dorian Baker could be the most talented receiver Mark Stoops has reeled in yet.

It was Vince Marrow that did most of the leg work and build the relationship. And Baker's relationship with Marrow, and then Stoops, sealed the deal for Baker.

The 6-foot-3, 208-pound receiver first told Cats Illustrated of his commitment to Kentucky early Sunday afternoon.

"I just committed to Kentucky," Baker said. "It just felt like the right place for me."

More than the right place, Baker found the right coaching staff.

"The biggest thing for me was finding a coaching staff that I felt like really cared about me and wanted to take care of me," Baker explained. "That's what I liked about Kentucky. I had that bond with coach Marrow. And I got to know coach Stoops and felt great about him, too."

Baker had been leaning towards Kentucky since he visited the school and camped with the Cats' coaches over the summer. Sources who observed Baker at the camp noted that he had turned in one of the top performances of any receiver at a Kentucky summer camp in many years.

He told Cats Illustrated that Indiana was his runner-up but he was set on Kentucky for quite some time. Getting his father on board with UK was part of the process and a recent conversation with Stoops helped ensure the family was comfortable with the decision. Now everyone is happy Baker has chosen Kentucky and he doesn't expect the recruiting process will continue.

"I mean, I would like to take my other visits but I don't think I'm going to," Baker said. "I'm committed to Kentucky and that's pretty much it."

Baker runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.40-second range, outstanding speed for someone with his size.

He is Kentucky's fifth commitment at the receiver position in this class, joining fellow Ohioan Thaddeus Snodgrass as well as Blake Bone, Garrett Johnson and T.V. Williams, from South Carolina, Florida and Texas respectively.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?C...&PT=4&PR=2

LeeCoUKFan Wrote:Baker is Kentucky's fifth pledge at wide receiver
October 20, 2013

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Kentucky is going to have some serious talent at wide receiver in the years ahead. Dorian Baker could be the most talented receiver Mark Stoops has reeled in yet.

It was Vince Marrow that did most of the leg work and build the relationship. And Baker's relationship with Marrow, and then Stoops, sealed the deal for Baker.

The 6-foot-3, 208-pound receiver first told Cats Illustrated of his commitment to Kentucky early Sunday afternoon.

"I just committed to Kentucky," Baker said. "It just felt like the right place for me."

More than the right place, Baker found the right coaching staff.

"The biggest thing for me was finding a coaching staff that I felt like really cared about me and wanted to take care of me," Baker explained. "That's what I liked about Kentucky. I had that bond with coach Marrow. And I got to know coach Stoops and felt great about him, too."

Baker had been leaning towards Kentucky since he visited the school and camped with the Cats' coaches over the summer. Sources who observed Baker at the camp noted that he had turned in one of the top performances of any receiver at a Kentucky summer camp in many years.

He told Cats Illustrated that Indiana was his runner-up but he was set on Kentucky for quite some time. Getting his father on board with UK was part of the process and a recent conversation with Stoops helped ensure the family was comfortable with the decision. Now everyone is happy Baker has chosen Kentucky and he doesn't expect the recruiting process will continue.

"I mean, I would like to take my other visits but I don't think I'm going to," Baker said. "I'm committed to Kentucky and that's pretty much it."

Baker runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.40-second range, outstanding speed for someone with his size.

He is Kentucky's fifth commitment at the receiver position in this class, joining fellow Ohioan Thaddeus Snodgrass as well as Blake Bone, Garrett Johnson and T.V. Williams, from South Carolina, Florida and Texas respectively.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?C...&PT=4&PR=2

Great news...the only problem is it's going to take three years to determine what QB will play 2 consecutive seasons!

Spirit100 Wrote:Great news...the only problem is it's going to take three years to determine what QB will play 2 consecutive seasons!

Yeah, coaching staff needs to get things figured out quick! Gonna have 4 that could legitimately start at QB next season and potentially 5 in 2015!

Solid to Kentucky, Bone becomes a recruiter

Derek Terry
CatsIllustrated.com Staff Writer

Kentucky fans have little to worry about when it comes to the status of four-star wide receiver commitment Blake Bone.

"I'm 100% committed to UK," Bone told Cats Illustrated. "If I was unsure of anything, I would've never committed."

Bone has helped lead Woodruff (S.C.) High School to a 4-3 record so far this season. He's been a playmaker, totaling 47 catches for 761 yards and six touchdowns to this point.

Those numbers led to Bone recently being selected to play in the prestigious Shrine Bowl, a game that pits the top players from South Carolina and North Carolina against each other.

"It's a great feeling to work hard and get recognized as being one of the best talents in the state," Bone said. "I'm ready to compete with the best and see how I do."

Looking past his high school career, Bone has been told by the coaching staff at UK that they want him to make an early impact.

"They plan on me stepping up and balling my first year coming in," Bone said. "I don't have a problem (not redshirting) at all."

While the Palmetto State native hasn't been recruiting many other players to the 2014 class, he has been keeping up with the players already committed -- and also to some big names younger than him.

"I promised I would keep their names out of the media," Bone said. "But I'm recruiting some big-name wide outs in younger grades. But of course I'm talking to the guys who are committed. All of them are pretty cool."

The lanky 6-foot-5, 183 pound receiver hasn't had the chance to make it back to Lexington since committing to the Cats in August, but there is a chance he will take his official visit when the UK takes on Missouri in a few weeks. When asked if he would take any more official visits, Bone said he didn't think that would be a possibility.

"No, I'm not taking any more visits," Bone said. "I feel like that would be disrespectful to UK."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?C...&PT=4&PR=2

Ware talks return from injury, UK commitment

Derek Terry
CatsIllustrated.com Staff Writer

Denzel Ware initially was the first commitment for Kentucky in the 2014 class. After decommitting from the Wildcats in April, the Crestview, Fla., defensive end visited UK in early June and once again decided it was the place for him.

Ware hasn't wavered on his commitment since then, nor does he plan to.

"I'm pretty solid to Kentucky," Ware told Cats Illustrated. "There's really nothing that could make me flip to another school at this point."

Despite missing a few of his high school games this season with an injury, Ware was cleared to play last Friday night and promptly recorded 15 tackles, including a sack, in a win over Pine Forest.

When asked about what he has done to put up big numbers this season, Ware's response was short and simple.

"I just keep working harder than the next man." Ware said.

Ware hopes that the hard work he puts in ultimately will lead to early playing time for the Cats next season.

"I definitely see myself coming in there next year and playing," Ware said. "I'm hoping to get some of the shine that we'll have."

The high three-star defender was in Lexington last weekend to watch his future school take on the defending BCS national champion Alabama. Although UK lost the game 48-7, Ware enjoyed his time in the Bluegrass State.

"The visit was nice," Ware said. "I was able to be around a crazy fan base. Just being in that atmosphere was pretty good."

The Sunshine State native has set his official visit for Dec. 14, when UK is likely to host plenty of its commitments. Perhaps more importantly for UK, in-state four-star defensive tackle Matt Elam is scheduled to be in Lexington for his official visit.

Although Ware said he doesn't do as much personal recruiting as some of his fellow 2014 commits, he is hoping Elam will ultimately play his college ball at UK.

"I really want to play with Matt Elam," said Ware, who hasn't set any other visits and doesn't plan to. "We have become very close over the times we've been with each other and I badly want to play beside him."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?C...&PT=4&PR=2

How Kentucky football recruits fared over the weekend
October 28, 2013

Derek Terry and Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Staff

Four-star quarterback Drew Barker led Conner to a 32-20 win over Scott, which moved its record to 7-2 (3-1). It was Conner's fourth consecutive win. Barker passed for 296 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

The Wildcats' other in-state commitment, Adrian Middleton, had a weekend of rest as South Warren was on a bye.

Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson defensive back Jared Tucker was also out of action but in his case it was due to an injury. Tucker has a pulled hamstring.

Winton Woods got back in the win column by blanking Anderson 26-0. Mike Edwards continued his stellar play with eight tackles and a fumble recovery. He did it on offense, too, catching two passes for 21 yards and rushing four times for 35 yards.

Westerville South tight end Darryl Long had a catch that went for 15 yards and his squad put together a complete performance in a 21-0 win over Dublin Jerome.

Meanwhile Westerville Central defeated Hilliard Darby 35-21 in what was one of its lower-scoring games of the year. Nick Richardson has been part of a dominant offensive line for Central. UK's other Ohio offensive line pledge, Jarrett LaRubbio, had a good week too, as Lakota East defeated Sycamore 28-21 on the road. Central is 8-1 while Lakota East is 5-4 on the year.

Receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass had two receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown but Springfield lost to Northmont 42-20. Springfield is 1-8 (0-4) on the season with Snodgrass accounting for nearly half of the team's receiving yards.

Lakota West's offense was kept mostly in check against Oak Hills but Mikel Horton and the crew still squeaked by in a 10-7 win. Horton had 115 yards on the ground with a 6.1 yard per carry average.

Kilgore College has a proud history on the gridiron with two junior college national championships but it won't get a third this year. Kilgore's 42-12 loss to Tyler J.C. ensured that it would miss the playoffs. UK commit Michael Mathis has been out of action with a minor injury.

ASA College's football team is now ranked No. 15 in the NJCAA poll and will take on St. Francis University's junior varsity team on the road Monday.

Blinn College needed a win against Cisco College to keep its postseason hopes alive and it got it in a 44-34 shootout. Both of Kentucky's defensive commits, Ryan Flannigan and Shyquawn Pullium, were out of action nursing minor injuries.

As if four-star running back commit Stanley Williams wasn't already doing enough for George Walton Academy's team, he decided to do a little extra Friday night by throwing a 51-yard touchdown pass. He also rushed for 109 yards on 13 carries and added a touchdown on the ground. Despite the stellar game from Williams, George Walton Academy fell to Athens Academy 35-21.

Woodruff (S.C) had a big game from Blake Bone,who caught eight passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Woodruff couldn't put together many stops though and lost 51-41 to Broome.

It was a rest week for several Kentucky commitments' teams in Florida, including Garrett Johnson, Denzel Ware and Derrick Kelly as all were off this week.

McKinney (Texas) lost another game to Plano West on Friday night by the score of 38-20. T.V. Williams did not play in the game due to injury.

Stats for Nico Firios were not available, but Longwood (Fla.) Lyman defeated University 24-6. Lyman is now 4-4 on the season.

Youngstown Christian and Tymere Dubose were shut out on Saturday by a score of 28-0.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?C...&PT=4&PR=2