[LeeCoUKFan]

Tubman fourth Kentuckian to get UK offer in 2014

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Kentucky's coaches have carefully evaluated all of the top junior prospects from the Commonwealth and to date they have been very cautious when it comes to extending offers.

There are numerous reasons for that. First, in-state recruits are more likely to want to commit early when a local school offers.

Given the number crunch, especially in the SEC with the strict limit on the amount of prospects schools can take in a recruiting class, pulling offers as circumstances change can be risky business. Especially when you don't want to alienate local schools and high school coaches.

The state of Kentucky also simply produces far less talent than other states home to SEC schools.

Before this week only three Kentuckians had received UK offers: Drew Barker, Matt Elam and Louisville commit Reggie Bonnafon.

Lloyd Tubman, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound athlete from Seneca, recently became the fourth.

"Vanderbilt offered me recently and (on Wednesday) Kentucky offered me," said Tubman, who has been committed to Western Kentucky since March.

Tubman admits there's plenty of intrigue that comes with offers from SEC schools but he's not ruling out the Hilltoppers altogether.

"I committed to them because of the coaches," he said. "I took a couple of visits down there and saw the coaching staff. I was real familiar with them so I went with them.

"Really it would be a soft (commitment). I'm still out there looking. I've been talking to different schools. I'm getting recruited by South Florida, Michigan and Cincinnati. I'm going to have to go around and see these schools so I can make the best college decision."

Tubman has already visited Vanderbilt and Kentucky. On his trip to Lexington he picked up an offer from the Wildcats.

"The Kentucky visit was good," Tubman said. "This past season they weren't that good but I can tell you that the program has some good stuff going on over there. Everything looks good.

"I like the new coaches. I play defensive end and the head coach (Mark Stoops) was the defensive coordinator over at Florida State. I'm going to be going to their camp because I want to learn a couple of things going into my senior year so I can execute real good. When I went there I felt comfortable. I met all the coaching staff and I'm just seeing what I can learn from those guys."

An excellent athlete who has been clocked at 4.54-seconds in the 40-yard dash, Tubman is interested in Kentucky. But it's the Commodores that have really caught his attention.

"Two weeks ago I went over to Vanderbilt and I'm going back over there," he said. "Oh man, I feel great about Vanderbilt. I went over there to see them practice and I was just seeing myself and picturing myself playing with them. I like the coaches over there. My standpoint is, if I wasn't there at Western I'd be leaning towards Vanderbilt."

Louisville has also shown interest but the Cardinals have not offered.

While Tubman is very familiar with Louisville because of his proximity to the school he is a native of Philadelphia and does not have any longstanding ties to any of the in-state programs. He has only been a resident of Kentucky for the past seven years.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1492640