[LeeCoUKFan]

JUCO corner Shyquawn Pulliam is Kentucky's 10th commit

Ben Jones
CatsIllustrated.com Staff Writer

The announcement wasn't planned. There weren't reporters or cameras present. But on Sunday night Blinn College cornerback Shyquawn Pullium found a way to make news anyways.

He committed to Kentucky, as CatsIllustrated.com first reported after 9 p.m. EST.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback had also received offers from Arizona State and Cincinnati. Pullium was a high school senior at Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep and originally committed to Penn State for the class of 2010. In high school, he held offers from Cincinnati, Maryland and Pittsburgh. He was ranked as the No. 31 prospect in the talent-rich state of Pennsylvania.

"It's mainly the coaching at Kentucky," Pullium said, explaining his choice. "All the coaches are great. Their head coach sends defensive backs to the league and that's my goal at the end of the day."

Running backs coach Chad Scott and cornerbacks coach Derrick Ansley were Pullium's primary recruiters.

"Coach Scott's real straight up," Pullium said. "He keeps everything real with you. He said he'll stay on my butt 'til I get to where I need to be."

Pullium describes himself as an "all-around corner" with good height and a solid build. He does believe that he needs to get more physical with receivers but that's just the one part of his game that he wants to focus on.

The JUCO cornerback will have two years to play two seasons of football once he reaches Lexington.

Pullium is also friends with teammate and linebacker Ryan Flannigan, another major UK target.

"Hopefully he'll go up there with me," Pullium said. "I'll be recruiting him."

Flannigan has been planning to visit Kentucky this summer. Pullium said he hopes to make that trip as well but may have to wait until he can take an official visit. He has never visited Kentucky.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1511566