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2014 UK Football Recruiting
4* WR Derek Kief from Cincinnati area high school La Salle will be announcing his college commitment on Sunday. Although many of the "so called" experts are saying that he is going to commit to Alabama, we have a very good chance of getting him. His commitment would put us in the #1 spot!
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Another good in state kid committed.

Adrian Middlleton commits to UK.
You never know, UK's in his top 3 and momentum is on our side.
Another day, another commitment for Kentucky

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

South Warren defensive tackle Adrian Middleton announced his commitment to Kentucky Saturday on Twitter, and his pledge pushes UK to No. 2 in Rivals.com's national recruiting rankings.

It's Kentucky's second verbal commitment from its home state, the first being Drew Barker of course, and it's the Wildcats' third defensive line commitment.

Tymere Dubose and Denzel Ware were the first two defensive linemen to commit to the Wildcats.

"I picked UK because Coach (Mark) Stoops is changing it around," Middleton said. "He's trying to make a championship program and I wanted to be a part of the family."

Middleton didn't always have Kentucky at the front of his list and way out ahead of the rest of the field. That was a recent development.

"They kinda became my number one when I went up to the team camp I think last week," he said. "I just felt like I was welcomed there. I felt like I would be a big help to the team."

Though listed as a defensive tackle, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound lineman said he could also play defensive end for the Cats. That's something the coaches have told him as well.

The coaches had a big impact on Middleton. Neal Brown largely recruits the state of Kentucky, so he knew Middleton. Jimmy Brumbaugh spoke with him as well. And Mark Stoops' resume impressed him.

Middleton had visited Louisville recently and had an offer from the Cardinals as well.

"I stopped by (Louisville) while I was in town," he said. "It's a great school and all. I just felt I could be most successful at UK, with their background with the defensive line and the defense at Florida State. I felt like it's the best place for me."

Middleton is ranked the No. 5 prospect in Kentucky according to Rivals.com.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1516085
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Since the commitment of Adrian Middleton, Tennessee and Texas both got commitments as well so, Kentucky's recruiting class is currently ranked 4th.
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Well, I guess the experts were right. Derek Kief just committed to Alabama. :flush:
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T.V. Williams @Trey1Williams JULY 9TH 6:30-7:00 PM AT MCKINNEY HIGH SCHOOL I WILL BE COMMITTING AND EVERYBODY IS INVITED!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Kentucky has moved back into the #2 position in the recruiting rankings behind only Texas, meaning that we're #1 in the SEC!!

The reason for the change is because Rivals finally gave a rating to Junior College commit Ryan Flannigan. They gave the LB a 5.6 3* rating.
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They were at #1 for a few minutes, and had 18 commits listed. Any news on what went on there?
NothingTrivial Wrote:They were at #1 for a few minutes, and had 18 commits listed. Any news on what went on there?

3 days ago, WR Tyre Brady had announced his commitment to Kentucky on Twitter and with his commitment it made us #1 at the time and still #1 now but, shortly after he committed, it was removed. I wasn't able to get any information as to why. Justin Rowland who does the majority of the work for Cats Illustrated on Rivals had tweeted out saying to hold the phones on the Tyre Brady commitment. He didn't release any details other than, he didn't feel comfortable adding him to Kentucky's commitment list. These were his exact words when asked about it, "really can't give details (even on premium), but he is a possible addition later."
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This is somewhat old news as he posted it 3 days ago but, for those of you that haven't seen, here is Braxton Berrios' Top 5. This is the order that he listed them in:

1. Kentucky
2. South Carolina
3. West Virginia
4. Tennessee
5. Clemson
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4* WR Blake Bone from Woodruff HS(SC) has just announced his Final Four schools. They are, in no particular order: Kentucky, Louisville, Ole Miss, and South Carolina.
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247 now has Matt Elam listed as a 5* player. #10 in the nation, wonder why he made such a huge leap on the list?
NothingTrivial Wrote:247 now has Matt Elam listed as a 5* player. #10 in the nation, wonder why he made such a huge leap on the list?

They did an evaluation of the 2014 class today and I think he may have gone to one of their camps recently. I never thought he would make such a huge jump. They also have him listed as the #2 DT in the country.

Here is the brief article that I posted in another thread:

Several big movers, including a new five-star defensive tackle, highlighted the most recent update of the Class of 2014 Top247 from 247Sports.

Defensive tackle Matt Elam is the newest five-star prospect in the 2014 Top247.

Matt Elam, DT, Elizabethtown (Ky.) John Hardin

New Ranking – No. 10 overall (up 231 spots)
Notes- The 6-foot-6, 360-pound Elam is the big mover making the jump to five-star status. With a frame that is unmatched in the 2014 class, along with the flexibility, agility and quickness to go with it; Elam is a rare prospect. While he has to continue to build strength and work his way down to a playing weight of 335-340-pounds, he possesses a skill set and frame one can’t teach – including an 80-inch wingspan.

http://247sports.com/Article/Top247-Elam...tus-135590
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Brady...From what I gather the coaches haven't accepted his commitment, possibly waiting on WRs higher on their board? Just reading between the lines, so I'm not 100% on that.
SportzAnimal Wrote:Brady...From what I gather the coaches haven't accepted his commitment, possibly waiting on WRs higher on their board? Just reading between the lines, so I'm not 100% on that.

Correct, the coaches did not accept his commitment. I have heard that it was because of grades but, it would make sense that they're waiting on other WRs as well. Tyre Brady is only a 3* and Kentucky is in the Top 5 of several 4 * WRs.
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Kentucky officially got it's 18th commitment roughly 30 minutes ago!! Yahtzee!!

OT, Derrick Kelly from East Gadsden HS in Havana, FL.
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Anyone know what happened to The Blue Blur? I haven't head from him in what seems like a long time, at least not in this thread. I miss your in-depth recruiting information buddy!
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QB Sindelar could be big 2015 UK target

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

If you haven't heard the name Elijah Sindelar it's probably about time you did. He could be Kentucky's next big quarterback target.

It seems like Drew Barker put the Kentucky hat on just yesterday, but the Wildcats are already looking down the road for their next quarterback. Neal Brown and the coaching staff will generally look to add one quarterback in each recruiting class, and the Class of 2015 offers them a couple of excellent options.

One is Sindelar, who is widely being hailed, along with Barker, as one of the state's top quarterbacks in recent memory.

[Image: http://kentucky.rivals.com/uploads/888/1412834.jpg]

At 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds, the Princeton (Ky.) Caldwell County quarterback has the makings of a big-time player and a potentially highly-ranked recruit.

He attended camp with the Wildcats last Tuesday and there the UK staff gave him his first scholarship offer. That was a big moment and one likely to help Kentucky's chances with the in-state recruit.

Things like that are important because, unlike Barker, Sindelar didn't grow up a die hard Kentucky basketball fan. He's an Ohio native.

"I was born in Columbus and I've always been an Ohio State fan," Sindelar said.

And the Buckeyes are showing interest. Ohio State has several potential quarterback options from Sindelar's class, but he's on their radar.

If they were to offer that doesn't necessarily mean they would surge past the rest of the field.

"I really don't know," Sindelar said. "I'm interested in them but I don't really have a dream college. Being close to home is going to be really important for me. Location is important. I don't really like being too far from home. I'll also look to be in the Shotgun. That will be important too."

Sindelar is a pro-style quarterback with an excellent arm and good accuracy. In fact, he will likely be one of the nation's top passers from his class. But he has also been clocked at 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash and is a very impressive athlete as well.

He's a baseball prospect receiving interest from Memphis to play that sport and he's not even 100-percent sure which sport he will play in college.

"I could play just baseball, yes," he acknowledged. "I really enjoy baseball also. As for playing both (sports), I don't know if I would put myself through that. That's a whole lot of work, the possibility of playing both. That would probably only happen if I pitch."

But there's also the possibility that Sindelar plays football exclusively, and if he moves in that direction he will likely be one of the nation's top recruits behind center.

He completed 262 of 350 passes for 2,963 yards as only a sophomore and he showed the ability to make all the throws. He rushed for more than 500 yards as well.

Kentucky may not have been his childhood favorite but the Wildcats have impressed him so far.

"They offered me after the camp session and workout on Tuesday," Sindelar told Cats Illustrated. "That was the second time I had visited. I went to the spring game before. That (the spring game) was really cool. The speed of the game is a lot faster than it is in high school. I enjoyed watching it. It was good to see Jalen (Whitlow) throw and run like that. That's what I want to be able to do."

Brown has visited Caldwell County twice already. That's a sign of how highly the Cats think of Sindelar at this early date.

"He's really nice," Sindelar said of UK's offensive coordinator. "I talked to coach (Mark) Stoops when I visited as well.

"They've got my favorite offense. It's a spread, it's fast and no huddle."

Louisville invited Sindelar to their spring game last year and Ohio State, Florida State and UCLA are among the other schools showing interest at this early date. Sindelar plans to call the coaches at Florida State and UCLA in the near future but he's currently preoccupied with baseball.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1516605
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With the commitment of OT Derrick Kelly, Kentucky now has the #1 recruiting class!!
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Cats in pursuit of 2015 linebacker McKee

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Most of Kentucky's top rising senior prospects in Ohio have made their decisions. It's not too early to start looking ahead to the next crop of talent.

There's no doubt that Anthony McKee is one of the state's top prospects. The Columbus (Ohio) Walnut Ridge prospect has seven offers, Kentucky and Tennessee among them.

Kentucky offered him about two weeks ago, just a couple of days after Arkansas had done the same. Of course, Vince Marrow is his recruiter. The two have just spoken a couple of times so far but he's already made a good impression.

"He was just basically saying how they're a good school and how they want me to try to get down there for camp," McKee said. "I'm planning to get down there."

At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, McKee could end up at outside linebacker or safety.

"Some schools say linebacker and most of them are saying that," he said. "Some are saying safety. Some look at me and even say that I'm build like a receiver but I guess it's probably going to be defense."

Last year McKee tallied 116 tackles, about a dozen sacks, and returned two interceptions a combined 136 yards for two touchdowns on defense.

While he hasn't been to Kentucky yet he has been to another SEC school.

"I actually recently got back from Tennessee and that's a good college, a good campus. They've got a lot of add-ons they're doing to the college," he said.

McKee said he's wide open and he insists he means it. Just because he's in Ohio State's backyard doesn't mean that's the only offer he covets.

"People think because you're in Ohio that you'd be the biggest Ohio State fan," he said. "I'm not really such a big Ohio State fan. If they were to offer I'd be interested. It's Ohio State. But I wouldn't commit as soon as they offer or anything like that."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517267
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Kentucky "felt like the place to be" for Davis twins

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com


As Cats Illustrated first reported, twins Demitrious Davis and Chris Davis will be transferring from Pitt to Kentucky. The twins went on the record about their decisions shortly after they went public.


[Image: http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/PROSPECT...18_200.JPG]
Chris Davis and twin brother Demitrious will sit out this season at UK.


The Davis twins attended Austintown Fitch High School in Ohio as members of the 2012 graduating class and they were both ranked among the top 35 athletes in the nation, as well as the top 40 prospects in Ohio, as three-star (5.7) prospects.

Each arrived at Pitt as a wide receiver expecting to earn time in the slot in Todd Graham's spread offense, but when Pitt's coaching change occurred the new staff brought more of a "Wisconsin-style" offense, according to Chris Davis.

The Panthers have had plenty of defections over the past couple of years and the Davis twins are just the latest. Pitt's loss is Kentucky's gain, and that was finalized on Tuesday.

"We left the house at six in the morning and just came to Kentucky for a visit," Chris Davis told Cats Illustrated. "We just wanted to come down and meet the whole staff then see the facilities."

But why was Kentucky a school they immediately thought to visit?

"With coach (Mark) Stoops being from Youngstown and coach (Vince) Marrow being from Youngstown, it just felt like the place to be. It was the place I wanted to go," Chris continued.

"I got to meet the offensive coordinator, the DB's coach and mostly the whole staff. I think they came across as just great guys. I think they're a down to earth staff. They're a young staff and they're players coaches. They were talking about how they were the number two recruiting class and then they were talking about a bunch of other stuff.

Demitrious Davis was totally on board with the decision to attend Kentucky as well.

"Some of the other schools we were thinking about were West Virginia, Indiana, Purdue, Baylor and Ohio State. Those were pretty much the main ones," he said. "(Chris) pretty much said everything. It's just the staff. We get along with them well and I just feel like they're player's coaches."

Chris is likely to start out at cornerback and Demitrious will be an all-purpose back or a slot receiver. They have been timed at 4.37 (Demitrious) and 4.36 seconds (Chris).

While the two can't play in 2013 they will have three years of eligibility beginning in 2014.

"We're very excited," Demitrious said. "We can't wait to get down here even though we're sitting out this year."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517525
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SEC holds appeal for OL Applefield

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Marcus Applefield was in Lexington last week on an unofficial visit and that's significant as he has emerged as one of Kentucky's top offensive tackle targets.

The Weeki Wachee (Fla.) lineman has never visited Lexington before and the timing of his trip was good.

Kentucky had a camp in session at the time and plenty of recruits were there in addition to the coaches. He was able to speak with UK quarterback commit Drew Barker while he was in town.

"Yeah, I remember him," Applefield told Cats Illustrated. "I had a good visit (to Kentucky) truthfully. Their facilities are great.

"My recruiter is Coach (Chad) Scott and he obviously came to my school in the spring. We've crossed paths and he's a real good guy."

Conference affiliation and education have been two of the biggest points of emphasis that Scott has touched on when speaking to Applefield.

"They're in the SEC and that's big-time football right there," Applefield said. "Kentucky is obviously a real nice school to be at. You get your degree from there and it means a lot."

Applefield said he was also able to meet with offensive coordinator Neal Brown while he was in town.

The Florida lineman visited Vanderbilt, Marshall, West Virginia, Rutgers, Maryland and Virginia in addition to UK while he was on his week-long tour of colleges that have offered him. He admits some of those visits stood out. He's just not ready to go public with that information.

"I'm not going to say anything right now but I picked out some schools that I could see myself at. There were three schools that really stood out," he said. "I was looking for a nice environment and whether I could see myself with the players there. The coaches are obviously going to be important because you're with them all the time."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517272
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Junior RB Hall drawing early UK interest

Darrin Hall should be one of Kentucky's top running back targets from the Class of 2015 and he's also one of the top prospects in Ohio.

Kentucky appears to be in very good shape early, too.

The 5-foot-11, 196-pound back from Youngstown (Ohio) Austintown Fitch is up to ten offers with the most recent coming from Louisville.

Hall's contact with most schools has been limited but he does know a good bit about Kentucky.

"I wasn't going to any camps this year but when football season starts I was going to start contacting schools to go to a Kentucky game or a Michigan State game," Hall said. "Schools can't really talk to me but during the school year they would look for information about me or say they've offered me. They would say they want to keep in touch.

"Probably the team that's most interested in me is Kentucky. I'm real close to coach Marrow. Him and my dad kinda grew up together. He's cool. I love him," he said with a laugh. "He was the first coach that offered me back at Nebraska."

But that's not the only connection to Kentucky. Aside from the Stoops family name holding a lot of prestige in Youngstown, an older football player is working on him.

"I talk to (Marcus) McWilson from (Cardinal) Mooney. He was telling me it's real cool and that I need to come down," he said.

Kentucky didn't always have so much of Hall's attention. That has been more recent. An in-state school was always on his mind growing up.

"When I was growing up my favorite school was Ohio State. Being from Ohio that's just the biggest school over here. As I'm getting older that's changing a little bit. I'm not just going off, 'Wow, they're the biggest school.' It's more about who wants me," he said.

"Mainly I want to play. I don't want to go somewhere and not play at all. It's basically about where I'm going to play."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517275
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Texas QB Stidham has Kentucky ties

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Jarrett Stidham has never been a starting quarterback at the varsity high school level but he's already being hyped as one of the top signal callers in Texas from the Class of 2015.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound prospect from Stephenville, Texas, already has offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor from his current state of residence.

He's also got an offer from Kentucky, and he may have more ties to UK than any of the schools previously mentioned.

"I was born in Corbin and when I was three or four we moved to Richmond," Stidham told Cats Illustrated. "I lived there 'til the summer of 2005 right before I turned nine when we moved out here. My dad's whole side of the family lives in Corbin and the London area and we've got friends in Richmond.

"We actually always go up there for Christmas or at least once every summer. This past Christmas we were there."

Stidham is very familiar with the Kentucky football program as well.

"I grew up a Wildcat fan, basketball and football," he said. "We used to have season tickets to all the football games. That (offer) was definitely special."

But the connections to Kentucky don't end there. Stidham also has some history with a couple of the coaches on the Wildcats' staff.

"Coach (Tommy) Mainord used to coach over here at a college in Stephenville," he said. "He did that and then him and coach (Neal) Brown were over at Texas Tech. Last summer I went to a three-day camp at Texas Tech and they started recruiting me then. I got to see some of the Tech games during the fall and started building a relationship with coach Mainord and coach Brown a little bit."

Stidham said he plans to return to Kentucky on July 19 for a recruiting event that figures to be a big one for the Wildcats.

In spite of all those ties Stidham said he doesn't have any favorites and couldn't say how high UK is on his list.

"I really don't know but that honestly goes for just about every school," Stidham said. "I don't have a list or a favorite or whatever you want to call it. I'm interested in everyone that's interested in me."

The Lone Star prospect has never started as a varsity high school quarterback because Stephenville had a senior behind center that has since signed with Texas State.

Stidham showed off his athleticism as the team's second most productive receiver, totaling more than 50 receptions for 820 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He was recently clocked at 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

"I'm a dual-threat (quarterback) definitely," Stidham said. "As a passer there's always room to get a quicker release or spin it better, to get your elbow higher or all that stuff. I still have a strong arm but there's always room for improvement.

"I'm only being recruited as a quarterback. In junior high I played all quarterback and my freshman year on the freshman team I played quarterback. I got moved up for the playoffs my freshman year and I played back-up and a little receiver then. My whole sophomore year I played all back-up."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517269
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JUCO safety Keys getting SEC looks

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Coming out of Seminary (Miss.) two years ago it was well-established that Josh Keys had the talent to play college football at the highest level.

Keys had been recruited by Ole Miss and Mississippi State but it became clear over time that he wasn't going to qualify academically. Specifically it was his ACT score that needed some work, he told Cats Illustrated.

Now he's preparing for his second year at Perkinston (Miss.) Gulf Coast C.C. His first year was certainly a good one, as he accounted for 41 tackles, seven tackles for loss, an interception and 10 pass break-ups.

Now Keys claims offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Cincinnati, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and West Virginia, just to list the BCS conference schools.

"It's all been recently, just since the spring," Keys said. "It was from when (schools) came and watched me in spring practice and I guess they saw (his film)."

Most schools project the 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete as a safety but Baylor and Kansas State have mentioned the possibility of letting him play corner.

Keys said he hasn't visited any four-year schools yet and he doesn't know what to expect. Because of that he doesn't have any favorites.

He did say that a few schools seem to be recruiting him the hardest.

"I know Kansas State is recruiting me real hard, and Ole Miss," he said. "Mississippi State and Oklahoma State really are too. It's a couple more talking to me every week."

What about Kentucky?

"I talked to Kentucky during spring ball," he said. "They got in touch with me then. They've been talking to me some. I don't remember the coach's name but he's whoever recruits Mississippi.

"He told me one time the coaches want me to play safety on defense for them and I need to come up and take a visit up there to see how the campus is."

Keys said he plans to take official visits during his season. He plans to announce his college choice sometime in the fall or close to the winter.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517279
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Marrow, recruits give Stalker ties to UK

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

With a long list of commitments on board, the Kentucky football program is in pretty good shape when it comes to the Class of 2014.

Now it's time to start looking ahead.

The process is starting earlier than ever and Class of 2015 prospects are picking up offers every week.

C.J. Stalker has emerged as one of the Wildcats' top rising junior linebacker targets and he already has an offer from UK. The 6-foot-2, 209-pound linebacker from West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West doesn't have any other offers but coaches from Oklahoma, Stanford, Arkansas, Michigan, Georgia and Tennessee, among others, stopped by in the spring.

Regardless of who offers, Kentucky is going to be tough to beat.

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it to a (Kentucky) camp but I think I am visiting within the next few weeks," Stalker said. "They've recruited a couple of other players from West. I talked to coach (Vince) Marrow and the offensive line coach a few times. They've said I'm a good-looking kid. They talked to me and asked me different stuff about football and saw me run at track practice.

"(Marrow) stopped in the one day I got my offer. Mikel (Horton) was down there. I've talked to him a couple of times over the past month. I like coach Marrow a lot. I really do like him."

Marrow isn't the only selling point for Kentucky as far as Stalker is concerned. He's a big one, but there are other reasons the junior linebacker likes UK.

"Mikel seems like he really, really likes it down there," he said. "Same with Jarrett LaRubbio. It really helped with those guys committed. It brings them up extremely high on my board as far as the schools recruiting me go.

"I'd really like to play in the SEC somewhere."

Stalker recently ran the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds, his best time yet.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517493
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Cats make Final 10 for Gant

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson safety Kendall Gant recently narrowed his list of schools down to 10 and the Wildcats are still in the mix.

Alabama, Georgia, Southern Cal, Florida State, Kentucky, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCF, Louisville and Minnesota are the ten schools still standing in the battle for the 6-foot-3, 184-pound safety, whom UK is recruiting as a cornerback.

Chad Scott has been recruiting him from the UK staff and while Gant has never been to Lexington it's a trip he's looking forward to.

"I've talked to (Scott) a bunch and he seems like a pretty cool guy. He's chill and he's kinda funny," Gant said. "He told me they've got a new coaching staff with coach (Mark) Stoops and everybody and that's really it. He told me how I'd fit into the team."

Kentucky is recruiting Gant as a safety like most of the other schools on his list. There aren't too many other defensive backs the Wildcats would be willing to add, especially at the safety position, given that four have already committed and other positions need to be addressed.

But Gant may be one of them.

He told Cats Illustrated that he knows a little bit about Stoops' resume, especially from his days at Florida State, but he won't know too much until he visits.

"I'm gonna try to get up there sometime in July but I'm not sure yet," Gant said.

Kentucky will have a big recruiting weekend during from July 18-22 so it's possible Gant could visit during that.

The three-star prospect told Cats Illustrated that the ten schools still in contention on his list are all even and none have an advantage over the others.

This summer the only trip Gant has taken has been to Florida State for a camp and a tour afterwards. He does not have any other set plans.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517274
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Loaded Sunday update
----------------------------------------------------
Mentioned earlier today that Kentucky had pulled neck-and-neck with Miami for Cory Johnson, the four-star DT from ASA College. Kentucky absolutely has staying power here as Johnson really loves Jimmy Brumbaugh. He sees the possibility to play early and he sees Kentucky's momentum. And he will be hearing a lot about Za'Darius Smith and his potential impact as a four-star JUCO defensive lineman. This one won't be decided soon with Johnson planning to take officials to UK and "the U".

Four-star cornerback D.J. Smith, the nation's No. 8 corner, told me today that he will visit UK. He doesn't have many ties to Kentucky recruits but the staff is working him hard and he has spoken with Jared Tucker. Kentucky is hoping they can secure one of his official visits. He is probably higher than any other defensive back remaining on the board.

Staying down in the Georgia, Stanton Truitt confirmed what I reported about a week ago: Kentucky is surging. He could play on either side of the ball, most likely receiver, and he's hearing from both Stanley Williams and Drew Barker, but Barker more frequently. His goal is to make a decision this summer or early in the fall. Tennessee and South Carolina remain the other big players but others - including UNC, NC State, Florida and West Virginia - are also in play.

Athlete Jajuan Perkins told me today that his favorites are Kentucky, Louisville, USF and Ole Miss, but I question whether he has a committable offer.

Dejuan McQuarters, the athlete from Tennessee we reported on a while ago, said he will visit Tennessee early in July and Kentucky in late July. He's the kind of guy that needs to visit before could really even be considered as a take.

Tommy Mainord is in a lot of contact with Ronnie Clark - an athlete out of Oklahoma - and they're trying to set up a trip to Lexington. He's impressed with the resumes of UK's defensive coaches. Doubt he is a take at any point as UK already has a JUCO corner and will probably stick to the H.S. ranks for their last one.

Lamont Simmons favors Virginia Tech after his trip to Blacksburg but Kentucky is in that next tier of schools due in large part to Bradley Dale Peveto's recruiting efforts.
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WR McCrary talks top three college options

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Miami (Fla.) Coral Reef wide receiver Jacob McCrary has three favorites but isn't quite ready to make a decision. That gives schools like Kentucky an opening.

Clemson, West Virginia and Florida State are currently leading the other schools that are recruiting McCrary, a 6-foot, 182-pound receiver. But McCrary told Cats Illustrated in a recent interview that he's open to listening to other schools.

He took an unofficial visit to Kentucky last weekend and said it was an eye-opening visit.

"I thought Kentucky was a great school and a program that's on the rise," he said. "I wouldn't mind playing for them. I'm talking to coach (Jimmy) Brumbaugh, the defensive line coach that just came in.

"I knew (Mark Stoops and D.J. Eliot) from when they were at Florida State so that just made it much better when they offered, with me already knowing them."

Some prospects might shy away from a rebuilding effort, which Kentucky obviously is, but McCrary wouldn't have a problem trying to help do something that hasn't been done before.

"Not at all, that wouldn't bother me," he said. "In a situation like that you could have opportunities maybe as a freshman to go in and start.

"They told me they're going to put in an Air Raid offense and throw the ball a lot more. That's something every receiver would like. You're definitely going to get the amount of touches you want. They want to put play-makers on the field."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1517484
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