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2015 UK Football Recruiting
#1
With the recent camps that have been going on over the summer, there has been a lot of news coming from 2015 recruits and I feel as though it would be best to keep the 2015 recruits separated from the 2014 recruits as more offers and news comes in.

With that said, if anyone has any questions about the 2015 recruiting class or individual recruits feel free to post them and I will try my best to answer them as soon as possible. Also, if anyone else sees a good article or hears some good news, please post it. These are unprecedented times around the University of Kentucky football program and I have a feeling the excitement level is going to be high for a long time to come!

What better way to start this thread than with a new article on Kentucky's own Elijah Sindelar from Caldwell County.

QB Sindelar's coach sees lots of upside

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Just what makes Elijah Sindelar such an intriguing football prospect and why is Kentucky making him such a big priority? His coach may be the best person to ask.

Cats Illustrated caught up with Caldwell County coach David Barnes because he has watched Sindelar in the early stages of his development as a quarterback. He's also familiar with what the recruiting process has been like in the early going for Sindelar.

Elijah Sindelar is drawing interest from Alabama and Ohio State.
Barnes said he's not surprised that Sindelar is receiving so much early interest.

"He's 6-5, he's a 4.0 student and he's just a really good kid," Barnes said. "He works hard, he practices hard, he studies the game and he throws the ball very well. He's got a very strong arm. I think the upside on him is he's just played two years and he's still got two more years to go. And the biggest thing is he's a quarterback at 6-5 and he's going to get bigger and stronger as he matures. He does a good job of making all the throws."

Sindelar's sophomore film is certainly impressive and Kentucky has already offered him a scholarship. Western Kentucky, Toledo and Bowling Green have offered as well.

Ohio State and Alabama have shown interest and Sindelar has been to both schools.

"I don't know if he's going back to Ohio State next weekend (for Friday Night Lights) or not but he's been invited to go back," Barnes said.

Sindelar, a native Ohioan, would probably have serious in the Buckeyes if Urban Meyer and his offensive staff were to decide to offer a scholarship down the road.

"That's probably safe to say," Barnes confirmed.

But that doesn't mean Kentucky would necessarily take a backseat.

"Coach (Neal) Brown has done a really good job recruiting him. He's been down and watched him play a baseball game and (Sindelar) was at UK (on Friday night)," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1528362
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#2
Story picks up UK offer on visit with teammates

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville is annually home to some of the Midwest's top talent and Kentucky's staff would love nothing more than to start making inroads at the school.

The Wildcats are targeting multiple prospect's from Glenville's 2014 graduating class but they are also laying the foundation for a run at some of the school's younger prospects. Trevon Story, for instance.

Kentucky gave Story his second offer of the recruiting process over the weekend, after Georgia Tech, and Mark Stoops' staff had a chance to show him around the school.

Story made the trip with older teammates Marshon Lattimore, Marcelys Jones and Erick Smith, and they were on a road trip that also took them to Georgia Tech, Alabama and Tennessee.

The 5-foot-8, 162-pound cornerback didn't work out at the camp but the coaches had seen his film and were happy to relay the good news of the offer.

"They said I was real fast and they like my style," Story said. "I got to see the facilities, the practice field and their weight room while I was there. I thought it was all real nice. They said they're putting a lot of money into the facilities."

Erik Korem and his high performance program also came up. That presentation was one of the highlights of the trip for Story.

"They talked about him and that was really impressive," he said. "I also talked to coach (Vince) Marrow. He's a real cool dude. I talked to coach Stoops and the defensive backs coach (Derrick Ansley) too. They're all real dudes. They talk about some real stuff. I think they're proven, too.

"They said (Stoops) has sent 11 defensive backs (to the NFL) as first rounders. That was real impressive."

Story obviously couldn't speak for his older teammates but he did note that they remain open to Kentucky and other schools.

"Right now they're willing to listen to anybody," Story said. "I think everybody had a good time."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1528401
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#3
Alex Ofodile from Rock Bridge HS in Columbia, Missouri becomes the first Wide Receiver in the Class of 2015 to get an offer from Kentucky. The kid's definitely got some hands on him and it shows in his Sophomore Highlights.
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#4
On 2015 recruiting, you gotta include George Brown.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/kentucky/footbal...tsHBYvsZB4

He is Mike Edward's cousin and has interest in the Cats apparently. 4* on 24/7, not rated yet on Rivals. Potential obviously to be a 5*. Just look at his offer list lol.
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#5
M'boroYellowJacket Wrote:On 2015 recruiting, you gotta include George Brown.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/kentucky/footbal...tsHBYvsZB4

He is Mike Edward's cousin and has interest in the Cats apparently. 4* on 24/7, not rated yet on Rivals. Potential obviously to be a 5*. Just look at his offer list lol.

You're absolutely right. Kid is going to be an animal! Kentucky was the first SEC team to give him and offer.
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#6
On a bad note, Kentucky lost out on one of the biggest in-state recruits the Bluegrass has had in a while. Damien Harris who is one of the Top Running Backs in the 2015 class and has a possibility of being a 5 star recruit committed to Michigan today. Now Stoops and company still have plenty of time to try and flip him but, it's going to take a lot because Michigan was one of the first teams to give him an offer.
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#7
Kentucky visit leaves impression on WR Ofodile

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Kentucky's recent Friday night camp event drew plenty of top talent from both the rising junior and senior classes. One of the top 2015 recruits there was thoroughly impressed with what he saw.

Before the visit wide receiver Alex Ofodile had told Cats Illustrated that Kentucky was showing serious interest and his dad had ties to UK assistant coach Vince Marrow. Shortly thereafter the Wildcats offered.

Ofodile had been saying that his favorite was Memphis. It has also been believed that Missouri would be a serious contender because that's where his father played.

But now the Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge receiver has a new favorite.

"The trip to Kentucky was real fun," Ofodile said. "They're probably number one right now. That was a really nice visit."

Ofodile didn't get to tour much of the school but he said the stadium itself was very impressive. He also went to the film room for the wide receivers and said that was impressive as well.

"I got to talk to coach (Tommy) Mainord about the offense and that was super exciting. I love the way they get everybody involved in the passing game," he said. "I met coach Marrow and he was real nice. I talked to coach (Mark) Stoops briefly.

"They were talking to me about the (facility upgrades) and by the time I get up there it's going to be amazing."

While Kentucky does not have any 2015 commitments Ofodile started to get to know some of their older pledges and they sold the program to him as well.

"I got to meet Drew Barker, the quarterback and he was nice. I don't know if he's committed but I met Moral Stephens and I got to talk to him a little bit. He was talking to Drew a lot and was really into it," he said. "I met a few other guys in my class like Jarrett Stidham and some of the others."

But the trip wasn't all good. Ofodile dislocated his thumb and it wouldn't pop back into place so he had to have a cast put on it. That caused him to miss the one-on-one portion of the camps and he will be out of commission for five weeks. However, he was able to turn in an impressive performance during the individual portion of the camp.

Ofodile had been planning to visit Kansas State but said he is now done with visits for the summer.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1529991
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#8
I decided to put together a master list of all offers that Kentucky has given for the 2015 Recruiting Class. I plan on trying to update the list on at least a monthly basis showing who the new offers are. I want to try and be more in-depth with this recruiting class so I plan on doing something along the lines of breaking down the recruits by position and posting information about them and posting their highlight videos if they have any. I had thought about breaking it down by individual player but, I feel as though that might make it confusing to keep up with. If anyone has any suggestions or hears of a new offer, please feel free to post it.

Here is the master list broken down by position. Now, I have included players that have already committed to other schools because there is still plenty of time for these recruits to change their commitments.(Offers as of 07/29/13)

Offense

Quaterback
Lorenzo Nunez
Elijah Sindelar
Jarrett Stidham

Running Back
Darrin Hall
Damien Harris(Committed to Michigan)
RayRay McCloud III
Larry Scott

Wide Receiver
Alex Ofodile

Tight End
Jackson Harris
Jalen Harris
Garrett Williams

Offensive Tackle
George Brown
Rob Dowdy
Chuma Edoga
Jake Fruhmorgen

Offensive Guard
Matthew Jones

Offensive Center
Luke Hiers

Defense

Defensive Tackle
Hjalte Froholdt
Trenton Thompson

Defensive End
Karsman Johnson
Arden Key(Committed to South Carolina)
Kyle Phillips

Linebacker
Eli Brown(Committed to Vanderbilt)
Ricky DeBerry
Matthew Draper
Arrington Farrar
Justin Hilliard
Jeffrey Holland
Richard McBryde
Anthony McKee
Sherrod Pittman(Committed to South Carolina)
C.J. Stalker

Safety
Shawn Burgess-Becker
Kendrell McFadden
Rico McGraw
JarMarkus Sims

Cornerback
Ugo Amadi
Tyree Kinnel
Garrett Taylor
Kevin Toliver II(Committed to LSU)

Other

Athlete
Ryan Davis
Von Davis
Eric Glover-Williams
Jaylin Hayward
Trevon Story
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#9
2015 RB Damien Harris from Madison Southern has committed to Michigan
#10
Strikeout King Wrote:2015 RB Damien Harris from Madison Southern has committed to Michigan

Wasn't sure if you were making that as a general statement or in regards to my list but, it was already posted that he committed to Michigan and I also have that next to his name on the list of recruits that have received offers from Kentucky.
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#11
LeeCoUKFan Wrote:Wasn't sure if you were making that as a general statement or in regards to my list but, it was already posted that he committed to Michigan and I also have that next to his name on the list of recruits that have received offers from Kentucky.

Just now seen that you did.
#12
Strikeout King Wrote:Just now seen that you did.

No problem. I added a lot to it so, I guess it wasn't that obvious.
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#13
A nice list now lets hope we can land as many of these kids as we can.
#14
panther nation Wrote:A nice list now lets hope we can land as many of these kids as we can.

I am sure the list will grow with time but, there are already at least 2 or 3 recruits on there that will end up being 5 star recruits when it's all said and done.
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#15
Junior lineman recaps Kentucky, Tennessee trips

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern junior offensive tackle Chuma Edoga visited Kentucky and Tennessee recently and he broke down both trips when Cats Illustrated spoke with him.

Going into the trip to Lexington the 2015 lineman did not have Kentucky near the top of his list. The Wildcats still have some ground to make up on the schools at the front of Edoga's mind but the visit gave him a better idea of what Mark Stoops and his staff are all about.

"I was there last week," Edoga said. "Kentucky went really well. I got to meet all the coaches. I talked to coach (Derrick) Ansley. He's the one that recruits our area. We had a good talk about the things they're trying to do up at Kentucky and how they're trying to turn the program around.

"I talked to Coach (Mark) Stoops for a brief moment. He said he was glad I was there and glad I could see what they're doing up there at Kentucky. He said they're going to be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come."

The plans for facility upgrades and renovations impressed the 6-foot-4, 275-pound lineman, and Edoga confirmed that Kentucky is a school of interest going forward.

However, he also said that Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Clemson, Miami and South Carolina are the seven schools standing out, so the Cats still have some ground to make up.

The trip to Knoxville went extremely well.

"Tennessee was probably the best visit I've taken this summer," he said. "They have a real family feel and made me feel at home when I went up there. I talked to the offensive line coach and those guys and it was just great."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1530825
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#16
2015 QB Nunez drawing interest from Kentucky

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Lorenzo Nunez is an elite dual-threat quarterback from the 2015 class but that's a label that he and his father prefer to stay away from.

That's because according to Del Nunez, the prospect's father, Lorenzo doesn't look to run first.

"I don't like the dual-threat label because of the connotation," the elder Nunez said. "We prefer (to call him) a pro-style that can run a 4.55 (second) forty. When things break down he can run but he's not looking to run. He's looking to throw."

Nunez threw for 1,300 yards and rushed for nearly 500 more last year as a sophomore at Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison, totaling 15 touchdowns.

He claims early offers from Kentucky, Clemson, Ohio State, Tennessee and Charlotte, and he's seen those schools plus NC State, Alabama, Auburn and others. While Nunez's father told Cats Illustrated that Ohio State, Tennessee and Florida State are standing out he also added that they were impressed with what they saw at Kentucky.

"Most of the contact has been with our coaching staff but we've talked to coach (Neal) Brown," Nunez's father said. "We actually took a visit to Kentucky and it was impressive. Coach Brown is a dynamic guy and it seems like he has the best interests of the players at heart.

"They're building a new indoor facility, a new field and they're upgrading the stadium. I think that's going to be done by 2015."

The offense Brown plans to run is appealing as well.

"That's what he feels comfortable with," Nunez said of his son. "That's what we run at the high school."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1531689
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#17
Cats, Canes lead for 2015 OL Hiers

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Kentucky and Miami could be set to battle is out for a top 2015 offensive lineman who may make a case for the top center in his class.

There aren't many pure center prospects out there but that's exactly what Luke Hiers is. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound line prospect claims early offers from Kentucky, Florida, Miami, South Florida and Mississippi State among others, but for now just two of those schools stand out.

And the news is good for UK.

"It's between Miami and Kentucky right now," Hiers said.

Hiers' grandparents are big Florida fans and he has made the trip to Lexington to watch the Gators play before. Surprisingly Kentucky is now ahead of Florida on his list and those trips to watch the Gators have actually helped the Wildcats. He's seen the school, though not in-depth as a prospect, and he could see himself at UK.

"I've seen it and I really like it up there," Hiers said. "I haven't seen anything football-wise, though. I'd love to see it again and see more of the football side of it.

"I've talked to coach Chad Scott, the running backs coach. We've talked probably three or four times. I've called him a few times. I was going to go up there for their camp on June 20 but I wasn't able to make it. We've talked for a long time about coach (Mark) Stoops. The fan base is really excited about him. They had a full stadium for the spring game."

Miami looms large in Hiers' recruitment because of his familiarity with the school but he has some unanswered questions.

"Same thing with Miami," Hiers said. "I've had more contact with them than probably anybody. I like the coaching staff and I like coach (Al) Golden. I like what I think they can do. There's a lot of (NCAA) stuff going on now and I don't know what's going to happen. That could be a big factor for me because I like winning games and I wouldn't like having them taken away."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1532250
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#18
Highly touted OLB Ricky DeBerry may be attending the Kentucky vs Tennessee game at CWS this season as he has interest in both schools. Would be great if we could come up with the win in this one! Linebacker is a huge need for us and he is gonna be one of the Top Linebackers in the 2015 class. He already has 41 D1 offers!
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#19
Cats hoping to lure 2015 linebacker out of Alabama

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Linebacker will once again be a priority for Kentucky in the next recruiting class and one of the Cats' top early targets hails from an area Derrick Ansley is very familiar with.

Troy, Ala., rising junior linebacker Richard McBryde picked up his first BCS offer from Kentucky earlier this year and the 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect visited Lexington for the Wildcats' spring game.

It was his first trip to Kentucky and it went well enough for McBryde to say he's maintaining a steady interest level in the Wildcats.

"I went to the spring game and they toured us around the campus and all that," McBryde said. "It's a nice, big school. They've got nice facilities. The spring game was real big. They had a lot of people there."

Ansley is recruiting McBryde and that's a big plus for UK as far as the junior linebacker is concerned. He feels the UK defensive backs coach can relate to him because of his ties to the area.

"I've known him since I was in the ninth grade. He's a cool dude. He went to college at Troy State," he said.

McBryde also has an offer from Southern Miss and claims interest from Florida State, Alabama, Auburn and Troy.

He classified his interest in Kentucky as "medium" and said he does not have any favorites at the present time. He also said that he is comfortable with the distance from his home to UK and said that would not be a negative that works against the Wildcats.

Every school except Alabama is recruiting McBryde as an outside linebacker. The Tide sees him ultimately as an inside linebacker. McBryde has run the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds and as a sophomore last year he registered 99 tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1532727
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#20
QB Sindelar discusses Alabama, Kentucky trips

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Elijah Sindelar camped at a couple of SEC schools in recent weeks and he caught Cats Illustrated up to speed on all the latest early this week.

The Caldwell County signal caller made a trip to Tuscaloosa to camp at Alabama. Coincidentally enough both he and Jarrett Stidham, another big UK quarterback target, were at that camp.

It was a big transition for Sindelar because he's used to taking snaps exclusively in the shotgun.

"That was definitely something I had to learn and pick up," Sindelar said. "We don't do that at all unless we're taking a knee. I had two practice sessions there. The first one was just learning the five-step drop and the seven-step drop. I kinda knew how, just not at that level. That's what I did the first practice, the whole time.

"During lunch I went to the parking lot at Papa John's with my dad and we worked on it for an hour. The second practice I knew what I was doing."

While taking snaps under center was a bit of a transition for Sindelar, once he was able to show off his arm strength he really made an impression on Nick Saban's staff.

"When we had a chance to work out with the coach he had us put our knees on the ground and throw it as far as we could. I threw it the farthest out of the group I was in," he said. "I threw it 47 yards and the second best was 42. The offensive coordinator told me I was impressive and he wants to come up and watch a game."

Sindelar left Tuscaloosa without an offer but said the trip was "definitely overwhelming" because of the magnitude of the sport in the state and because of the program's proud history and recent success. He acknowledged that while a pro-style offense may require some adjustment he would list Alabama among his favorites if they were to offer down the road.

He also camped at Kentucky in mid-July. The Wildcats' offense is more along the lines of what he runs now. It wasn't Sindelar's first trip to Kentucky and he's starting to feel very comfortable at the school.

"I really enjoyed the Kentucky camp. I always enjoy going up to UK," he explained. "I got to throw a little bit. Coach (Neal) Brown didn't want me to throw too much because I had a 7-on-7 the day after. I threw every once in a while but didn't wear my arm out.

"It was really nice to talk to the coaches again. I got to meet the head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and that was a big blessing. Most of the day I was talking to coach Sarge (Tyler Sargent), coach Brown's assistant. We talked about Christ and our faith and that was great. That's definitely going to be the number one (factor) for me."

When asked whether he's found an atmosphere he's comfortable in with regard to that, Sindelar pointed to just one.

"Besides UK not really anywhere else," he said.

Ohio State had invited Sindelar up to their Friday Night Lights camp but the rising junior quarterback was at a men's conference with his father. The Buckeyes remain interested.

"They want me to get up for a game this fall. They'll contact my coach and tell him they want me to call them, so I'll call them sometimes," Sindelar said. "I talk to the quarterbacks coach and a couple of different recruiters up there. They like to talk to me and they're real interested."

But it's not just a three-horse race between UK, Alabama and Ohio State. Other schools are doing their due diligence as well.

"Tennessee is showing a lot of interest. Purdue shows a lot of interest. They have a big engineering school, which I like. I called Florida the other day. They invited me to Friday Night Lights and they show a lot of interest. I talked to Joker Phillips when I was in the eighth grade and he was at UK. I went up for a 7-on-7 tournament in middle school and he talked to me a little bit. I can't remember what we talked about but I talked to him the other day at one of my 7-on-7 games," he said.

Sindelar said he does not have any favorites and is keeping his options open. He did say that he would try to make it up to at least one Kentucky game this fall.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1533160
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#21
2015 linebacker likes Cats, Toppers

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Warren Central linebacker Emmitt Smith is a top rising junior prospect and one of several BCS-worthy talents from Bowling Green in recent memory.

Adrian Middleton committed to Kentucky earlier this year. Eli Brown is committed to Vanderbilt from the 2015 class.

And then there's Smith. He's just the latest from that part of the state that's making ripples on the recruiting landscape.

With offers from Kentucky, Purdue and Western Kentucky, Smith is sure to rank among the state's top prospects. Along with Damien Harris, Elijah Sindelar and Eli Brown, he was the fourth from the state to receive an offer from the Wildcats.

Smith told Cats Illustrated he received that UK offer during the last school year after Neal Brown visited his school and watched him work out.

"We've talked a couple of times," Smith said. "I talked to their coaches when I went up for the spring game. That was my first time up there. I liked the fans and the tradition. There were a lot of people there.

"One thing I like about the coaches is they have a good history at the schools they came from."

Smith has also been to Western Kentucky before and he said UK and WKU currently top his list. He is planning to visit Tennessee at some point down the road as well.

The 2015 recruit is not a native Kentuckian. He grew up in Arizona and was a fan of the Sun Devils when he was younger. That probably will not be a factor in his decision as he has resided in Kentucky since 2008 and would now prefer to attend school close to where he lives now. That could bode very well for the Cats.

But don't expect an early decision from Smith.

"I'm gonna wait 'til after my senior season," he said.

Smith added that he plans to attend games at both Kentucky and Louisville this fall.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1533565
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#22
LexCath's Ryan gives UK another 2015 QB target

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Think Kentucky is just recruiting two quarterbacks from the 2015 class? Think again.

While Jarrett Stidham and Elijah Sindelar are already household names to those that follow Kentucky football recruiting they aren't the only 2015 quarterbacks on the Wildcats' recruiting radar.

The Cats are also taking a close look at someone in their own backyard.

Reese Ryan is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound quarterback from Lexington Catholic and he was an unknown as a prospect until midway through the season last year when the school's starter, Kyle Bolin, went down with an injury.

Ryan made the most of the brief opportunity and passed for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for seven scores on the ground. Numbers like that in half a season tend to attract attention and now he's set to enter his junior season as yet another Kentucky quarterback with BCS offers.

In fact, Ryan has more BCS offers than Sindelar. While the latter has an offer from UK, Ryan has offers from Louisville and Illinois.

This summer Ryan camped at schools all over the country. He made stops at in-state schools UK and Louisville but also traveled to Florida, Clemson, Illinois, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

"I probably had my best days at Louisville and Illinois, when I got my first two offers," Ryan said. "I thought I did really well at Florida. They liked me down there. At Kentucky's camp I had a great day too."

Ryan said he "wasn't really a fan" of Kentucky growing up but he wasn't a hater either. He would attend a lot of games at UK since the proximity made it convenient, so at the very least the familiarity helps.

"I've always liked my home state," he added.

He was at Kentucky's camp on July 19, the same camp that Stidham, Sindelar and Drew Barker were at. It was perhaps the most impressive quartet of prep quarterbacks ever assembled on UK's campus.

"I talked to coach (Neal) Brown and he asked me to come up an hour early before camp. I went up to his office and we were watching film. He was showing me how they run their offense," Ryan said. "I think it's wonderful. It's exactly the same offense we run at Catholic. I like how they take what the defense gives them. He leaves a lot up to the quarterback. The quarterback makes a lot of reads in that offense."

Ryan said to date Brown is the only coach that has been in contact with him but that's not surprising. UK's offensive coordinator handles the recruitment of quarterbacks.

Brown and the rest of the staff have caught Ryan's attention because of what they've done before even coaching a game.

"They've come in and they've done a great job with recruiting. I think it's going to take them a couple of years to get going but once they do I think they'll be one of the best teams in the SEC. They know exactly what they're doing and coach Brown is doig a great job with the offense," he said.

Ryan isn't limiting his focus to Kentucky and he said he doesn't have any favorites. He enjoyed his trips to Louisville and Illinois especially in hindsight now that they have offered.

"Louisville was an awesome day. Coach (Shawn) Watson stayed with me the whole time. I really like their offense," he said. "Illinois was a great camp too. My arm was feeling good. I threw my first ball and the offensive coordinator was following me around the whole time."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1534308
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#23
Cats offer 2015 Ohio tight end Conrad

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Ohioan Darryl Long is Kentucky's lone tight end commitment from the 2014 class. Could the Cats tap into the Buckeye State for help at the position again next year?

The answer is a resounding yes, especially after a recent offer to La Grange (Ohio) Keystone rising junior C.J. Conrad.

Conrad is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect who also holds offers from Indiana, Illinois and Toledo. Often offer lists similar to that have blown up in a big way. Recruiting typically goes a little slower in Ohio because there's no spring football.

He's spoken with UK's recruiting ace in Ohio just one time but Vince Marrow made the most of that initial contact.

"He said he saw my film and he's heard good things about me and was really excited. Basically he's just really excited about me. He told me how they recruit very hard in Ohio and he told me a little about Kentucky since I haven't been there before," Conrad said.

Based on what Marrow said and Conrad has heard and learned on his own there's serious interest.

"Definitely, I'm into any school that's into me," he said. "He was telling me a little bit about how he recruits hard in Ohio. That's definitely exciting. I kinda made the group in Ohio that they're hitting hard. That was great to hear. I've heard they've just killed it in Ohio."

When asked whether Conrad might visit UK or other schools this fall he said that's something he would have to discuss with his family.

In addition to the schools that have offered Conrad is hearing from Ohio State, Tennessee, Penn State, Northwestern, Arkansas and others.

"I'm an Ohio kid so you're always kinda biased to Ohio State but if they were to offer me I'd have to see if I would fit there. It's not a guaranteed yes," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1534648
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#24
Cornerback Robinson likes Wildcats, Hurricanes

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

If it seems like Kentucky and Miami are recruiting against one another more often these days that's because they are.

Nigel Bethel, Cory Johnson, Luke Hiers and Gerald Robinson Jr. are just some of the prospects over the past two classes that have listed Kentucky and Miami high on their lists.

In fact at various points in time those recruits all had Kentucky and Miami as their top two. Hiers and Robinson, two 2015 recruits, currently do.

Robinson, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound 2015 cornerback from Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Catholic, has been to Kentucky already. He was at UK as part of a college tour he was on with teammates like Michael Johnson, Travonte Valentine and others from the 2014 class.

That tour took Robinson and those other prospects to Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Indiana, Cincinnati and Alabama, and it gave him an early glimpse of what to expect from some of the schools recruiting him the hardest.

Kentucky and UCF are the two schools that have offered Robinson and the Wildcats are in good shape early.

"I'd say they're number two," Robinson said of Kentucky. "Miami is at the top and Kentucky is number two right now."

Robinson grew up a Miami fan and if the Hurricanes offer they could be tough to beat out. But if they don't then Kentucky stands a good chance. That's good news as he's one of the more athletic 2015 cornerbacks from the Sunshine State, and that's a position UK will target once again in the next class.

He participated in a June camp in Lexington while they were in town.

"I think I did good," Robinson said. "Coach (Derrick) Ansley liked me a lot. I still keep in contact with him a lot. He's still talking to me. I call him once a week. He's been teaching me a lot of things I didn't know. He's a real good coach.

"It was real fun up there at Kentucky. They've taught me a lot and they've offered me so I'm real big on them. They showed me around the whole school. Most of all they showed me the academics and the new academic system they're going to now with the tutoring and all that. That's what I'm looking for in a school."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1535395
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#25
Defensive tackle Howe is drawing UK interest

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Defensive tackle Kraig Howe is only a junior this year but with a BCS offer to his credit he can realistically start to think about favorites and where he would like to end up.

No one school has separated itself in a big way from the rest of the pack but it's clear that Kentucky is in good shape with the Kettering (Ohio) Archbishop Alter lineman.

"I do like Kentucky a lot just because I've been in good contact with them and talked to them a lot," Howe said. "I really like Northwestern. It's in Chicago and it's a good academic school. I'd like to go to a school with good academics. Maybe a place in the ACC like Duke would be good, too."

Illinois is the only school that has offered so far but Howe said Kentucky, Pitt and Arkansas are the schools that have shown the most interest other than the Illini.

Howe wasn't able to do much this summer because he had a broken bone in his foot. He was able to attend Kentucky's Friday Night Blue Lights camp and he went to Friday Night Lights in Columbus with the Buckeyes as well. He did not participate at either even however.

"I just wanted to pick up some technique and listen to the coaches, let them see my face and get a relationship with them," he said.

Lexington impressed Howe in a big way and so did the coaches.

"I liked it there a lot," he said. "I really like the campus and the coaching staff. Coach (Jimmy) Brumbaugh and the defensive staff are great. I like how they're doing it there. Coach (Mark) Stoops is doing great. Kentucky might be low in the SEC right now but it's going to be a great program and they can only go up. I really think they're going to.

"I've talked to coach (Vince) Marrow a couple of times and he's come to Alter so I've seen him. I talked to him when I went to Kentucky and he introduced me to coach Stoops. I've gotten to know coach Marrow pretty well."

Howe's broken foot doesn't seem to be holding him back much. He was cleared to play on August 1 just before the start of two-a-days.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1535399
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#26
De'Antre Turman DB from Creekside High school in Atlanta died on his way to the Hospital last night after he made a tackle in a game last night. After making the tackle, Turman went limp & passed away on the way to the hospital. De'Antre had an offer from Kentucky for 2015 and was said would commit this fall.
#27
The Blue Blur Wrote:De'Antre Turman DB from Creekside High school in Atlanta died on his way to the Hospital last night after he made a tackle in a game last night. After making the tackle, Turman went limp & passed away on the way to the hospital. De'Antre had an offer from Kentucky for 2015 and was said would commit this fall.

That's very unfortunate and saddening to hear! Do they know what the cause of death was?
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#28
Results pending autopsy.
#29
2015 safety Walker drawing UK's attention

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Florida could prove to be more pivotal to Kentucky's recruiting than ever in the 2015 class and the Wildcats are in good shape with one of the state's top safeties.

Marcus Walker has been drawing interest from some big names in the college football world and the 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back from Lake Wales (Fla.) camped at Florida State and Miami this summer.

Those two haven't offered Walker but a good number of others have. He told Cats Illustrated this week that Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, USF, Duke and UCF are among the schools that are recruiting him the hardest.

"Right now I really like Vanderbilt, UCF, USF and Kentucky," Walker said, noting that it's early and that list is very much subject to change. "All of them are recruiting me for free safety."

Last year Walker was a big-time ball hawk in the secondary, picking off six passes and causing headaches for opposing quarterbacks.

Kentucky is an intriguing option on a number of levels, because of the SEC affiliation and Mark Stoops' success with defensive backs at a program Walker is very familiar with.

"My coach told me they offered me. They offered the day they came in (to the school). They offered me, Luke (Hiers) and Dedric (Brinson)," he said. "I'm definitely looking at them. I'm looking for a place where I can get my education and where I can decide I can live even if I decide not to play football after college anymore."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1535589
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#30
OL Brown figures to be among top 2015 UK targets

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

While Kentucky's recruiting board for the 2015 class might not be set it's clear that George Brown will be near the top of it when it is.

The Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods offensive tackle has always been considered a top 2015 target for the Wildcats and that's for a number of reasons. He's made multiple trips to Kentucky, most recently this summer, and he's very close with defensive back Mike Edwards, who is pledged to UK.

This summer Brown has been taking trips to different schools in most of his free time.

"I've been to Auburn, Alabama, Louisville, Kentucky, Michigan State, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Vanderbilt," Brown told Cats Illustrated. "I'm just ready to get ready for this season to get started. We've got a good chance to win state. It's a pretty good team. We're going to work hard and focus on the little things."

Winton Woods' practice is in full swing and two-a-days began on Monday.

This is Brown's first year at Winton Woods but the transition has been made easier because of the fact that he knew many of his current teammates from youth football.

The 6-foot-6, 253-pound prospect is happy to be playing with Edwards.

"It's real good," Brown said. "He talks to me every day about Kentucky trying to get me to commit there. It's definitely a factor but I can't let one person impact my decision."

But the pull of UK is about more than just Edwards.

"I had a great visit this summer," he said. "I loved the coaches. It's a great coaching staff. I just have to get down for a game this year. I'm actually going to be down there for the Kentucky-Louisville game."

Brown knows Vince Marrow well and he said he has also come to be on very good terms with offensive line coach John Schlarman. The Wildcats have told Brown he could play offensive tackle or even tight end in college, but he doesn't have a preference either way.

The rising junior had a lot to take in with so many trips this summer. One other trip in particular stood out.

"Alabama did stand out. The facilities were great. They have the best facilities in the country. I liked it a lot," he said. "All the schools were great. I liked Auburn's coaches a lot. We'll see how they do on the field these next couple of years. I want to see how a lot of schools do on the field."

Brown said his plan is to announce which dozen schools are still in the running later in his junior season. He said he does not want to announce any schools that are sure to make the cut just yet.

He will be watching Kentucky's progress closely over the next two years. The coaches have expressed their optimism but they are also giving him a healthy dose of reality.

"There's going to be some ups and downs but they just want me to see how they react to the ups and the downs," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1537402
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