Why this Weekend is Important--Not what you think!

This

weekend there will be at least 4 recruits to visit UK. These 4 young men, (from left to right in photos) Dyjuan Lewis, Rajaan Bennett, Maudrecus Humphrey, and Lamar Ivey each bring more to the table than meets the eye. Not only do they meet specific needs for the UK team, they also help in another very important and specific way.

The importance of signing these players rests not only inthe talent that they would bring to the Commonwealth, but also in how they deepen recruiting ties to specific areas and schools. For example, if KY could sign Lamar Ivey, that would help in further recruiting North Carolina. If they could sign Dyjuan Lewis, it would deepen the ties to recruiting into Indinana (and Indianapolis in particular which is becoming a hotbed for HS football talent!). If they could sign Bennett, that would strength ties to his HS (McEachern) which is also a hotbed for College talent. If the CATS can sign Maudrecus Humphrey, we would then strengthen our ties into the football hotbed of Alabama.

Each, of these players brings a unique skill set for the college game, and none, but Ivey (4.4) has significant speed (at least as reported by the national recruiting sites). While they have all no doubt worked on various aspects of their game, some of them may have trouble actually qualifying for enrollment which also makes the decisions by this staff very tenuous.

All 4 players have other offers from important schools: Bennett (UK and Vandy) has been flirting with the Vols as of late and has stated that he would "rather be the water boy on a good team than play on a bad team"; Lewis (decommitted from Cincinnati) has offers to Oregon, and Purdue in addition to UK; Ivey has a known offer to West Virginia; and Humphrey (son of Bobby the former Alabama running back and current coach there for the same position) can play almost almost anywhere in the SEC West in addition to Troy, UAB, and Southern Miss.

With Kentucky typically producing limited HS talent, the one thing that the CATS need to do is deepen the recruiting roots into as many other areas and as deep as possible. This weekend will be the 1st of many tests to come for this UK Staff, let's hope that the decisions that need to be made become evident to all!

Another LaGrange Recruit? Jamius Gunsby

As we come down to the recruiting stretch, one of the more intriguing prospects for the CATS has to be Jamius Gunsby of LaGrange HS in Georgia. Gunsby, a QB has offers from UK and the Gators. He is listed as the #64 athlete on ESPN, but really wants to play QB. The ties to him, and to LaGrange are deep, especially since the CATS have several of his teammates both from this year and from years past. It is thought that with his height (he is 6' 5") and speed that he could play WR in college if he does not pan out at QB either way, if the visits do not go well this weekend, he could be quickly in the plans as the Wildcat staff puts the finishing touches on the 2010 recruiting class.

The question remains, if Joker pulls the trigger, will Jamius do likewise?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3o1j1W6vg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRoobVP5G7c

His junior highlights are here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfYgYKO0Su8

OOPS! Sorry

On a more solemn note, a few days ago, I went with a couple of stories that at the time seemed to have legs. The 1st story dealt with how 2 young KY recruits were no longer a part of the future of the football program. I wrote the article because it was posted on a major recruiting site and the writer is/was a respectable journalist; however, it seems that that particular article has been pulled and that the writer no longer stands by it. I want to express my regret for having published the story to the young men involved (Anterrio Sloan and Davin Hawkins), their families, the University of Kentucky, and the fans that read here daily. We try here not to invent stories, but to quickly address what is happening in the Big Blue Nation!!

Secondly, I wrote about Wes McGriff and possibly Storm Johnson coming to Kentucky. While this may actually happen, I should have sat on the story for a few more days and gotten a better handle on it. Again, regrets to all involved--LESSON LEARNED!!

Please understand Aaron and I both work 10-12 hrs per day and that this is a hobby for us (unless you guys want to support us fulltime, and I can assure you we will gladly reciprocate!) in our spare time.

Again, I went with what was published and trusted the writers and their stories. I am truly sorry for any ramifications from the outfall of these stories.

"It's great to be alive and it's great to be a Kentucky Wildcat Fan!"

Have a great day!

How many wins will the CATS get this year?

How many wins do you think KY will get this year?

The schedule is a couple of posts down! (See if I really knew what I was doing I could figure out how to set up a poll!)

MEET KIARO HOLTS

I spoke with Kiaro Holts (6’ 4” 266 lb. O-Lineman) who plays football at Warren Central (a powerhouse program in Indiana) in Indianapolis. He is a junior who will be a part of the 2011 recruiting class and has listed the CATS as one of his options (along with several Big 10 Schools and Va. Tech.). He was very respectful and plans on majoring in Electrical Engineering in college.

Kiaro stated that he has not heard from anyone at UK, but does plan to visit soon, and that he is very serious about considering attending there. One of the most intriguing things he said during the interview was that “Most kids, who do not get football scholarships, do not get them because they do not work hard enough”!

For his senior season, Kiaro plans on being a leader for the team, and wants to be known for his toughness (he already bench presses over 300 lbs.). He says that individual honors are important to him because it shows that he is willing to put in the work.

Kiaro also has a teammate, Kris Harley, who is also a junior, and will graduate with him in 2011. Harley, who himself is a well sought after (4*) defensive lineman has several offers from ACC Schools, Stanford, and SEC Schools.

At this time, Holts is rated as a (3*) guard with Scout, but with his offers, and the number of schools that have expressed interest in him that rating means nothing. For his strengths, he feels adept at both pass blocking and run blocking, and plans on working on his speed for the offseason. Of course, he like everyone defines true success in championships and plans on leading his team towards one in 2010.

Where ever Kiaro attends will obviously be getting someone that is highly motivated and a good student.

Looks like He Made it!

Here is the Presser from UKAA!

As Coach Brooks would say "It's a great day to be a Kentucky Wildcat"

http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010610aab.html

2010 Schedule

Since everyone else is posting the UK Football Schedule today, and since we are no better that anyone else, we decided that we would follow suit!

@Louisville Sept 4
Akron Sept 11
WKU Sept 18
@UF Sept 25

@OM Oct 2
Auburn Oct 9
SC Oct 16
UGA Oct 23
@MSU Oct 30

OPEN Nov 6
Vandy Nov 13
Charleston So Nov 20
@Tenn Nov 27

No More Waiting!

Per Kentucky Sports Radio, Joker Phillips will be introduced as the new Head Football Coach at UK. The time for the announcement is set for 3:08 (give or take 6 or 7 seconds)

Welcome Aboard Joker, I think we are going to like the ride!


UK Athletics has confirmed the fact!

http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010610aaa.html

Finishing the 2010 Recruiting Class

What 3 HS players would you like to see the CATS sign to finish out the 2010 recruiting class? OR What 3 positions do you think that we still need to address?

3 MOST FAVORITE MEMORIES OF UK FOOTBALL

What are your 3 most favorite memories of UK Football? It can be a Touchdown, Special Teams play, signing of a player, be original! (You can even list more than 3!)

If someone else has listed one of yours list another one! We want to remember the important moments which have defined UK Football throughout the years.

We are working on the problem

The blog has been getting pounded over the past couple of days due to all of the updates both BigBlueBill and I have been posting. For some reason, the right side bar has fallen to the bottom of the page. I'm not sure if the traffic has anything to do with it or not. Maybe it's coincidence (I hope) becuase the traffic continues to grow. Hopefully we will get this fixed soon. We will continue to post on the blog. Still the fastest way to get information is to follow on twitter. Thanks for the continued support! GO CATS!

THE BIG UGLIES

2010 Preliminary Offensive Line Evaluations

The Wildcats lost 4 starters off of the offensive line to the NFL after the ’09 season: Zipp Duncan, Christian Johnson, Jorge Gonzalez, and Justin Jeffries. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the CATS return several players which have extensive game experience (an anomaly for UK) which have more than average talent. The one thing that this unit will lack is playing time together which makes solidifying the Depth Chart in Spring Practice imperative.

Among the Wildcats returning players which will compete for positions on the depth chart include: B J Murphy (OT), Sam Simpson (C), Larry Warford (OG), Stuart Hines (OG), Dave Ulinski (OT), Brad Durham (OT), Matt Smith (C), Marcus Davis(C), Kevin Mitchell (OT), Jake Lanefski (C/OG) and a host of true freshman. A quick glance at the talent, makes it is easy to see that the majority of the depth and talent is at the interior positions and right tackle; the major problem area for the line in terms of depth and possibly talent would be the all important Left Tackle position; however, neither are we destitute at the position either.

Injuries hit the team in 2009 as always with M Davis getting injured (ankle) in the 1st game against Miami while filling in for J Gonzalez. J Lanefski was also bitten by the injury bug later in the season; both players look to return to the team this year and compete for serious playing time for a team which has lots of talent across the board.

If one looks at the roster, and shakes it out based upon past performance if would look something like this (from OLT to ORT): Murphy, Hines, Simpson/Davis/Smith, Warford, and Durham. These players are known commodities to the team and have improved significantly over their careers.

Murphy has filled in behind Z Duncan at OLT in the past and shown adequate strength and ability, and should only get better with another off season of preparatory work. At this time, his main backup, by default looks to be Kevin Mitchell a redshirt freshman from Georgia. Mitchell came to Lexington last year and the consensus was that he would need at least 2 yr. to establish himself as a legitimate player. The only other players that can be given serious consideration as backups at the position would be redshirt Sophomore Trevino Woods, Teven Eatmon and Kenarious Gates. If Woods has improved, he seems to have the nod by default especially since he has been in the conditioning program, and knows the line calls. Both Eatmon and Gates are true freshmen and if one of them makes the depth chart as the #3 OLT tackle, it would not necessarily be a bad thing (especially for future seasons).

Hines, who has historically played right guard probably shifts to left guard in order to get Warford (who is the team’s strongest player and very agile) on the field. Stuart has proven himself as a starter in the past and is probably the most reliable O-lineman returning this year.

The center position is a mixture of players (Davis and Smith) without much playing time and a redshirt freshman (Simpson) who will fight it out to establish some type of pecking order. If Simpson wins the battle for the position, the other two will fall into the depth chart at the appropriate place, if someone else wins the center position, look for the CATS to move Sam (rated from the #2 to #10 center by the 2009 recruiting sites) to a backup guard spot to get him some field time and prepare him for the future. At worse, Sam will end up at #2 in either the center or one of the guard positions.

Durham has filled in nicely in the past at RT, and in fact, at times has played better than some starters at the position. The senior also has extensive playing time at other points in his career making him and Hines the two most experienced linemen on the roster. The best guess is that Ulinski is the main backup for this position given his skill set and that he develops better technique to become a better pass blocker.

Lanefski could ultimately start at guard or center provided he continues to improve as in the past. Jake played extensively in the 2008 season and will certainly be in the main mix for an interior line position. If he starts at center, look for the coaches to move one of the centers mentioned above to one of the guard positions for depth reasons. At worse, Jake will be #2 on the depth chart either at center or one of the guard positions and be a major contributor for this team.

Success for offensive line units is always defined by cohesiveness, knowing the protections, and limiting mistakes. Too many times, holding, blown coverage, and offside penalties stifle important drives. For the offense to be successful, for the Wildcats this upcoming season, the line must avoid these mental mistakes. While depth is minimal, there are talented linemen for both this year and especially for 2011 and beyond.

Rumors about Wes McCriff

Rumors continue to swirl that Wes Mcgriff, a former UK Secondary and Running Backs coach will be coming to the UK Staff. Reportedly, through a Storm Johnson tweet (I can not access Twitter at this time), McGriff is headed to UK with another "highly touted" recruit! McGriff served on the UK staff in 2001 and 2002, and most recently has been the secondary coach (since 2007)for the University of Miami ("THE U"). He is considered to be both an excellent coach and recruiter.

I wonder if there will be a Storm in Kentucky for the '10 season?

PS: Please respond if the Johnson tweet is legitimate--Thanks in Advance

AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. JOHN NEWTON

On Monday afternoon, I had a phone interview with Dr. John Newton, father of Morgan; the following is a synopsis of our discussion. During the interview I found Dr. Newton to be very cordial, plain spoken, forward, and sincere of his feelings concerning the state of UK football and in regards to his son as well. I also want to publicly thank Dr. Newton for his time, and energy spent to make this discussion very positive and very cordial—Thank You Dr. Newton!

When asked about Morgan’s athletic talent, Dr. John replied that it was evident early on that Morgan was different (as early as kindergarten). He said that his son always displayed great hand/eye coordination that started with soccer and extended through baseball and basketball in his high school years.

As far, as Morgan’s strengths as a person and athlete, Dr. Newton said that Morgan brings a great calm to any situation and that he always maintains a great sense of focus both athletically and academically.

He also stated that Morgan’s future plans outside of football probably included some type of business or marketing especially International Business. Additionally, Morgan is very fluent in Spanish and might be able to use that skill in order to open future business opportunities.

It was particularly interesting in how Morgan came to UK. The decision was a multi-layered approach with family, coaches and teachers involved in the process. The criteria used to establish the process included audits which were used to determine the best fit. The criteria included: a pro style offense, a preferably SEC school (he wanted to go south), academics, and the fact that Morgan wanted to play early. When the audit sheets were made, family, teachers and coaches were told to eliminate 10 schools from the original 20. After the top 10 schools were selected, the same process was then reapplied to them at which time 7 schools stood out amongst the top 10. From there it was basically down to Florida, South Carolina, and UK, with the CATS coming out on top almost every time.

I then asked him how the family had supported Morgan during his 1st yr at UK. He told me that there were 2 obvious stages to this question. Before Morgan became a starter the support was towards reassuring Morgan that you do not always get everything that you want in life when you want it. Additionally, they reassured Morgan that he needed to continue to stay in the game mentally and that his time would come.

The 2nd stage, of supporting Morgan was from when he started getting playing time and how the focus had changed to “staying on top”, being focused on learning how to progress with the team, and to remember the things that were important to be successful.

As far as the Wildcat fanbase, John said that he was sympathetic to the cause. He understands the frustration of the fans, knows that it is a tremendous challenge, and wants the program to be successful. He did think that it was quite unrealistic that the fans wanted Morgan to be Peyton Manning and not understand that he was not at Spring Practice as a participant, and that it was going to take time for Morgan to progress as a starting QB just like everyone else that has played the position at the college level (again, he is very correct on this issue).

Newton also says that in order for his son to improve, he stated that has encouraged him to get in the film room on a consistent basis and know his opponents (at this point he used Florida as an example and stated that Morgan needs to get to learn Florida now, as in right now and not after the season starts which is a very astute observation! He then stated that Morgan must do the same for all the opponents that UK will face for the ’10 season). He also stated that Morgan needs to work on his quickness and spend time with the offense as a unit finding out which patterns the receivers like and working on throwing to them as well. He specifically brought up the fact that the offense must get to 100% perfection every single time IE blocking schemes, route running, etc and all at the same time (again, he obviously understands football).

Dr. Newton’s opinion of the program is very high. He thinks that recruiting is good and will get even better and that the 2009 class was a fantastic class especially by Kentucky standards. He spoke glowingly of Ridge Wilson, Qua Huzzie, and Dakotah Tyler and how it would be these type players that will move Kentucky towards being a powerhouse in college football.

It is obvious from the interview that the Newton family is very proud of Morgan (and they should be). Dr. Newton stated that Morgan has worked hard to get where he is and that he will continue to do so because Morgan takes great pride in being successful and will be in time at UK.

Finally, I asked what he thought about the upcoming ’10 season for Wildcat Football his response “I look for them to contend for and win the SEC Championship” Enough said!

AT LEAST 2 COMMITS?

Reportedly (from Scout), a total of 2, 2010 UK commits are no longer a part of that class. Rumors swirl that Anterrio Sloan (CB) West Helena Central HS (AR), and Davin Hawkins (SS) Etowah HS (AL) are no longer are part of UKs future. Sloan, a 4 * recruit was previously committed to Nebraska, but decommitted to the CATS. If this rumor is true, we wish these gentlemen the best in their future endeavors.

If the rumors are true, look for Kentucky to limit the future defensive prospects for the class and focus more on the offensive side of the recruiting class. At this time, the CATS are especially limited in the number of offensive skill players for the '10 class and would probably look to add another running back, two wide receivers and a possible quarterback. At most, look for the CATS to limit recruiting to the defensive side of the ball to 1 or 2 highly ranked potential prospects.

As always, rumors swirl at this time of year as teams work to put the finishing touches on their recruiting classes.

The above photo is of Sloan.

Tuesday UK Football Links and Notes

Just as we expected, Rich Brooks decided to make an announcement regarding his future today. Brooks decided to retire and admitted that his family and players wanted him to continue coaching. Only Brooks himself was comfortable with his decision to retire. Bill posted a great article on Rich Brooks earlier, which broke down the coach's accomplishments. Rich Brooks has been great for the program, he is first class and will be missed. Click on the link to Chip Cosby's article on Brook's retirement.

Everyone needs to remember, Joker Phillips bleeds blue and will be great for the program. Joker will likely make some changes as he will want to put his finger prints on the program. With Joker Phillips as head coach, UK will land higher profile recruits, likely make some coaching changes and be less conservative in games. Click on the link to Mark Story's article.

In the last couple of days I have spoken to a couple of key UK recruits in Brandon Gainer (RB) and Jerrell Priester (ATH). Both players mentioned they haven't spoken to the coaching staff in about a month. Everyone needs to remember the coaches have been restricted with "dead periods" and also getting ready for a bowl game.

This weekend has the potential to be a huge weekend for Kentucky Football. The Cats will be hosting Dyjuan Lewis (WR), Maudrecus Humphrey (WR), Lamar Ivey (ATH) and Rajaan Bennett (RB). Look for Joker Phillips to roll out the red carpet and receive his first commitments as head coach.

Also, Bill spoke with John Newton today. Check back for his post with some great insight to the football program by the quarterback's father.

Jerrell Priester Update

Tonight I spoke with Jerrell Priester (3-Star athlete) from Allendale, SC. Jerrell told me that he was still committed to Vanderbilt, but also considering Kentucky. He recently took an official visit to UK and enjoyed his visit and will take one to Vanderbilt soon. After his Vandy visit, he will sit down and with his family and coach to make a final decision between the two schools.

Jerrell really likes Joker Phillips and feels Kentucky football is on the rise. However, Jerrell really likes the academics that Vanderbilt has to offer. I asked Jerrell about his grades and he told me he had no issues with Kentucky, but needed a higher score on his ACT for Vanderbilt. The Vandy staff is selling Jerrell on going to prep school if he doesn't get the test score and he seems pretty open to doing so if necessary.

Based on our conversation, Vanderbilt is primarily recruiting him as a defensive back. Joker Phillips has talked to him about playing on both sides of the ball. Jerrell has no preference and feels he will make an impact wherever he plays on the field.

Without a doubt, Jerrell Priester is one of the most well mannered student athletes I have ever spoken to. He will be a great addition to any school he attends.

BROOKS' UK LEGACY

Today, Rich Brooks announced that he was retiring as the University of Kentucky’s head football coach. Brooks, who came to UK, in 2003 led the CATS while on a harsh NCAA probation to respectability. He leaves Kentucky as #5 in wins with an overall record of 39 wins and 47 losses. Rich’s tenure was especially strained after the 1st 3 seasons when his Wildcats won 9 games and lost 25 games. The last 4 years, of his tenure was marked by UK reaching the 4 consecutive bowl appearances which is unprecedented by Kentucky standards.

The only other coaches with more wins during their tenures at UK include: Paul “Bear” Bryant (60), Fran Curci (47) and Jerry Claiborne and Blanton Collier (each tied with 41 wins). The now former coach went 30 and 22 over the last 4 seasons which qualified the CATS for 3 Music City Bowls (2006, 2007, and 2009). After the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Brooks led Kentucky to MCB wins over Clemson and Florida State respectively. For the 2008 season, Rich led the team to a Liberty Bowl win over East Carolina in Memphis TN. The only bowl loss he suffered while at UK was a 21-13 loss to Clemson at the end of the 2009 season.

Brooks’ won/loss collegiate career record is 130/156/4 while serving as Head coach at both Oregon and UK. He also served as the St. Louis Rams Head Coach in the 1990s where his record was 13 wins and 19 losses. With Brooks' retirement, Joker Phillips (the former Head Coach in Waiting) now assumes leadership of the team.


Among Brooks’ accomplishments while serving as Head Coach at UK includes:

*Defeating the #1 team in College Football (LSU in 2007)

*Leading the CATS to 4 consecutive Bowl Games (a 1st for Wildcat Football-2006 to 2009 seasons)

*Leading the CATS to 3 consecutive Bowl Wins (a 1st for Wildcat Football-2006 to 2008 seasons)

*Successfully leading UK to respectability after a harsh probation

*SEC Coach of the Year 2009

*39/47 Won and Loss Record placing him #5 in wins while coaching at UK

*3 Road wins in the SEC for the 2009 season (Auburn, Georgia, and Vandy)

BROOKS RIDES OFF INTO THE SUNSET

Today Rich Brooks announced that he would be stepping down as the head coach at UK, ultimately passing the baton to Joker Phillips. We will soon be posting more about Brooks' retirement and what he meant to UK Football.

2010 EVALS OF RUNNING BACKS

(Photo is of D J Howard From Lincoln HS and Raymond Sanders of Georgia)

When the 2008 College Football Season ended, the CATS had rushed for 1,657 yards (3.7 yards/carry), and scored 18 touchdowns. The team then returned all of their runners from ’08 to the ’09 season with the exception of Tony Dixon. Among, the returners were: speedster Derrick Locke who was returning from a torn ACL suffered in the Arkansas game, John Conner, the all purpose fullback who had some preseason honors bestowed upon him by several magazines and the SEC Coaches as well, and Alphonso Smith a running back who was thought to be able to finally break out of the injury bug which had stalled his collegiate career. These 3 players along with Moncell Allen, another short back were seen as the main reason that the Wildcats would improve upon the all important ground game for the 2009 season. In addition to these men, Randall Cobb was also thought able to also spark the team to victory by running from the “WildCat/WildCobb” formation.

While the 2009 season was indeed much better in the ground game, it would have been even better had the team been able to improve upon the ’08 passing numbers of 54.7 completion rate, for 13 TDs and 11 INTs for a total of 2234 yards. In fact, it was thought that by increasing the passing yardage by 50 or so yards/game, cutting down on the INTs to single digits, while increasing the TDs even modestly, that the ground game would be even more potent than ever. Interestingly enough, the passing game went into a significant tail spin, and yet the ground game still increased in production significantly. The end result of the ground game was that the CATS would finish the season for the 2nd yr in a row without anyone rushing for 1,000 yards (the last was R Little in 2007 with 1013 yards and 3 TDs). The final ground game stats for the ’09 season would be 2,486 yds. for a 4.5 average/carry and 26 TDs.

The season opened with uncertainty of how the ACL injury to D Locke would impact him for his career much less for the 2009 season. Derrick answered that question early in the season by laying hold of the starting running back position and never relinquishing it throughout the year. In fact, throughout the year, Derrick often displayed his truly world class speed at will and in various situations most notably on the stretch play that the CATS often ran to the left side of the field. The season finally ended with Locke leading the team in yardage with 844 for a 4.7 average and 6 TDs.

The other ground threat, Randall Cobb was 2nd in yardage and led the team in rushing TDs with 10. Cobb’s yardage was from the WildCobb formation which Randall ran in addition to being the team’s top receiver.

The rest of the UK running backs provided significant help at times throughout the year, but never really made consistent impact for sustained periods of time. Among the rest of the stats were: A. Smith 244 yds. and 2 TDs; M. Allen 209 yds. and 2 TDs; Freshman Donald Russell who led the team with a 10.5 yds/run for 137 yards and 1 TD; and Coshik Williams for 50 yds. and 0 TDs. Additionally, M. Newton chipped in with 130 rushing yards and 2 TDs while fullback John Conner ran for 156 yards and also had 2 TDs.

Neither Freshman Dakotah Tyler (look for Dakotah to move to Safety for the ’10 season) nor Jonathon George would be active for any of the games in 2009 and were redshirted.

With a month left until National Signing Day, the Wildcats have locked up Raymond Sanders from Georgia for the future. Sander’s 4.4 forty time, and stature remind you of Derrick Locke. Additionally, Raymond came on in his senior season to lead his team deep into the playoffs and also stealing another recruit’s notoriety by rushing for over 100 yards and scoring 3 TDs on a nationally televised game in the middle of the season. This outing caused him to rise in the recruiting services rankings to just a notch below being a 4 * recruit which goes to show that the staff at UK does indeed know how to evaluate players and get them to the Commonwealth.

Several names have been mentioned as potential signees: Storm Johnson (this would truly be a coupe and he is committed to “The U”. With the starting RB from The U getting hurt in their bowl game, Johnson can essentially play at his dream school and be an early contributor, so a word to the UK faithful, you may not want to get your hopes up); Miles Simpson is another name which gets batted around (he has had his chances to sign and something tells me that the staff has moved on from him); Rajaan Bennett (my personal opinion is the same as I see for Miles Simpson, but he may still on the radar); D. J. Howard from perennial powerhouse Lincoln HS (Ala.) is committed to Auburn. He had several offers from many other Big Time schools and definitely wants to run the ball, but many think that Auburn wants him to play DB. Finally, Brandon Gainer (see Aaron’s interview from Sunday 1/3/10) from Miami Fl. (I am going out on a limb and proclaim him as the other UK candidate for the ’10 class. The staff covets Brandon. Gainer is explosive and can come in and almost immediately contribute. While he is a dark horse candidate he would also open up the Wildcats to more Florida football talent and that can never be a wrong thing).

Brandon Gainer recruiting update

Today I spoke with UK recruit Brandon Gainer (Miami, FL). Brandon told me that UK was a possible destination, but he hadn't heard from the coaching staff in about a month. Brandon also told me he likes UK's running style and offense". I asked Brandon which schools were recruiting him and he said, "Oregon, UCF, USF, Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee". Brandon also told me that Oregon, UCF and USF are recruiting him the hardest.

Brandon's high school coach is assisting him with setting up official visits and he will take all five, but none have been scheduled. They will start scheduling visits next week. Brandon also told me, "there's no holding back and will commit when the time is right".

I asked Brandon what is the one thing you fans to know about you and he said, " I'm a hard worker, dedicated, take my grades seriously and want to be successful". Brandon definitely seems interested in Kentucky, the SEC and playing time. Brandon expects to compete for playing when he steps on campus and says he has the size to grind it out, but also has the speed to make a big play in the open field. One thing is clear, UK needs to land another running back in the 2010 class and Brandon Gainer is a possibility.

Still no word on Rich Brooks decision

Most UK fans are still celebrating the sweep over Louisville this year as the basketball Cats took care of business yesterday. You have to figure we will hear something this week on Rich Brooks' future. The head coach was not going to interfere with the big basketball game this weekend and the basketball team doesn't play again until next weekend.

Larry Vaught asked Mitch Barnhart about Brooks future and didn't get much out of him. One thing is clear, about 75% of the fans want Brooks to return and the players seem to be giving him a ton of support as well. I think if Brooks was ready to retire, we would have known already. Maybe Brooks is going to comeback for a farewell tour, which he deserves.

PRELIM EVALUATION OF '10 LINEBACKERS

2010 Overview of UK Linebackers


Historically, one of the best units on the UK football team in terms of both depth and talent has been the linebacking corp. The ’09 edition of the CATS saw 2 senior linebackers with no more college eligibility leave the team, and move on to the NFL (MLB-Micah Johnson and SLB-Sam Maxwell). No one would argue that each made an indelible mark for the CATS with Sam Maxwell sharing the Defensive MVP award (at least awarded by this writer) with defensive tackle Cory Peters (who was also a senior and has moved on to play on Sundays). With the moving on of these players, that leaves only Danny Trevathan (WLB) as a starter for this unit for the ’10 season.

The Wildcats do sport some young talent which has shown flashes in High School, but has not had the opportunity to demonstrate any of it at UK due to insignificant playing time.

The all important middle linebacker position does have a lot of raw talent, but again it is very inexperienced. Look for the CATS to start the season with Ronnie Sneed as Micah’s replacement. Ronnie filled in numerous times when Johnson was injured and while he never distinguished himself, he does have the advantage of knowing the speed of the game, defensive alignments, and experience which means a lot in Big Time college football.

At this time, it looks like the main backup to Sneed should be Qua”Zilla” Huzzie. The ’09 recruit was injured during training camp (shoulder) and was immediately redshirted for the season. The tape on Qua shows that he has tons of speed, is instinctive, has a nonstop motor, and literally blows up plays all over the field making him the kind of impact player needed for the position. The main criticism of Huzzie has been his size, but there are successful college players even in the SEC with his size and stature.

At the end of the season, in the Music City bowl, the Blue Nation saw Maxwell out from his SLB position with an injury and junior Jacob Dufrene as his replacement. Jacob came into the game with 10 total tackles for his career prior to this game and never really made any type of impact during the MCB, and as of yet has certainly not staked any claim to playing time at a very inexperienced position. His size and lack of speed do nothing to indicate that he will ever be more than a situational/special team’s player unless he starts the season to get someone else acclimated to the college game.

Look for the CATS to move Matt Lentz (Junior) up to the SLB spot for several reasons. First, Matt has significant playing time at the safety position, and knows how to cover; however, his size and speed is much more suited for the SLB slot. Secondly, he knows the defensive schemes and alignments and can at times make plays on the field which will set well with the staff until someone else establishes himself as a difference maker. For Lentz to truly get the nod, he will need to add about 20 to 25 lbs of muscle (to play at about 240 lbs or so) by the beginning of the season.

The major backups for Matt would seem to be Ridge Wilson unless he comes on in the offseason and establishes himself as a force on the field. Ridge (a Soph.) has some playing time as a true freshman at UK but needs to continue to improve his all around game including maturity before getting the starting gig. Wilson should have redshirted, but if he takes his craft seriously, by staying in the weight and film rooms it might be tough for the coaches to keep him off of the field in the ’10 season.

Other backups, for the SLB position might include Jarvis Walker (a redshirt Fresh.) unless he plays safety. The film on Walker shows that he has range and can hit, making him a valuable commodity at some position in the always fast SEC. Also, he does have experience in coverage in high school, which only increases the likelihood of him seeing playing time somewhere.

As previously stated, the WLB position is the only one of this unit with a returning starter (Danny Trevathan). Danny played much of the ’09 season with a cast on his arm and showed some flashes in some stretches of the ’09 season (his 1st year as a starter). The junior should only get better, and will probably leave the team at some point as one of the more popular players at the position besides Wesley Woodyard. Look for him to get some preseason publicity for the ’10 edition of the team and be instrumental if the CATS are to have any success.

Major contributors behind Trevathan on the weak side include possibly Jarvis Walker and Qua Huzzie (if he does not sew up at least the 2nd slot for the MLB position.). Both of these highly coveted redshirts came in with a tremendous upside and should immediately increase depth, talent, and playmaking ability somewhere in the Wildcat defense.

Also look for Ryan Mosby (RS-Fresh.) to settle in somewhere due to his speed and knack for being a playmaker at the high school level. Due to his size, speed, and recognition skills, Mosby might be best suited to play behind Trevathan for a couple of yrs. before assuming the starting position for his final stint with UK.

Other previous players behind Danny at this position include William Johnson (RS-Soph.) and Brandon Thurmond. Johnson has had almost no impact for the CATS during his tenure while Thurmond has almost been continually injured since his arrival in Lexington. It looks like neither might even be on the team for the ’10 season; even if they are on the team their impact will only be marginal at best.

The 10 recruiting class is actually better than most people believe it to be. The CATS have recruited 3 specific linebackers (Jabari Johnson, Malcolm McDuffen, and Avery Williamson) and a couple of other players which could move from DE to the LB position if the staff so determines. Each of these 3 players seems to have been recruited to play a specific linebacker role (Johnson-WLB; McDuffen-SLB; and Williamson-MLB) and should be major contributors on this team for the future.

While experience is minimal for the ’10 edition of the CATS, talent, speed, and playmaking ability is not. In fact, look for the ’11 edition of the linebacking corps to be a dogfight for starting roles and playing time due to the experience that will be gained in the ’10 season and actually be one of the strengths of the team. This unit for the ’10 season seems to be very unstable, but on the whole there are at least some answers for the questions posed which is a far cry from where this team has been in the past.

STATE OF THE PROGRAM

UK BREAKDOWN--STATE OF TEAM FOR ’10 SEASON


As the calendar is flipped, the ’09 football season gently fades into the memories of all but the die hard fan. There will be much dead time between now and the beginning of the ’10 season, but there will also be points of discussion for even those who proclaim themselves indifferent to offseason activities.

The first item up for debate is the “Official State of the Team Discussion”. The Wildcats have travelled far in recent years, and as we examine various aspects of the team, it is hard to remember from whence this team has arrived. Gone are the days of 3-4 wins per season, gone are the days of probation and its nasty after affects, and gone are the days of desperately playing for a bowl only to miss out; in fact, the Wildcat faithful have gotten down right testy in these last 2 or so years with a sense of entitlement to a New Year’s Day game. My, how times have changed in the Commonwealth!

We begin our annual evaluation by looking towards the administration. When Mitch Barnhart was hired for the AD position at UK, the boo birds came out in full force declaring that he was a football guy and that basketball would suffer at the expense of football. Mitch’s first order of business was to hire Rich Brooks as the Head Football Coach at UK. This decision brought about more criticism due to Rich’s perceived lack of success at Oregon and the belief that CAT football would never amount to anything unless a “Big Name Coach” was hired. How wrong, some were!

It is during the tenure of these two men (Barnhart and Brooks) that UK has begun a long trek to football respectability. During this time, Kentucky has gone from the “Are we going to a bowl this year status” to “Which bowl are we going to this year status”.

History and the facts have spoken and determined that Barnhart did indeed make the right decision in hiring Rich; in fact, UK Football has soared to previously unknown heights during Brooks’ reign over the program. The last thing that the Big Blue Nation needed was for the program to have another flash in the pan 9 win season, and then again slip back into oblivion which had often happened in the past. Mitch and Rich understood that football program needed a foundation and not someone who would come in with eyes towards another job, or that would sink the program back into probation again. No, integrity, stability, great teachers of the game, and honor would be the way for the future. This ideology has led the CATS to 4 consecutive Bowl appearances, and 3 consecutive wins which are unprecedented in UK history; in fact, 3 consecutive bowl wins are very rare in College football for any program.

The single solidifying personality on the team is Brooks himself. He did not choose young upstart coaches with great personalities for his staff. No, he chose men who were great teachers with proven track records to come in and teach lower rated players the fine points of the game. Stressing technique and hard work the staff has continually gotten more production from lesser talent throughout Brooks’ tenure with the payoff being a team that stays out of trouble, and is now beginning to win its share of games.

If there is a problem with this staff, it is due to the fact that it seems to have become stale due to its longevity. This unit has been together for a very long stretch by any imagination and in fact probably needs to turn over 2-3 coaches just to get the juices flowing again and bring about new challenges and new ways of thinking. Face it, we all need to be challenged and motivated by new circumstances, this staff is no different.

The probation did much to destroy an almost nonexistent football program. When Brooks and company got here, Kentucky had no real football history, the foundation was on shifting sand, and there was no real future in sight. Brooks and his recruits up to this point are the foundation of UK football. It is upon the backs of Myron Pryor, Wesley Woodyard, Cory Peters, and Andre Woodson that the foundation of Wildcat success will be laid. These men sacrificed what would have been more successful careers in playing for other more prestigious programs but chose to play at Kentucky enduring the hardship of losing and oblivion rather than the joy of winning and success. To these men, and others like them, the Big Blue Nation owes a great amount of debt; they will indeed go down as the men that made Wildcat football relevant, not relevant again, but relevant for the first time in the history of the football program.

This staff is totally responsible for setting the future of this program. Gone are the days when other teams look at their schedules and put an automatic “W” beside the Kentucky date. Opponents now know that if they do not play well, the CATS can win! Gone are some of those silly losing streaks which went back into the 1960s. Annual wins over ranked teams are now a norm and not the exception. In fact, 15 more points this season would have meant an additional 3 wins for a total of 10 for the year (the only other time the team has won 10 games was in 1977).

As far as recruiting goes, the CATS have never consistently recruited better! This program is now getting some of the top talent coming to Lexington from all over the nation. The talent arriving is more suited to play Big Time College Football and is arriving more heralded and with more accolades than recruits in the past.

The main drawback that the staff faces is in terms of financial resources for recruiting. Kentucky is at the bottom of the SEC in terms of spending ($350 K) vs. Tennessee (over $1. M). Mitch and Rich should work to close this gap and fast in order to ensure the future success of this program. The Wildcats successfully generate money for the university and the university needs to reciprocate the football program. This is something that the UK faithful should hold Mitch responsible.

The UK Football fan base has gotten mighty uppity within the last 2 years. In fact, we have come to have a sense of entitlement for a program that basically ranked somewhere in oblivion until the Mitch/Rich connection. Cries have gone out from the faithful declaring that they can not take us to “the next level”. Hogwash! This staff has done more for this program than the last 5 combined (possibly even all of the past staffs combined). It is the previous staffs which did not elevate this program, NOT the current one! The CATS are now getting recruits away from other programs IE Georgia, Maryland, and Ohio State. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college football program and it is THIS STAFF that has shown the ability to go out and get adequate talent to compete in the SEC. It is THIS STAFF that has shown the ability to take lesser talent in the past and make it SEC competitive not the previous ones! The Blue Nation needs to remember where it was and where it is now on this issue.

This brings us down to the infamous “Recruiting Room” Brooks wants for the program. I do not know, do not understand, nor even really care about the “Recruiting Room”. Seriously, I do not understand its significance, but this much I do know, if Rich Brooks says or thinks that we need it, then we need it. Surely, after all he has done for this program we can trust him on this one thing.

While I’m at it, “Mitch, Can we please get C. M. Newton’s name removed from anything related to football? You know what I mean! Rich Brooks name is much more deserving to be there anyways!” GO BIG BLUE!!


HAPPY NEW YEARS TO THE BEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANS ON EARTH!!

If you were Joker for a day....

Let's pretend for a moment that you are Joker Phillips the day after being announced as the new head coach at Kentucky. Of course, that's assuming Rich Brooks retires. What would you do as the new head coach? Please leave your comments as this could be a lot of fun.

• Make coaching changes? Who would you let go? Who would you keep? Who would you promote? Why?
• Name a starting quarterback heading into spring? Would you name Newton hoping to push Mossakowski and Hartline?
• Would you name Randall Cobb the starting quarterback?
• Throw the ball more out of the WildCobb?
• Allow the team to wear all black for the Louisville game, heck move the Louisville game to the last game of the season or drop if from the schedule?
• Rename the Nutter after Rich Brooks?
• Lean on the administration to upgrade the facilities at Commonwealth?
• Visit a few key recruits?
• Show up a Rupp Arena during a basketball game to get more exposure?

Who's left on UK's "Big Board"

The UK coaching staff is quietly putting together another great class for 2010. The Cats currently have 24 commitments and are still working on a few key recruits. UK will host a few recruits over the next couple of weeks leading up to signing day. If one of the staff's targets come off the board by committing to another school, the staff will move on to someone else.

Here are the players likely remaining on the "Big Board":

Dyjuan Lewis (WR), Indianapolis Indiana- Lewis recently decommitted from Cincinnati after Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame. Lewis is scheduled to visit UK on January 8th. The Cats have stiff competition to land the four star receiver. If Kelly can get Lewis into Notre Dame, the Irish are a potential suitor. Purdue and Cincinnati are supposed to receive visits too.

Maudrecus Humphrey (WR) Hoover, AL- Humphrey is the son of former Alabama star Bobby Humphrey, however the Tide have yet to offer. UK has a chance to land the three star receiver during his visit to Lexington on January 8th. Arkansas and Mississippi State are also pursing the receiver.

Lamar Ivey (ATH) Mebane, NC- Ivey is scheduled to visit UK on January 9th and he states he likes the coaching staff. However, many people feel Ivey wants to attend either North Carolina or N.C. State. Ivey is taking official visits to both schools. If Ivey ends up in Lexington, he could play receiver or cornerback.

Tim Patterson (LB/DE) Louisville, KY- Patterson has taken multiple visits to Lexington and many feel he would have already committed to UK if Charlie Strong hadn't made such a great impression. Patterson's high school coach has stated the defensive end would likely play with his teammate Stefan Robinson in college. Robinson has already given his pledge to the Cards.

D.J. Howard (RB) Hoover, AL- The three-star running back had given his pledge to Auburn, but the Tigers want Howard to play Safety. Howard wants to play running back at the next level and UK will give him that opportunity.

Brandon Gainer (RB), Miami FL- Gainer's recruitment just recently became public among UK fans. Gainer also lists Oregon, USF, UCF, North Carolina and Rutgers as potential destinations. Based on his comments, UK has a lot of ground to make up in his recruitment.

Miles Simpson (RB), Independence, KY- Simpson has visited UK and we know that Rich Brooks took a helicopter to watch him play. Simpson is one of the top players in the state of Kentucky. Simpson doesn't have an official visit schedule to UK at this point (that has been reported), but still considering Indiana, UK, Western Kentucky, Louisville and Cincinnati.

Uncommited recruits to watch: Rajaan Bennett (RB), Jamius Gunsby (ATH), Greg Franklin (ATH), Tee Howell (ATH), Joseph Byrd (CB/RB), Xavier McFadden (CB), Kendrick Frazier (DE), Jibreel Black (DE), Kyle Sharmon (DE), Tim Jackson (DE), Tony Gillespie (DT), Patrick Swilling (LB), Marcus Thomas (LB), Duncan McGriff (WR)

Committed recruits to watch: Storm Johnson (RB), Derrick Bryant (DE), Isaiah Lewis (S), Bryon Bennett (DT) and Jerrell Preister (ATH). The staff has stated they were not going to stop recruiting key players. The staff recruited these guys hard and no doubt will hang on until the end. Don't be suprised if UK manages to land any one of these recruits.