Player Profile: Brian Adams

Adams is from Gainesville, Georgia where he was rated a 3* prospect. He looks to be the sleeper in the WR core. Many people raved about his size and speed. He also spent the spring playing baseball. He is a very gifted athlete overall and I think he will make an impact this year.

Desmond Floyd still undecided

Desmond Floyd (2011-DE) from South Carolina is still taking visits and won't make a decision until he takes his official visits. A while back some reports suggested Floyd was narrowing his list of schools and UK was in the mix. While the Cats have offered, Floyd could fall victim to the numbers game at UK.

On radio tonight at 7 pm EST

I'll be on the Sports Nightly talk show with Dick Gabriel tonight on 630 WLAP. We'll be talking Kentucky Football and I'm very excited for the opportunity. I'm not sure if we'll take any callers or the format, but you should be able to click here to hear the broadcast.

2011 Future Watch - DB's

DB Offers (known)

Alex Dixon, Andrew Johnson, Bruce Dukes, Damian Swann, Jared Boyd, Justin Coleman, Lamont McMurry, Robenson Therezie, Ronnie Harris, Avery Walls, Chris Sanders, Devanta Burns

DB Watch List

Calvin Caldwell, Chris Tavarez, Jaylen Harris, Jerry Williams, Ken Mullen, Leon Melvin, Mitchell Nelson, Nick Waisome, Nigel Malone, Pat Martin, Steven Montgomery, Thomas Finnie, Anthony Swain, Franklin Shannon, Tony McNeal

Already Committed

Darren Waller (Georgia Tech), Daylen Hall (Kentucky), David Stevenson (UConn), Eilar Hardy (Notre Dame), Flo Hardin (Indiana), Glen Faulkner (Kentucky), Jalen Harrington (Louisville), Jermaine Whitehead (Miss St.), Nick Temple (Cincinnati), Riyahd Jones (Kentucky), Zep Grimes (Illinois)

Updates

There has been a lot going on with this group of players since our last update. Several recruits made their decision and a few were surprising. The Cats picked up verbal commitments from Daylen Hall and Riyahd Jones. Hall is a speedster and Jones was a surprise. Jones attended UK’s camp and the staff came away impressed. Unfortunately, Flo Hardin picked the Hoosiers over the Cats. Hardin told me the Cats were recruiting him hard, but I guess the opportunity to play with his brother was something he couldn’t pass up. Eilar Hardy picked the Irish over UK and others. Hardy had said publicly he liked the Cats and the SEC, but after a trip to Notre Dame he couldn’t turn down their offer. Also, Darren Waller picked Georgia Tech over UK. His decision could have an effect on Troy Gray’s decision. David Stevenson from Stephenson High in Georgia picked UConn. He didn’t have an offer from UK, but was a name to watch. Coleman from Georgia continues to list the Cats as one of his leaders. The Cats did offer Lamont McMurry from Louisville. Some feel he will play on the offensive side of the ball while other feel he is a candidate to play cornerback at the next level. We’ll consider him an athlete at this point. Jerry Williams has been receiving attention from UK and others, but doesn’t hold an offer yet. I’ve been told Steve Brown really likes Williams potential to play free safety.

Most likely to be a Cat

Justin Coleman, Lamont McMurry, Nigel Malone, Jared Boyd or Jerry Williams. Two of the players I picked last time here chose other schools. Just goes to show you how difficult it is to project where guys will end up. Granted signing day is still a long ways off and things could change. All of the above guys have offers from UK with the exception of Williams.

Dicky Lyons Jr waived by Broncos

Reports came out yesterday that Dicky Lyons Jr. has been waived by the Denver Broncos. We wish Dicky the best and hope he gets picked up by another team. Click for the article.

Zach West Update

Zach West (2011-OL) from Lexington, KY will visit Auburn on July 16th and 17th and Cincinnati on July 25th. It still seems he is targeting a late summer decision so he can focus on his senior season. He remains the one of the Cats top offensive line targets for the recruiting class.

Player Profile: Taylor Wyndham

Wyndham is a DE from Swansea, South Carolina that is most associated with his hit on Tim Tebow last season. Wyndham was a 2* coming out of high school. Wyndham looks to be the backup to Collins Ukwu this season.

Bleed Blue Kentucky Update

Just wanted to let everyone know we are targeting July 15th as the "go live" date for the new site. Make sure you save the new site under your favorites. Also, I will be on the radio in Lexington tomorrow with Dick Gabriel to talk UK football.

Player Profile: Ryan Mossakowski

Mossakowski may have surprised some people the day he commited to Kentucky over the likes of Alabama and Auburn. Mossakowski was rated a 4* recruit and the #14 QB by rivals.com. He would have been higher if he didn't have a shoulder injury that cost him most of his Senior season. The Frisco, Texas native looks to compete for playing time this year. He is said to be the most pure passer on Kentucky's roster. Moss may not see much playing time this year, but look for him to push Morgan Newton for the starting job next year.

Joker on Operation Win

(Courtesy of Kentucky Sports Network)

Nick Martin names UK

Per Ky Ink, UK has made the cut down list for Nick Martin. Martin, a highly regarded OT (ranked in the top 40 of the 2011 football recruiting class) from Bishop Chatard in Indianapolis is also the son of former UK player Keith Martin.

2011 Future Watch - LB's

LB Offers (known)

Anthony Wallace, Antonio Poole, Demarcus Sherod, Desmond Wills, Justin Garrett, Lamar Dawson, Troy Gray

LB Watch List

Adrian Jones, Brandon McGowan, Chad Polk, Dwight Jackson, Isaiah Riddle, Jacob Johnson, Jared Barber, Jeremiah Henderson, Josh Harris, Kendall Walker, Matt Redfield, Miles Pace, Nathan Broussard, Regis Ball, Rue Hockensmith, Spencer Garneau, Steven Daniels, Taven Howell

Already Committed

Blake Terry (Kentucky), Eric Muldrow (South Carolina), Jarrett Grace (Notre Dame), Vinnie Sunseri (Alabama)

Updates

Lamar Dawson continues to be the priority for UK among this group of recruits. The Cats did receive a commitment from Blake Terry who projects to play MLB at the next level. Eric Muldrow committed to the Gamecocks and Vinnie Sunseri picked the Tide. It still remains to be seen if Troy Gray will follow his teammate (Darren Waller) to Georgia Tech. Antonio Poole informed me the Cats are at the top of his list and would be a huge pick up. Justin Garrett has stated he will take a visit to Lexington. Isaiah Riddle camped with the Cats, but didn’t pick up an offer. Among Riddle, names to watch without offers are Brandon McGowan and Kendall Walker.

Most likely to be a Cat

Lamar Dawson, Antonio Poole and Justin Garrett appear to be the most likely candidates to become Cats. The Cats could also not sign any of them. Dawson appears to really like Florida and the Cats don’t appear to be placing all their eggs in his basket either.

SEC Football better than the Big 10 Football

WOW!-Finally somebody admits what almost everyone in the world knows "SEC Football is better than Big 10 Football". In an interview with Paul Finebaum, former Florida and current Illinois coach Ron Zook admitted that SEC Football pretty much rules the roost on the college landscape. As someone who has lived in Big 11 country for almost 20 yrs now, I can assure you that there is a difference--even watching it on TV. I am sure that Zook did not endear himself to the Big 10 or its member schools. but he was in fact stating the obvious. If anyone should know it would be Zook; afterall, he has coached in both conferences and knows what it takes to be successful.

Player Profile: Collins Ukwu

Ukwu is from La Vergne, Tennessee. He was a late addition to the 2008 class where he was rated a 2* prospect. He redshirted his Freshman year and last year played in all 13 games. He had a sack against Florida. Ukwu will need to work hard because he will be seeing playing time this year on a DL that does have potential.

Player Profile: Aaron Boyd

Boyd came to UK as a 4* WR from Henry Clay High School in Lexington. His recruitment eventually came down to UK and Oregon. Many people had high hopes for Boyd in his freshman season, but he battled Mono during the summer. If the Boyd name sounds familiar, it is because he is the younger brother of former UK QB Shane Boyd. Boyd will be going into his sophomore season after a redshirt, and he will have to work his way back up the depth chart. I still think that Boyd can make an impact for the Cats.

2011 Future Watch - DL

DL Offers (known)

Aaron Lynch, David Washington, Desmond Floyd, Isiah Norton, Jesse Hayes, Lorenzo Mauldin, Ray Drew, Terrence Coleman, Terry Redden,

DL Watch List

Bobby Newton, Demetri Merritt, Devaughn Hanley, Dontez Tyler, Jimmy Stewart, Joel Hale, Kyreek Brown, Ati Norman-Jean, Ryan Smith, Tanner Crum, Tony Gillespie

Already Committed

Christian Coleman (Kentucky), Clint Tucker (Kentucky), Jamon Brown (Louisville), Jeoffrey Pagan (Florida), Kris Harley (Virginia Tech)

Updates

Since our last updated the Cats received a verbal commitment from Christian Coleman. Coleman was teammates with current UK freshman Avery Williamson. The Cats are still pursuing Jamon Brown (and his teammates) who is one of the most sought after recruits in the state. There hasn’t been many updates on the other players who received offers. However, Aaron Lynch and Ray Drew are considered long shots at best for the Cats. Lorenzo Mauldin told me during our interview, he considered committing to the Cats because Tee Martin was very persuasive. The Cats still have a shot to land Desmond Floyd, Isaiah Norton, David Washington and Jesse Hayes.

Most likely to be a Cat

Some people are questioning Clint Tucker’s commitment, but until he decommit’s he’s still a Cat. Christian Coleman is solid and fans should be excited about these two commits. At this point I would say the next commitment could come from Lorenzo Mauldin, David Washington, Desmond Floyd, Isaiah Norton, Terrance Coleman or Jesse Hayes. The Cats are running out of scholarships, but most feel they would like to take another lineman.

Kent Turene commits to Southern Cal

An obvious long shot, 4* Kent Turene from Florida commited to Lane Kiffin and the USC Trojans. UK is in good shape with several Linebackers such as Lamar Dawson and Antonio Poole.

Player Profile: Taiedo Smith

Taiedo looks to be the Starter at Safety opposite of Winston Guy. He will be going into his Junior season with the Wildcats. Smith was lightly recruited coming out of High School. He was rated a 2* by rivals. He is from Dunnellon, Florida. He made two starts last season, against Louisiana Monroe and Mississippi State.

Huzzie and Cobb interviews

Happy 4th of July!!!

We want to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day! Special thanks goes out to all the men and women serving this country around the world.

Player Profile: Brad Durham

Durham was rated a 3* Offensive Tackle coming out of Rockcastle County High School in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky. Brad was one of the few players who did not redshirt in the 2007 class. He looks to be the starting Right Tackle this year. He will be the vetran on a line that lost 4 starters.

Player Profile: Ronnie Sneed

Sneed will be going into his Junior season with the Wildcats. He is from Tallahassee, Florida. Sneed was a 2* coming out of high school, and he chose UK over Florida International and South Carolina. Sneed will have a chance to start at the Mike linebacker spot.

UK Preview by Scout

Here are some Scout articles preview your UK Wildcats for the upcoming season.

2010 UK Preview



2010 Offense Preview


2010 Defense Preview

Everyone, enjoy the weekend!!


GBB

Troy Timmerman (2011-DE) Video

Troy Timmerman (Covington Catholic HS) in Kentucky holds offers from Murray State, Marshall, Buffalo and Kent State. He is also receiving some interest from Kentucky and Louisville. He is listed at 6'4" and 245lbs.

SI.com on Operation Win

SI.com has a great article on Joker Phillips and Operation Win. Overall its a great article that talks in depth about the challenges that face Joker Phillips. Will 2010 be the year the Cats climb the SEC ladder?

Player Profile: La'Rod King

La'Rod King is from Radcliff, Kentucky. He was rated a 3* coming out of North Hardin High School. La'Rod will be a sophomore this upcoming season. I really like King's height and his ability to catch the football. Last season King played in 11 games. His top play was his one handed Touchdown catch on the road against Georgia. Look for more passes to be thrown King's way this season.

Player Profile: Paul Warford

The cousin of UK offensive Lineman Larry Warford, Paul also comes from Madison Central High School in Richmond. Paul will be a 5th year senior this year. He is the most experienced player in Kentucky's secondary. He was rated a 2* player coming out of high school. Many will agree that Paul has had a very good career with the Cats. He has 2 career Interceptions and 16 pass break ups. I think Paul's final season with Kentucky will be a good one.

Hardin picks Hoosiers

Jeff Drummond is reporting Flo Hardin (2011-LB/S) from Ballard High School in Louisville has committed to Indiana over Kentucky. Hardin's brother currently plays for the Hoosier's so the opportunity to play together likely played a role.

**update** 5:42 pm EST

Hardin informed me his major was the biggest factor in choosing Indiana over Kentucky. He plans to major in business.

2010 vs 2011 UK Recruiting Classes

How is the 2011 UK Recruitng Class comparing to the 2010 class? Which positions have been the most strengthened from each class?

Player Profile: Larry Warfrod

Larry Warford was the first commitment of a very good recruiting class in 2009. Warford is from Richmond, Kentucky and played at Madison Central High School. He was rated a 3* by rivals. Warford looks to be the starter this year at Offensive Guard. Last season, Warford played in 10 games and was named to the all SEC-Freshman team.

Justin Worley makes decision

Justin Worley (2011-QB) from Rock Hill, SC has committed to Tennessee based on reports. Worley held several major offers including one from Kentucky. The Vols have been his leader for sometime so his commitment is not surprising.

2012 Class Rankings (KY)

Jody Demling has a breakdown of the Top 10 in-state football players in the 2012 class. The article also mentions other recruits who will receive a ton of recruiting interest. In particular Rob Lewis and Travis Elliott have shown great potential at recent combines. I've interviewed Adam Wing and he has tremendous potential. 2012 will be another solid year for the bluegrass state.

Insight on Priester

Larry Vaught has a nice article with insight on Jerrell Priester's recruitment to UK. I interviewed Jerrell several times and you could always tell he was torn between UK and Vandy. He did inform me that he visited UK, but his family didn't. At the time, I felt that hurt UK's chances to sign him.

Priester told me once that his coaches wanted him to attend UK while his mother wanted him to attend Vandy. Test scores were a factor for Priester and Vandy as he needed a higher test score to get accepted. He likely would have attended prep school before enrolling at Vandy if UK didn't have a spot for him. In the end, it all worked out for Jerrell and UK.

Sorting it all out MLB

UK goes into the 2010 season with several question marks in a few spots. One of those key spots is at the MLB position. For the last several years, Micah Johnson has manned the middle of the defense with a death grip.

This year, Kentucky finds itself in the midst of transition at the position. Ronnie Sneed returns as the player with the most on field experience and has been the main back up to Johnson, but when training camp starts, he will be pushed hard by several players. To this point, Sneed has had minimal impact on the field, but he now has the opportunity to show the faithful that he is indeed the man for the position.

The 2010 recruiting class brought in some players who will push Sneed hard. Among those who are thought to have a chance to stake a claim to the starting MLB position are Qua Huzzie, Avery Williamson, and Jewell Ratliff. Each of these players bring tenacity and play making ability to the program and to the position, yet each has a major concern entering the season.

Qua Huzzie (recruiting class of '09) was called the best linebacker ever to come through LaGrange HS in Georgia which is a pretty big claim. Huzzie is considered undersized yet would hit a freight train with reckless abandonment. His greatest assets going into the season are that he has been here for a full year, and should know the playbook better than the other 2 players who will be pushing Sneed. The major concern regarding Qua is that he is recovering from a major shoulder surgery, so the concern would be, "is he healthy?". At this point, Qua is probably considered as the most likely to either unseat Ronnie or to be the primary backup for him. As a minimum, Huzzie will be a special teams demon.

Avery Williamson is a true freshman at UK this fall. Like Huzzie and Ratliff, he too would hit a freight train and beg for more. Avery's greatest assets for the position are his size and strength (the staff has already told him that he was as strong as the players on the team) which should make him a contender for the position as well. The greatest concern for Avery would be the fact that he may not know the playbook as well as Qua.

Jewell Ratliff is basically he same player as Williamson only a slightly smaller version. Also, like Avery the question swirling around him would be about how well he knows the play book. Even with that, do not count Jewell out of the race.

Seriously, this will be one of the more contested position battles for playing time for the 2010 season. Kentucky has great talent and depth at the position, but the position lacks experience and field time. Sneed may start the season, but he will be pushed hard and if he drops, Ronnie may never see serious playing time ever again.

The talent at MLB is young and the future is bright for the 2011 class UK, still UK has hopes for Lamar Dawson to commit (class of 2011) and for Blake Terry (out of Texas) who has already verballed. Either way, depth, talent, and playmaking ability will make this position one of the deeper positions for the next several years.


(Photo is of Ronnie Sneed)

Nord to replace Ortmayer?

FootballScoop.com is reporting Illinois Tight End coach Greg Nord will replace Steve Ortmayer at Kentucky. So much for the last post. Click here to read his resume.

Replacement for Ortmayer?

With Joker making another change to his staff, who are the candidates to replace Ortmayer? Most would guess someone who has a connection to Joker Phillips. Last year Wes McGriff (Miami), Gerad Parker (Tenn-Martin) and Dave Lockwood's (West Virginia) names all were rumored as candidates to join the program.

Considering McGriff said last year he wasn't leaving Miami and Lockwood is coaching at his alma mater, Parker could be the logical choice. He is currently UTM's recruiting coordinator and this could be his chance to return to his alma mater.

You can click on the links to read the profile for each of the names above.

Steve Ortmayer out as Special Teams coach

According to Football Scoop, Ortmayer will not return to Kentucky. Ortmayer has been at Kentucky ever since Rich Brooks took over. It will be interesting to see who the cats go after to fill his position.

Player Profile: Qua Huzzie

Qua is a Freshman Redshirt from talent rich LaGrange,Georgia. He has a chance to start at one of the Linebacker positions. He was a 3* coming out of high school and has been compared to former Georgia star Rennie Curran. That would be a very good thing for Kentucky.

Antonio Poole (2011-LB) Update

Antonio Poole (2011-LB) from Ohio informed me today that he has narrowed his list of schools to six. His final list includes Kentucky, Michigan State, Louisville, Cincinnati, Purdue and Kansas. He lists UK, Cincinnati and Purdue as his current leaders. Poole's recruitment is being handled by Steve Brown from UK. Poole is listed at 6'2" and 210 lbs. He is rated a 3-star recruit by Rivals.

Dale Trimble now qualified

Dale Trimble (2010-CB) who signed with the Cats in February has not been cleared by the NCAA. Dale needed a higher ACT score to qualify and received his final test score yesterday. He improved his score and should now be qualified. He informed me he is waiting to talk to the staff about his report date. This is great news for Dale and the UK football program.

2010 UK Big Win

Over the last few years, UK seems to always have a big win against a team that was expected to beat UK, which team for the 2010 season will UK score a Huge Win over?

Farrington Huguenin update

Farrington Huguenin (2010-UK signee) informed me this morning he would be attending prep school in North Carolina this fall instead of UK. Huguenin plans to greyshirt and enroll after the fall semester. He will attend NC Prepatory in Charlotte, NC.

Player Profile: Derrick Locke

Derrick Locke came to Kentucky as a track star and the potential to be a good football player. Going into his senior season at Kentucky, Locke has been an over achiever. Locke is from Hugo, Oklahoma. He was unrated by rivals.com and was in the 2007 recruiting class. His blazing speed led to early playing time his first year. He had his first stand out game during the upset of the eventual National Champions, LSU. He ran for a team high 64 rushing yards and scored in overtime. He also picked up a key block in the game winning touchdown pass from Andre Woodson to Steve Johnson. Locke was recently injured in a moped accident, but he will be ready to go by the season opener.