Tee Time

Click on the link to hear Tee Martin talk about joining the UK program. Tee talks about his appreciation for Joker Phillips and working in the SEC. He talks recruiting and says UK wants to sign "difference makers". Tee Martin will be a great ambassador for UK football.

Movin' on up....

Joker Phillips and his wife purchased a new home in Lexington's Lakewood neighborhood on February 4th. According to the article, the home is great for entertaining. The house is approx 5,000 sq feet. Click on the link for more details.

Rock Oliver changing the game at UK

The Herald-Leader has a nice article on the impact Rock Oliver will have at Kentucky. Joker had been working on bringing Oliver back to Kentucky before he became the head coach. "The Rock" says Lexington is a "special" place. One thing is clear, Rock Oliver wants to win games and already making his impact at UK.

Shamir Jeffery likes UK and Auburn

Click on the link to read an article about UK recruits Shamir Jeffery (QB) and Charone Peake (WR). The article is from The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC). Jeffery wants to play quarterback in college and suggests fans shouldn't assume he will follow his brother to South Carolina. Charone Peake is a long shot for the Cats in my opinion.

Clarification on signing more than 28 players

Chris Low gives some claricication on the SEC Signing Limit Rule. Many people were wondering how Auburn could sign so many players, well click on the link to read the article. Basically, if anyone falls outside of a window, then they don't count towards the 28 rule.

2010 Tight End Outlook

One thing UK's offense has lacked since Jacob Tamme's departure is a solid tight end. Ross Bouge, Maurice Grinter and T.C. Drake tried, but each had their struggles. I believe if UK can find a player who can show some consistency at tight end, it will open the offense up tremendously. Who are the candidates?

Ryan Wallace- The Bowling Green native who transferred from Colorado back to UK last season will be on scholarship in 2010 based on the feedback I have received. Wallace sat out last season as a transfer, but should be high on the depth chart.

Anthony Kendrick- The former two sport prep star from Texas was a redshirt in 2009. Kendrick is very athletic and likely needed to improve his strength at the next level. Kendrick should be light years ahead of the incoming freshman, so expect him to be in the mix from day one.

Alex Smith- The four star tight end from Cincinnati is the easy pick because he was rated the highest and has the best frame. Smith already has the size and speed to contribute early, but will need to improve his strength and learn the offense.

Nermin Delic- Based on reports, it sounds like Delic is going to play defensive end at UK. However, his high school coach feels he would make a great tight end at the next level too. Delic is another long and athletic player. However, with UK's depth at defensive end, "The Nerminator" could find himself blocking defensive ends.

Teven Eatmon- Several people are reporting that Teven Eatmon will make the move to offensive line. Eatmon is 6'7" and almost 300lbs. The Cats need offensive line help, so look for Eatmon to be groomed to play tackle. However, his highlight video (playing tight end) got me excited.

Ronnie Shields- The Stephenson product does project at tight end based on reports. Shields comes from a great high school program and will be ready for college when he steps on campus. Shields is probably the fastest of the tight ends UK signed in the 2010 class. He runs a 4.6 forty time.

Tyler Robinson- The pipeline connection from Alcoa, Tennessee continues. Based on reports, Robinson has been underrated from day one. Alcoa is a power house school and therefore, he wasn't relied on to catch many passes. He is likely the biggest sleeper of the group. Robinson checks in at 6'4" and 250 lbs.

Remember, the Cats already have a commitment from Jon Davis for 2011. Based on reports, the staff has already talked to him about being a tight end like Jacob Tamme. However, if UK feels the players above can get the job done, Davis could move to fullback or linebacker. He is very athletic and one of the top players in the state. The Cats are showing interest in Henry Mitchell (Elizabethtown, KY) and Nick Vannett (Westerville, OH). Remember Terrell Mitchell? He ended up going the Juco route so the Cats could get back in the mix with him again for 2011.

ESPN's take on Stephenson High School

ESPN has a nice article on Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. We posted a link earlier in the week about the Stephenson Pipeline. Again, UK landing three players from Stephenson is huge. The kids are winners and groomed for college football.

UK's breakout players for 2010

Chris Low has an article today in which he points out five SEC players who will have breakout years in 2010. No surprise, Low doesn't include anyone from Kentucky and in my opinion his list should be longer. With that said, here are a few UK players that have the potential to be All-SEC selections by the end of the season:

Randall Cobb- The do-it-all wide receiver should be a pre-season All-American and will be a pre-season SEC pick. If UK can win 8 games and Cobb stays healthy, he could be a candidate for SEC Player of the Year Honors in my opinion. He needs another do-it-all year for that to happen. Also, Chris Low ranks him the No 22 player in the SEC.

Derrick Locke- The speedster is returning for his senior campaign. The Cats have lost four offensive lineman and "The Terminator" who Locke ran behind this past season. Locke will have his work cut out for him to have another big rushing season. He needs to have a big year returning kicks and catching the ball out of the backfield. Derrick Locke is the most exciting player on the team when he gets in the open field.

Chris Matthews- The Senior struggled at times learning the offense last season, however 2010 should be a different story. Matthews has the size and speed to be a great receiver. One thing he did well last season was block on the corner for UK's running game. The QB's must show confidence in him this season and take a few shots down field. Matthews' career is similar to Stevie Johnson's at UK. Look for his Senior season to be huge!

DeQuinn Evans- "DQ" as they call him on campus lead the team in sacks last season. Evans has shown the ability to rush the quarterback, but needs to become a better run stopper on the end. Evans is strong and has a low center-of-gravity which enables him to get a strong push. "DQ" needs to force some big plays to become an All-SEC player as the conference is always loaded with stud defensive ends.

Danny Trevathan- The linebacker is a "Hybrid" in my opinion. He is smaller than the typical linebacker, but faster than most. The coaching staff feels Trevathan has the ability to be a special player. With the departures of Micah Johnson and Sam Maxwell, Trevathan will be one of the leaders on defense. Much like "DQ", Danny will have to force some big plays in 2010.

Winston Guy- I believe 2010 is Guy's year to show everyone how big of a deal his recruitment was for UK. Guy is very fast and one of my favorites to watch return kick offs. He plays fearless in my opinion. Guy needs a few "picks" (interceptions) in 2010 and he could become UK's next defensive star. With the recruits coming in for 2010, I doubt Guy returns any kicks in 2010.

Feel free to leave your comments too!

2010 Spring Practice Schedule

ESPN breaks down each team's spring practice schedule and spring game. UK will start practice on March 31st and hold the Blue & White game on April 24th. Spring practice is huge for the younger players and allows the coaches to start forming a depth chart before fall. It's also a great time to bring in recruits.

SEC 2011 Commitment Comparison

Mr. SEC has put out his first 2011 commitment comparison. Because Rivals hasn't released their star rankings, it's more of a list than a comparison. LSU leads the commitment list with seven verbals already. The Cats are tied with six other teams with two verbals. There are two teams with one commitment each and two teams with no commitments.

Who should call plays in 2010?

Last night some reports came out suggesting Randy Sanders would call the plays for UK's offense next season. I have no problem with Joker handing the keys to Sanders. Joker will be very involved with game planning and UK will be fine with either calling plays. One thing is clear, UK must develop some type of down field passing game. Who do you feel should call the plays next season?

Cats offer 2011 Linebacker

Per Jeff Drummond, UK has extended an offer to 2011 linebacker Amarlo Herrera. He is being recruited by several SEC and ACC schools. Herrera plays at North Clayton High School in College Park, Georgia. He is listed at 6'2" and 215 lbs.

Lamar Dawson (2011 UK Recruit) Update

I just spoke to Lamar Dawson (Boyle County, KY) about his recruitment. Lamar told me he currently has six offers and several other schools are recruiting him. His offers include, Kentucky, Louisville, Cincinnati, Purdue, Texas Tech and Stanford. I asked Lamar which of the schools were recruiting him the hardest and he told me "Kentucky". I asked Lamar who was handling his recruitment from UK and he told me Chuck Smith. I asked the same question about Louisville and he was unsure and said "they call my coaches".

Lamar told me schools were recruiting him to play linebacker, he would take official visits next fall and then make his decision. I asked him if he had any favorites and he told me "No, I'm just keeping my options open". Lamar said he likes the education Stanford has to offer and "UK is in the SEC". Lamar plans to attend the Nike Training Camp at Ohio State this summer and plans on attending a few other camps as well.

Lamar did attend UK for Junior day, toured the facilities and watched UK play Vandy. He likes Joker Phillips and it sounds like they are building a relationship. Lamar called Joker on signing day to talk and growing up he was a UK fan. With Chuck Smith's relationship at Boyle County and Joker at the helm, you have to feel good about the Cats chances of landing one of the top players in the state.

UK Receiving Targets 2011

Here is a look at the wide receiver's the Cats are currently targeting for 2011. UK whiffed on receivers in 2010 and Joker made it clear he wasn't taking anyone that wasn't better than what they already had on campus. I highly doubt UK will bring in any Juco receiver's unless they can enroll in January. The offense simply seems to difficult to learn unless the player is able to go through spring practice. Here are the targets:

Alex Chisum (Sandy Creek, GA) has been receiving interest from UK and rumored to be taking an unofficial visit to Lexington soon. Chisum is listed at 6'2" and 185lbs. He is receiving interest from several ACC and SEC schools.

DeVante Parker (Ballard, KY) is currently committed to Louisville for 2011. However, the Cats have stated they will not stop recruiting him. I think both UK and UL's performances on the field will ultimately determine his final destination. Parker is super athletic and plays very long. He is listed at 6'2" and 180 lbs.

Charone Peake (Dorman, SC) is another very athletic receiver UK would love to have. Peake is receiving interest from a ton of ACC and SEC schools, but it appears Georgia and Florida are battling for his services. UK will definitely have their work cut out trying to land Peake's commitment. He is listed at 6'3" and 185 lbs, but is a speedster too.

Hakeem Flowers (Wade Hampton, SC) is listed by most sites as an athlete, but wants to play receiver in college. Flowers has a huge offer list already as a junior. He is being recruited by virtually every major college on the east coast. Scout has him listed as a three-star recruit, but probably should be rated higher. He is listed at 6'2" and 175lbs.

Brandon Thomas (Saint Matthews, SC) is receicing interest from South Carolina, Clemson and Kentucky. Thomas plays at the same high school Donte Rumph and former UK recruit Eric Mack played. UK has had success at this program so don't be surprised if the Cats land Thomas. Thomas is listed at 5'10" and 175 lbs.

Other names to keep an eye out for are Justin Bean (Itawamba CC), Charles Gaines, Derrick Knowles and Tommy Schuler. Bean signed with UK last season, but ended up going the Juco route. The other names are all from Miami, Florida and played with Brandon Gainer. It's possible UK will take a look at one of them with the UK coaching ties there. Also, don't be surprised if the Cats find another gem at LaGrange or Stephenson High School's in Georgia. Tee Martin knows the state well and will recruit the area hard for the Cats.

Charone Peake (2011 Recruit) WR

Charone Peake (Dorman, SC) is one of the top receivers in South Carolina. He is listed at 6'3" and 185lbs. He has 4.4 speed (40 yard). He is being recruited by Clemson, Georgia, Florida, UK and many others.

DeVante Parker (2011 Recruit) WR

DeVante Parker (Louisville, KY) is currently committed to Louisville, but the UK staff has made it clear they are still going to recruit him. Parker is one of the top athletes in the state of Kentucky. He is listed at 6'4" and has 4.4 speed (40 yd).

As usual.....

Chris Low from ESPN gives his pre-spring SEC power rankings and the Cats come in at No 11. The only SEC behind the Cats is Vanderbilt. Low points out the losses of Corey Peters, Micah Johnson, Sam Maxwell and Trevard Lindley as reasons the Cats may not make their 5th bowl game in as many years. While I do think the Cats will have a difficult time in replacing Corey Peters, they have enough depth at linebacker to bounce back nicely. The Cats will be fine in the secondary.

Alex Chisum (2011 Recruit) Wide Receiver

Alex Chisum plays at Sandy Creek High School in Georgia. Chisum is listed at 6'2" and 185lbs. The highlight above is from his sophomore season, but you can see the skill set he has. He is receiving interest from Kentucky, Mississippi State and several other programs. Based on reports, UK is definitely in the mix for his services. Scout lists him as a three-star recruit already.

Hakeem Flowers (2011-Recruit) Athlete

Hakeem Flowers (Greenville, SC) has received a ton of offers early from all of the major schools across the Southeast. He is listed at 6'2" and 175 lbs. Flowers expects to play wide receiver in college. When the rankings come out, he is likely a four star recruit.

Tee Martin Interview

Tee Martin officially announced

Tee Martin was officially announced as the new wide receiver coach at Kentucky today. Martin will be available to the local media before tonight's basketball game. Check back for quotes and comments. Martin was recently on a talk show and had good things to say about both Joker and Randy Sanders. It also sounds like Martin will recruit Georgia for UK. Again, I feel the addition of Tee Martin to UK's staff is huge (bigger than most realize).

**update** click here to read Larry Vaughts article on Tee Martin.

Recruiting feel good story...

As Jody Demling points out in his article, Nermin Delic and his family have a great story that's about more than football. Delic and his family left Bosnia when he was little and came to the United States. Based on all reports, Delic is a beast on the football field and will be fun to watch at UK. However, I encourage everyone to read Demling's article to learn more about Nermin and his family's journey.

2011 UK Quarterback Targets

Shamir Jeffery is from Calhoun County, SC and one of the top rated athletes in the southeast. Jeffery has received a three-star ranking from Scout. He is listed at 6'2" and 180 lbs. His brother plays for South Carolina (Alshon Jeffery) so many expect the Gamecocks to be the leader for his services. However, UK has offered Jeffery an opportunity to play quarterback which he has stated he wants to do at the next level.

Braxton Miller is from Huber Heights, OH and one of the top rated Quarterbacks in the country. Scout currently ranks Miller No 1 and has given him a five-star ranking. Miller is listed at 6'3" and 200 lbs. He runs a 4.4 forty. Miller is being recruited by Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan and all the big boys. He did take a visit to UK last year and with the changes in the staff don't count out the Cats.

C.J. Uzomah is from Suwannee, GA (North Gwinnett High School) and one of the top rated athletes in the southeast. He is listed at 6'5" and 205lbs. Uzomah has offers from all the big boys in the south, including UK, Clemson, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia. The Cats are also recruiting his high school teammate Brandon McGowan (LB). Both visited UK this past season for the Florida game. Remember the head coach at North Gwinnett use to be the coach at Lexington Catholic and has a relationship with Steve Brown and Chuck Smith.

Kal Prince is from Owensboro, KY and one of the top in-state QB's for 2011. Prince is listed at 6'3" and 195lbs. We recently posted a highlight video of his Junior season. Scout doesn't have him ranked currently. Based on his video, he put a nice touch on his passes. His father played at UK and he has a great last name for Kentucky fans.


Christian Wallace is from Crestwood, KY and another one of the top in-state QB's for 2011. Wallace is listed at 6'4" and 199lbs. Wallace likes to scramble based on his video. He needs to improve his arm strenth to compete at the next level. We also posted a highlight video of him recently as well.

Neal Pawsat is from Mason County, KY and considered one of the top in-state QB's. He is listed at 6'3" and 205lbs. Pawsat is receiving interest from UK, Illinois, Duke and Vanderbilt. He is more of a pocket passer or pro-style quarterback based on feedback.

Some other names to keep an eye on for 2011 are Marcus Graham (Trotwood, OH), Stephen Rivers (Athens, AL), DaMarcus Smith (Louisville, KY),

The Cats return Mike Hartline (Sr.), Morgan Newton (So.), Ryan Mossakowski (Red Shirt Fr.) and walk-on Tyler Sargent. Joker stated they will start Tyler Brause at Quarterback in camp to give him an opportunity. With the addition of Tee Martin, who works the Elite 11 camps, anything is possible in terms of recruiting. If the Cats show a solid passing game this season, recruiting will take care of itself.

Top ranked 2011 in-state recruits

Jody Demling breaks down the in-state 2011 star rankings. Darrian Miller (ranked No 1) is committed to UK and was given a four-star rating. Also, DeMarcus Smith (committed to Louisville) was given a four-star rating. Both Zack West (Lexington, KY) and Lamar Dawson (Boyle County, KY) were given three star rankings. Both players could jump to four-star rankings if they attend any camps this summer and have big senior years. The one surprise is Jon Davis (UK Commit) was not ranked. My guess is Scout doesn't have enough film on him to rate him. He should be ranked at least a four-star recruit. He is currently an ESPNU 150 watch player.

Darrian Miller (UK Commit 2011)

UK 2011 commit Darrian Miller (Lexington, KY) has been rated as a four-star recruit by Scout. According to Scout, Miller is the No 15 OL player in the 2011 class. Miller is currently listed at 6'6" and 275lbs. It will be interesting to see what Rivals ranks Miller when their ranking come out.

Stephenson Pipeline

Most everyone knows of Stephenson High School (Stone Mountain, GA) now that signing day is over. In case your not familiar, UK signed three players from Stephenson in the 2010 class. I encourage you to click on the link above to see the number of players from Stephenson who signed LOI's for 2010. Hopefully this will shed some light on just how big of a deal signing Raymond Sanders, Jabari Johnson and Ronnie Shields was for the UK program. These kids are winners and will bring their winning attitude and culture to Lexington.

Also, below are the names of a few top junior's at Stephenson for 2011 the Cats are likely watching. Now that UK had three Jaguars heading to Lexington, the staff needs to continue the pipeline.

• Donald Sellers Jr. (Athlete)
• Jordan Tarver (Athlete)
• Seyron Willingham (Athlete)
• David Stephenson (CB)
• Jared Boyd (CB)
• Regis Ball (LB)
• Tarik Cook (OL)
• Willie Davis (RB)
  

Jerrell Moore (2011 Recruit) Running Back

**Turn down the music**

Jerrell Moore is another in-state commit that as given his verbal to Louisville for 2011. Jerrell plays at Fern Creek High School in Louisville. He is listed at 5'11" and 175 lbs. As you can tell in the video, he is a speedster. It will be interesting to see if UK goes after Moore or continues recruiting kids from South Carolina, Georgia, etc.

DeVante Parker (2011 UK Recruit)

DeVante Parker has given his verbal to Louisville for 2011, however the UK staff hasn't given up on his recruitment. I'm sure the upcoming season will have a lot to do with his final decision. Parker is a very athletic and one of the top recruits in the state of Kentucky. UK needs to show a good passing game this season to bring in top level receivers.

2011 Senior Class

There has been a lot of talk about UK's small 2011 Senior Class. Why? Because a small Senior Class means a small recruiting class. The staff will be extremely picky on the players they take in 2011. Remember, the numbers always work out. The program will lose some to grades, some will transfer and Joker may run a few off too.

Here is a quick look at who the Cats are losing after next season:

1. Mike Hartline (QB)
2. Derrick Locke (RB)
3. Moncell Allen (RB)
4. Kyrus Lanxter (WR)
5. Chris Matthews (WR)
6. Brad Durham (OL)
7. Ricky Lumpkin (DT)
8. Shane McCord (DT)
9. DeQuinn Evans (DE)
10. Jacob Dufrene (LB)
11. Brandon Thurmond (LB)
12. Paul Warford (CB)
13. Randall Cobb (speculating based on NFL Rookie Salary Cap)
    

Both Jon Davis (Athlete) and Darrian Miller (OL) have committed to UK for 2011. Davis is projected to play tight end, but that could change. Miller will likely play guard on the offensive line. In addition to Davis and Miller (my opinion), the Cats need one QB, one RB, two WR, one OL, two DL, one LB, one CB and one Safety.

Ideally, the Cats find a way to take a second quarterback and a Punter. After next year the Cats will have Newton, Mossakowski and Brause. My fear is either Newton or Mossakowski transfer after another year to compete for playing time elsewhere. If possible, bring in a punter to redshirt and get stronger before Tydlacka graduates. Of the needs I referenced above, the Cats could potentially pass on a linebacker as the staff has several players currently who could make the transition.

When factoring in scholarships for 2011, everyone must consider Terrell Combs as well. He is currently not on scholarship, but likely will be in 2011.

Scout ranks UK's 2010 class No 38

I saw on Tom Leach's website that Scout has ranked the 2010 recruiting classes and UK comes in at No 38. You can click here to read the full article. Below is UK's portion of the article:

The Class Is Heavy On ... The running game. Last year Rich Brooks made sure the future of the passing game was set by bringing in three quarterbacks, five wide receivers and two tight ends. The future became the present with so many issues at quarterback last season. this year, new head man Joker Phillips made sure the running game was secure with four very good prospects led by Brandon Gainer out of Miami and Raymond Sanders out of Georgia. In an interesting move, Phillips also loaded up on tight bringing in four with Alex Smith a big blocker and Tyler Brause like a big receiver. Don't dismiss the big signing of Joe Mansour, one of the nation's top punting prospects.

Scout points out UK loaded up on tight ends. I'm not so sure I agree with that assessment. In my opinion, Alex Smith appears to be the only sure one to play tight end. I could see several other commits who played tight end in high school playing a different position in college.

I believe UK recruited athletes, guys who can play multiple positions (Priester, Brause, Delic, etc). However, this is the highest ranking I have seen for UK's 2010 recruiting class.

Patterson signing a big statement by Joker

Larry Vaught has an article that points out Tim Patterson's commitment to UK is a big PR win for Joker. I agree with Larry 100% on this one. Patterson's commitment shut up the Louisville fans and even some UK fans. There is speculation that Patterson may have to grey shirt because of academic reasons. Whether the speculation is justified or not, his commitment is huge for Joker Phillips and "Operation Win". I look forward to watching Patterson suit up in blue.

Super Bowl Sunday

Normally, I don't care who wins the Super Bowl (just want to see a great game). However, I will be rooting for Jacob Tamme because he is a former Cat. As most UK fans, I would love to see him do well. Based on reports from Larry Vaught, Tamme invited UK's Chuck Smith to be one of his guests during the Super Bowl. Smith was blown away by the opportunity to attend the Super Bowl and admits using Tamme's name with recruits to plug UK (smart move). I don't know how many opportunities Tamme will receive tonight as a backup, but it would be nice to see a former Cat earn a Super Bowl ring.

Kal Prince (2011 UK Recruit) QB

Kal Prince is another top in-state quarterback the Cats are recruiting. Prince is receiving interest from several BCS programs.