Could the Cats be a sleeper for Miller?

The Bleacher Report talks about QB commitments that could start a chain reaction. One in particular is Braxton Miller. While most feel he is Ohio State's to lose, could the Cats be a serious contender? Last season Miller visited Lexington and with Joker Phillips in charge, could the Cats be on option? The article makes a few interesting points, but never mentions Kentucky.

UK still in the mix for Uzomah?

The Atlanta Journal Constitution states that Kentucky is one of the top 6 schools for C.J. Uzomah, an Army All American nominee. While the article mostly talks about UGA, the Bulldogs were not listed as one of his top 6. He will be tough to get from the other schools that are recruiting him, but UK is on the right track with all the big time prospects they are involved with.

College Football's Top Recruiters

The Bleacher Report lists Joker Phillips as one of the top recruiters in college football. The article talks about Joker's recruiting success and compares his to Jimbo Fisher of FSU (on a smaller scale). The article also mentions Charlie Strong and the fast start he is off to at Louisville.

2011 Future Watch - WR's

WR Offers (known)

Alex Chisum, Charone Peake, Christian Jones, Collins Moore, DeAnthony Arnett, Hakeem Flowers, Ja’Juan Story, Keante Minor, Brandon Thomas

WR Watch List

Antonio Cannon, Charles Gaines, Cooper Harrington, Darius Slay, Derrick Knowles, Gabriel Nimmons, Jesse York, Jonothan Rumph, Josh Forrest, Justin Bean, Kyle Heggs, LaMont McMurray, Levi Beckett, Marcoreyon Tandy, Tommy Shuler

Already Committed

Devante Parker (Louisville), Danny Woodson (Alabama), Darryl Collins (Alabama), KJ Brent (South Carolina)

Updates

The Cats are in the mix to land Alex Chisum, Christian Jones, Collins Moore and possibly Keante Minor. Joker really wants DeVante Parker who is committed to Louisville so it’s possible he could flip his commitment. Collins Moore attended spring practice and came away impressed and could see himself in Lexington. He isn’t going to rush into a decision. Bubba Tandy is going to work out for the staff on May 30th and if an offer is extended, he will likely be a Cat. Brandon Thomas has an offer from UK and could continue to the pipeline from South Carolina.

Most likely to be a Cat

Alex Chisum, Collins Moore, Brandon Thomas and Bubba Tandy. If Louisville has a horrible year, I could see Parker changing his mind, but right now he’s a Cardinal. Thomas has an offer from the Cats and is from the same county as Shamir Jeffrey. Thomas could continue the South Carolina pipeline to Lexington. Oh yeah, Jeffrey could end up being a receiver in college too.

Neal Pawsat taking it to the next level

I talked with Neal Pawsat a QB from Maysville Ky last night. He still does not have any offers, but is one of the top QBs in the Bluegrass state for the '10 season. He is very excited about the upcoming football season and has been throwing to his receivers 3 days a week.

Neal is garnering some attention on the recruiting trail, and plans on attending several camps this summer including: Marshall, UK, Louisville, Cincy, and Illinois. Several schools visited him at school this past week among those was Purdue.

He plans on working hard and letting his play speak for itself. Pawsat thinks that this year's team will be exception and go extremely deep into the Class 3 A playoffs. One thing is for sure, Neal will be a good player no matter where he signs to play. Neal also thinks that there are at least 3 more players on his high school team which should get offers to play football somewhere in the future.

SEC Power Ranking

The Bleacher Report gives their SEC power rankings and the Cats come in at No 9 on the list. I was surprised to South Carolina ranked No 3 and Georgia No 5 on the list. I was also shocked to see UK ranked ahead of Tennessee in the report.

The Numbers are in!

The "Official" attendance for the UK Spring Game has been announced by Sporting News. It looks like attendance dropped this year from slightly over 20,000 in 2009 to approximately 9,000 this year while it was up by about 500 from 8,500 from the 2008 Spring Game.

DeQuin Evans on the Rise

Chris Low, of ESPN has written an excellent article on DeQuin Evans. The article talks about DeQuin growing up in the projects with his sisters and the violence that he saw while growing up in California. This will only be his 4th year of organized football and interestingly enough his passion of football stemmed from his growing up with USC Trojans players as friends (Reggie Bush to name one).

Evans says that he is working hard than ever and looks to improve upon his 2009 stats as a 1st year starter at UK. For the year, Dequin had 38 Total Tackles (25 solo), 12.5 Tackles for Loss (48 yards), 6 sacks for 40 yards, and a QB Hurry.

Look for DeQuin to be the bedrock of the UK defense for the '10 season. The coaches were saying that the light was really coming on for him before his early Spring injury which kept him out of the Spring Game.

Brandon Ford receives two offers

Former Kentucky prep star Brandon Ford (2011-RB) has received offers from BYU and USF. Currently Ford is playing at City College in San Francisco, California (Juco). While a senior at Mercer County he rushed for over 2,100 yards and 32 touchdowns. Recently, his head coach attended the UK Coach's Clinic and was a guest speaker in Lexington. Ford would love to come back to Kentucky to play in front of family and friends. He will be visiting UK this spring.

Several UK Prospects Shine at Nike

Several UK Prospects separated themselves at the Nike Camp at Ohio State this past weekend. Kentucky is thought to be in the top 10 of several of the players that received Camp Honors. There were over 270 players at the camp and only 25 players are allowed to make the “All Camp Team”

OFFENSE:

DeAnthony Arnett: WR, Saginaw “showed that he was the top WR in the region and the top prospect in Michigan. According to sources, UK is in his top 7, but UK has a lot to overcome.

Zach Templin: OL, East Jessamine “projects at OLT at the next level, with good hips and footwork”. Considered one of the best O-linemen in Kentucky in an extremely deep O-line class for the state. He is thought to be a UK lean, but has not been offered by the CATS.

DEFENSE:

Clint Tucker: DT, East St. Louis “a beast on the interior who should only get better as he becomes more consistent, and better learns to use his hands and establish proper pad level”. Is a teammate of G Faulkner an early UK verbal, but is thought to be leaning towards a Big 12 team. If the CATS can get him, he immediately upgrades the team at DT, and gets early playing time (no later than as a freshman redshirt if he signs)

Lamar Dawson: MLB, Boyle County, “MVP Honors”. Lamar is one of the top recruits from Kentucky for the ’11 class. Chuck Smith, current UK Recruiting Coordinator was the Head Coach at Boyle County. He is thought to be a heavy UK lean, but losing him is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

Glen Faulkner: DB, East St. Louis, “the next great skill position player”. Glen was one of the 1^st 3 verbal commits for the ’11 class. Losing him is a possibility, but he does seem pretty solid. UK would like for his teammate (C Tucker) to be a package deal

Eliar Hardy: Pickerington Central, “great range”. He is one of the top Defensive Backs on the UK list for the ’11 season. He would add depth to an already deep position, but might come in and establish himself early.

2011 Future Watch - TE's

TE Offers (known)

Jon Davis

TE Watch List

Collins Jarbo, Mitchell Henry, Nick Vannett, Tim Simmons

Already Committed

Jon Davis (Kentucky)

Updates

The Cats have one commitment from Jon Davis who is projected to play in a Jacob Tamme type role for 2011. I’m not sure why the Cats aren’t pursuing Mitchell Henry, who has several offers already. However, the Cats are deep at TE so it could be due to the lack of scholarships. Nick Vannett appears to be headed to Big 10 country and Simmons is receiving interest, but not many offers yet. His stock should rise. Don’t rule out Kal Prince coming to UK as an athlete and possibly playing TE. While Prince wants a shot to play QB in college, he is big enough to play TE at the next level. It’s possible UK is recruiting him as an athlete.

Most likely to be a Cat

Jon Davis is solid to UK and fans should be excited to see him in Blue.

Could Sneed be the playmaker in 2010?

Larry Vaught has a nice article on UK linebacker Ronnie Sneed. While Sneed has played behind some great linebackers during his tenure at Kentucky, he has one freshman behind him pushing for playing time. Qua Huzzie is fast and would have played as a true freshman last season if he had not gotten injured.

One interesting comment I took away from the article was Sneed's comment about sharing the field with Danny Trevathan and Qua Huzzie. Is it possible all three could be on the field at the same time? Most feel Huzzie and Sneed are competing for the starting role? Like most others, I feel it will be hard to keep Huzzie off the field this fall.

More from the Columbus Nike Camp

Rivals breaks down the Columbus Nike Camp and several UK targets and one commit are mentioned. The article talks about DeAnthony Arnett, Lamar Dawson, Eilar Hardy and Clint Tucker in terms of recruits. It also points out that UK may have their hands full in inking Glen Faulkner next signing day.

10 Up-and-coming recruiting schools

Both Kentucky and Louisville made the Bleacher Report's Up-and-coming recruiting schools. As I've stated before, having great coaches at both schools is going to elevate both programs. Recruits will now think of Kentucky as a football state too. Click on the link to see the entire list.

Videos on NFL CATS

UKAA has videos of A Smith, (RB), C Peters (DT), J Jeffries (OT), and Z Duncan (OL) commenting on going into the NFL. The videos are short and worthy of a visit. Each former CAT is thankful for the opportunity that has been given them and I would expect a couple of the UK Players (Free Agents) to stick with their teams.

UK BOWL BOUND for the '10 Season

College Football News is reporting that UK will play in the Papa Johns Bowl in Birmingham at the end of the '10 season (Jan 8 2011). According to the article, UK will play Rutgers. I am still hanging with the CATS winning 8 games this year which will put them in a much higher seated bowl.

New offer for Dawson

Per Rob Gidel, Lamar Dawson has received an offer from Michigan. Dawson is really close to UK's coaching staff and most feel he is the Cats to lose at this point. Based on my interviews, Dawson isn't in a hurry to make a decision and will likely take his visits next fall.

De'angelo Henderson (2011-RB) Video

De'angelo Henderson (2011-RB) plays at Summersville High School in South Carolina. He is friends / teammates with Brice Laughlin (2010 signee). Currently Henderson has no offers, but is receiving interest from several programs.

Elite 11 QB Camp- Ohio

ESPN has a good break down of the Elite 11 Camp this past weekend. There were several Kentucky recruits participating in the event including Kevin Sousa and Conner Hempel (pictured). Several other recruits who have given verbal commitments also participated including Conner Cook and Patrick Coyne.

Top Kick Returners

Derrick Locke has been named to the Bleacher Report's "Honorable Mention" kick return team. He didn't make their top 10 list, but his return guy is a big reason NFL scouts are intrigued by Locke. Simply put, Speed Kills!

2011 Future Watch - RB's

RB Offers (known)

Artaves Gibson, Marcus Caffey, Mike Bellamy, Ricky Luneford, Shon Carson, Quan Bray

RB Watch List

Anthony Williams, Brandon Ford, Charod Strickland, Darryl Warren, De’angelo Henderson, Demetrius Williams, Derek Bishop, Derrick Goliday, Eric Scott, Kyle Karempelis, Marcus Helm, Shane Coleman, Willie Davis

Already Committed

Brandon Williams (Baylor), Jerrell Moore (Louisville)

Updates

Mike Bellamy really likes Clemson and UK would be considered a long shot at this point. Shon Carson could be the next Bo Jackson and skip football all together. However, he is also being linked to several powerhouse football programs and UK doesn’t appear to be on the list. Most would be surprised to see Quan Bray leave the state of Georgia.

Most likely to be a Cat

Brandon Ford, Darryl Warren or Willie Davis. Ford is from Kentucky and his coach recently spoke at the UK Coaches Clinic. Warren plays at Alcoa and would be the fourth player to continue the pipeline and Willie Davis shared carries with Raymond Sanders once already and could opt to do so again in Lexington. De’angelo Henderson played with Brice Laughlin, so he could receive an offer and Marcus Helm likes Kentucky and Virginia, but doesn’t hold an offer from either at this point.

Top 10 Defensive Ends 2011

The Bleacher Report breaks down the top 10 defensive ends in the 2011 class. There are two recruits mentioned in the article Kentucky has offered, however I feel both (Ray Drew and Aaron Lynch) are long shots to end up at UK. Lynch appears headed to Notre Dame and most feel it will be hard for Drew to leave the state of Georgia unless it's go go to the state of Alabama.

ESPN's spring wrap up - UK

Chris Low from ESPN gives his spring wrap up on the Cats and has a nice breakdown overall. Low points out the returning starters, points out the key departures and cites the areas of improvement. I agree with Low, Hartline will be the starter, however he will have little room for error.

Trai Turner to UK?

Trai Turner (OL) from St. Augustine HS in New Orleans has received an offer from the CATS. The 6 ft 5 '' lineman is listed as a guard and also holds SEC offers from: Ark, MSU, UK, UT, and LSU. Trai also has other offers, outside of the SEC which include: Stanford, Michigan, and Nebraska.

Jesse Hayes recruiting update

Jesse Hayes, DE from Cincinnati Moeller HS has visited UK several times and was at the Spring Game 2 weekends ago. The question is, can Rock Oliver (strength and conditioning coach at UK, who worked with Jesse's father (Jay) for the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL) pull the strings with the family, and Jesse to get him to play in the Bluegrass State?

We all certainly hope so!

Brandon Shell (2011-OL) Update

Four Georgia assistant coaches visited Brandon Shell (2011-OL) from Goose Creek, SC last week. Of course this was before the new NCAA rule. Per his high school coach, he doesn't think Shell will go too far away. Most expect him to choose Clemson, South Carolina or Georgia. UK has offered, but should be considered a long shot at this point.

Another 2011 Offensive Line Target

Trai Turner (2011-OL) from New Orleans, Louisiana holds an offer from Kentucky among others. Per my interview with Tee Martin, he is handling this area for the Cats. It's no secret the Cats need offensive lineman in the 2011 class. Look for them to sign at least three in the next class.

Edward Muldrow Interview with Espn

This is a recent interview by Espn.com. Muldrow was offered by the cats today. His leader appears to be South Carolina. He is rated a 3* recruit by Scout.com

CATS OFFER MULDROW

UK has offered a scholarship to Edward Muldrow (OLB) from South Gwinnett HS in Gwinnett Ga for the 2011 recruiting class. The 6 ft 3 in linebacker runs a 4.7 40 and has offers from several ACC and SEC schools including: UK, Ole Miss, Miss State, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Free Shoes U.

He does not plan to announce aa committment until after the spring. At this time, the front runners seems to be UNC and the Ole Ball Coach at USC.

He also says that coaches want him to add about 20 lbs for his collegiate career.

2011 Future Watch - QB's

QB Offers (known)

Braxton Miller, CJ Uzomah, Justin Worley, Shamir Jeffrey

QB Watch List

Braxton Smith, Christian Wallace, Kal Prince, Neal Pawsat, Conner Hempel, Jyhree Harris, Kevin Sousa, Marcus Graham, Mike Wegzyn, Senquay Eichelberger, Steven Rivers, Zack Mayes, Andrew Kummer

Already Committed

Patrick Coyne (Cincinnati), DaMarcus Smith (Louisville), Conner Cook (Michigan State)

Updates

Braxton Miller appears to be Ohio State’s to lose at this point. CJ Uzomah is likely staying in Georgia and Justin Worley appears to be leaning towards Rocky Top. Rumors have suggested Jeffrey could be close to committing to UK. Outside of Jeffrey, the Cats are still pursuing DaMarcus Smith who has committed to Louisville. Joker could flip Smith’s recruitment too. It wouldn’t surprise me to see in-state players Conner Hempel, Neal Pawsat or Kal Prince at UK either. All three have excellent grades and could possibly receive a preferred walk-on opportunity which could save the program a scholarship.

Most likely to be a Cat

Based on reports it sounds like Shamir Jeffrey could give his verbal commitment to the Cats. It is worth pointing out his brother, Alshon, committed to Southern Cal before choosing the Gamecocks on signing day. This is football recruiting and things change quickly. Many have felt Jeffrey was the Gamecocks to lose.

Barnhart on SEC East

Tony Barnhart has an article breaking down the SEC East. The article addresses all 6 teams and gives a pretty brief overview of each team. The article seems fair and brings out some good points about SEC Football in general.

Guess what Tony says is the major unknown about UK Football for the upcoming season?

Mr SEC comments on Future of 2010 UK Class

Mr. SEC helps to clarify the status of those CATS who were drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. It is a very good read and probably of interest to all UK Fans.

Cats to the Big 10?

Mark Story wrote an interesting article about the Cats possibly joining the Big 10. Like most UK fans, I hope the Cats stay in the SEC. Overall this is a interesting article by Story. It breaks down revenue and talks about academic status as well.

More Cats in the league

Dicky Lyons Jr. has signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos per his agent. Also, Micah Johnson is expected to sign a contract today with the New York Giants. Congratulations to both players.

Big 11 Expands?

Peter King is now saying that the Big 11 has indeed expanded/or will expand. The teams that he mentions include: Rutgers, Missouri, Syracuse, Nebrasksa, and Pitt. So now, the Big 10/11 is the Big 16.

Times are getting interesting this offseason!

Christian Coleman (2011-DL) Update

Last night I interviewed Christian Coleman who plays for Milan High School in Tennessee. Milan is the same school Avery Williamson (2010 signee) attends. Avery recently told me he felt Christian "might" come to UK.

Currently Christian has two scholarship offers. Both from Kentucky and Memphis, while other schools are getting involved. He is also receiving interest from Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Duke and Arkansas State. Christian told me he would like to play in the SEC.

Based on our conversation, Christian has done a lot of research on UK because he wants to major in Physical Therapy. He told me has been "considering" a commitment to UK, but wants to research some other schools before making a final decision. He did tell me he won't wait until signing day and will likely make a decision during his senior season.

He did attend Junior Day at UK and Randy Sanders is handling his recruitment. This summer he plans on attending four or five camps. His plan includes camps at Kentucky, Tennessee and Memphis.

Christian is currently 6'3" and 255lbs and runs a 4.9 forty-yard dash. He has already taken the ACT twice and should not have any qualifying issues. I asked Christian if he had any personal goals for his senior season and he said, "win a state championship." Christian is very personable and will make a great addition to any program.