2019 Kentucky football recruiting preview: The running backs

September 1st is just days away and when the page on the calendar flips it will be time for 2019 prospects to step into the spotlight. They'll start receiving mail and regular contacts from coaches, including those at Kentucky, and with most of the Cats' 2018 class filled out that's where most of the recruiting news will come from.

Cats Illustrated is previewing Kentucky's prospects from the Class of 2019.

Part I: Kentucky's 2019 quarterback prospects

Below we move on to the running backs Kentucky is likely to reach out to.

Before getting to the notes on the players mentioned above it's worth noting that Kentucky has one Class of 2019 commitment. That's Keontra Smith from Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna. While Smith is widely regarded to be a defensive back at the college level (many believe he's best suited for safety, Rivals.com lists him as a four-star cornerback), he's an accomplished running back and it's not outside the realm of possibility that he could play running back in college. Nonetheless, expect Kentucky to take another running back in the 2019 class and it's possible the Cats could take two running backs next year.

On to the 2019 targets listed above.

Jaren Mangham: Michigan was once off limits for Kentucky but with commitments from Marquan McCall and DeAndre Square a player like Mangham immediately becomes a realistic target given the Cats' improved fortunes in the Great Lake State. Mangham attended a junior day at Kentucky early this year and he told Cats Illustrated that the best part of the trip was the fans. He was at a basketball game at Rupp Arena and said the atmosphere couldn't be beat. That made an impression. He's likely to return to UK at some point but didn't visit this summer. The last big recruiting milestone for Mangham was an early July offer from Oregon, so his recruitment has already gone national. Square and McCall would love to see Mangham land in Lexington and they'll likely be helping the staff to recruit him.

Lew Nichols: The high three-star back has good size at 6'2, 201 pounds, and he's the younger teammate of UK commit Square at Cass Tech in Detroit. Nichols' recruitment picked up in the spring and his Kentucky offer came just days before UCLA offered as well.

Devin Ellison: Kentucky offered the Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trails running back early this year and didn't have a lot of contact with him right away, so time will tell how much of a priority he becomes. Ellison also has offers from the likes of Rutgers, Syracuse, Wake Forest and mid-majors. He scored 16 touchdowns last year as a sophomore. Ellison is an all-purpose back, not an every down back, at 5'8, 175.

Cesare Mellusi: He's probably a long shot as Notre Dame has offered and that's a school he has always been enamored with. Mellusi will visit South Bend this fall. Southern Cal and Auburn are among the other schools he's most interested in.

Knowledge McDaniel: He claimed an offer from Kentucky early in the summer but there hasn't been much linking him to the Cats since then, so it's not clear how much interest UK has. South Florida, Missouri and Ole Miss are some of the other schools that offered late spring, early summer, right around the same time Kentucky did. Rutgers, Duke, Boston College, Cincinnati, Iowa State and South Carolina have also verbally offered the 5'10, 207 pound back.

Tony Amerson: The Alabama back told Cats Illustrated he was 'shocked' when he learned of Kentucky's offer in late January, saying it's a great program with a lot to offer. Since then, Mississippi State, Maryland, Louisville and Illinois are some of the other schools that have also offered. He visited Tennessee last month but the Volunteers haven't offered. He's also on the radar of some other schools, like Florida and Auburn, so it will be interesting to see who ultimately offers.

Peter Hayes-Patrick: The Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek running back's second SEC offer was from Kentucky (Mississippi State was his first). UCF, Louisville and FAU are some of the others that have offered. He's off to a strong start in his 2017 junior season and is fresh off a 249 yard, three touchdown performance in Timber Creek's last game.