Bridges talks connection to UK, trip to Lexington
Recruiting top football players from the Deep South is never easy so every connection is vital and every visit is significant.
Fortunately for Kentucky, the program has a connection to Trikweze Bridges, and the Class of 2019 Alabama safety enjoyed a recent trip to Lexington.
CatsIllustrated.com caught up with the 6-foot-3, 175-pound defensive back early this week and he was fresh off a trip to the Commonwealth that saw him visit Kentucky and Louisville.
"I did both of those visits on Saturday," Bridges told CatsIllustrated.com. "Louisville was my first offer and Kentucky was my seventh offer. At both places they toured me around the school and I basically just met the people there."
So how did each of those trips go for Bridges?
"Kentucky, like, it was great. I knew a coach up there, Mark Hill, and he's from down here where I'm from. They were talking to me, giving me motivational talks and telling me why Kentucky's a good place for me. The DB's coach there (Steven Clinkscale) is on his players hard about their grades and he's like a parent at school. He makes sure you're in class and makes sure you're doing the right things.
"Louisville, what stood out was just the facility and the coaches as well. I want to get back down there because in two years they're going to be adding something to the stadium so I want to see what it's going to be like."
Mark Hill is Kentucky's Director of Performance and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the football program. He was hired by the school last year to work with Corey Edmond, and many close to the program have credited the two with playing a big role in Kentucky's improved physicality and turnaround on the field.
The connection is significant. Bridges and Hill are both from Lanett, Ala., and Hill also attended Lanett High School.
How much interest does Bridges have in the state's two Power Five programs?
"It's a lot. I like the schools. Louisville's my first offer so I have a lot of interest in them and Kentucky's another great, great school," he said.
Bridges' last college visit before those two was to Clemson.
Bridges is heading into the summer before his junior year but he's already regarded as one of the South's top prospects with offers from Alabama, Florida and Mississippi State in addition to Kentucky and Louisville.