Coach: Josh Paschal can be a first round pick

When Olney (Md.) Good Counsel defensive lineman Josh Paschal committed to Kentucky almost everyone immediately recognized it was a big get for the Wildcats. Perhaps very few realized how big an addition Paschal would be.

But after a very promising freshman season, when Paschal quickly established himself as a first team caliber player, he's squarely in the spotlight.

Good Counsel coach Andy Stefanelli has seen Paschal back at Good Counsel several times through the spring.

He spoke with Cats Illustrated about Kentucky's rising sophomore defensive lineman.

Cats Illustrated: So you've been staying in touch with Josh, what have you gathered about where he's at with Kentucky right now?

Stefanelli: I've seen him a few times and I think he's doing very, very well there. Naasir (Watkins), too, but I've seen Josh and I haven't seen Naasir. I was able to watch some of their spring game and talked to Josh about the upcoming season and whatnot. And, you know, he's obviously going to be a big part of their defense this fall. It kind of looks to me like he's one of their better players already even though he's only going to be a sophomore.

Cats Illustrated: Kentucky's coaches are moving him to the defensive line from that Jack hybrid position. How do you think that move is going to suit him?

Stefanelli: Well just from looking at him a couple of weeks ago when he was in my office, he looks really big but he's lean. He looks great. He's definitely carrying the weight well and from watching how they were using him in the spring game, you know, it looks like that's exactly what he's becoming - a disruptive force with enough size and power to withstand the beef up front but quick enough to really kind of mess with the offensive lineman, especially in pass rush. He just gives them, it looks to me ... They were moving him around to get him matchups. That's going to be a big problem for the offenses they face because he is a quick and powerful guy.

Cats Illustrated: Were you surprised at the impact Josh made in his first year at Kentucky?

Stefanelli: Well, I was expecting him to be a great player for them. Quite honestly I don’t know if you ever expect someone to make that good of an impact as a freshman. As good as he was in high school and as good as we knew he would be, in college that kind of impact that early was a bit of a surprise but I’m not surprised just because of the kind of athlete he is and the kind of person, the type of kid he is. He’s just a phenomenal kid, a great teammate. Always well-liked in the school by teachers, coaches, everybody and just put that kind of talent with that kind of attitude and work ethic normally good things will happen.”

Cats Illustrated: Does it seem like he's happy with the choice he made to go to Kentucky?

Stefanelli: He is, yeah, he seems to really, really like it down there. During that recruiting process he did have a lot of options but his brother had played at Kentucky so I think he always had a comfort level there because his brother went through the program. I always felt like Kentucky would have a little bit of an inside track with them even though there were maybe some bigger football schools recruiting him. So I think he’s really happy there. He seems to really love it and speaks highly of the coaches and the team. I think he’s very happy with the choice he made.

Cats Illustrated: Knowing what he's done so far and what his skills are, what do you think his potential is? Where's his ceiling?

Stefanelli: Well, certainly he needs to continue to work and develop his game from where he’s at right now to get to the NFL. That’s going to take a whole lot more work and grind, you know, to get to that point. But, yes, he has the potential. I think he can be a first round draft pick, really, if he stays on the trajectory he’s on now, really. He’s got everything you look for. Everything you look for in a college recruit. Everything you look for in a top draft pick. He checks all the boxes, not just from an athletic standpoint but again from his character, personality, work ethic. He really has it all and he has that freakish athleticism that it takes to play at that level that the NFL loves. So we’re certainly pulling for him and would not surprise me one bit if teams are talking about him in a couple of years as a top guy in the NFL.

Cats Illustrated: Having someone like Josh there at Kentucky and succeeding, how much can it help UK when it comes to recruiting other guys at Good Counsel or in the DMV in the future?

Stefanelli: Yeah, I think it certainly helps. What we’ve found over the years is we have kids that go to programs and have success and good experiences. Our kids do a great job. We welcome them back and many of them do come back and stay in touch with the current players when they’re on breaks and whatnot. So a dialogue continues with those kids and the current players, and certainly opens up doors in terms of a kid maybe not thinking of a school like Kentucky because of distance and being SEC, but maybe all of a sudden, ‘Hey, Josh is there, maybe I’ll think about it.’