Gran's recruiting run in South Florida is unprecedented at Kentucky

Eddie Gran's arrival at Kentucky has ushered in a new phase of the program's recruiting evolution under Mark Stoops.

The Cats' new offensive coordinator has landed four commitments from South Florida prospects, and that success in such a short period of time is unprecedented in modern Kentucky football history.

Until now, South Florida hasn't been a big recruiting priority for Kentucky under Mark Stoops. Really, it hasn't been a big priority for Kentucky at almost any point in the program's history.

In Stoops' first class at Kentucky - a bit of a patchwork effort on just two months' notice - the Cats finished with signatures from seven Floridians.

Most of them were from Central Florida. Credit for that belongs to D.J. Eliot and Chad Scott more than anyone, most close to the program would probably say. For quite some time Eliot was one of the only people in Lexington recruiting on Stoops' staff, and Scott's recruiting region was that central part of the Sunshine State, where he had cut his teeth as a recruiter at Texas Tech.

Under Joker Phillips the Cats did target Florida, but the program's recruiting strategy was more an attempt at broad-based appeal across the South. That means the program targeted Georgia heavily. South Florida was not so much a prime part of the strategy. It was on the periphery.

Free link: Michael Nesbitt opens up on commitment

Free link: Q&A with new commit's head coach

Premium link: Impact analysis - Nesbitt's commitment

Contrary to what many might remember, Rich Brooks actually orchestrated the most nationwide recruiting effort of any Kentucky coach in modern history. His recruiting classes were generally not as highly regarded as those Stoops has brought in - according to rankings and offer lists (although offer lists have had the same kind of artificial inflation over time that grades in higher education have) - but Brooks' staff made states as far away as Texas and California more a part of the Cats' talent search than almost any other group that has worked in Lexington. They also targeted Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. Brooks' most important legacy at Kentucky is certainly his success relative to his predecessors and, to date, his successors. His success is also one of overachieving on some measures. But that legacy came on the back of a recruiting effort that was by far more expansive, geographically, than any other since and probably before (although that's a little tougher to figure).

While Brooks' staff recruited far and wide in a way that included Florida, Donald Russell and Eric Adeyemi were the exceptions. Kentucky, even then, generally had more appeal from the central to northern part of the state, or from Orlando to Jacksonville.

So why has Kentucky almost never, until now, had real recruiting success in South Florida? Almost every other SEC program has relied, in part, on the area. It may be the most talent-dense part of the country.

The reasons are many and there's no single way to ascertain the most significant factors for the Cats' historic absence.

One reason, some close to the program have told Cats Illustrated over the years, are the difficulties related to traveling from South Florida to Lexington. Some programs in recent times have made a habit of accepting commitments from players in South Florida before they ever step foot on campus. West Virginia is one school that has done that at various points in the past. There's plenty of risk-reward in that strategy.

Free link: Previewing UK commits in action (8/25-27)

Free link: Matchups that matter - Chris Westry vs. D.J. Thompson

Premium link: Join the House of Blue college football pick 'em contest and win prizes!

For schools like Kentucky and West Virginia, sometimes that might be the only way to be a viable player for recruits in that part of the country. On the other hand, accepting a commitment from a player without an entire staff sizing him up in person, much less watching him in a camp setting, carries an obvious downside. Several downsides, really, from less evaluation to less information about the player's personality and a greater likelihood that the player's commitment won't last through Signing Day.

Kentucky doesn't offer players from South Florida the chance to stay nearly as close to home as some other schools, although Eddie Gran would probably say to players right now that there's very little difference between Lexington and schools in Georgia, North or South Carolina, when you're usually talking about a plane ride.

There's also the reality, right or wrong, that Kentucky has had to historically recruit against the perception of the state, city and campus culture as being a bit less diverse than some other schools in different places. Louisville, for instance, has historically had more success recruiting South Florida. Kentucky's coaches do tell recruits that Lexington is the second-most populous city serving as host to an SEC school, but that's only part of the story. South Florida is a densely-populated, urban and diverse part of the country. Culture shock is a real or imagined thing, but whether real or imagined it has been impactful - both in how previous UK staffs have made calculations in their strategy, and probably in terms of how some recruits from South Florida have had their perceptions of Kentucky shaped. Negative recruiting may always be unseemly, but sometimes it's especially so. There's no question the "culture shock" seed has been planted in the minds of would-be Kentucky targets by other staffs in years gone by, and perhaps even today.

"It's something that you have to recruit against," one person close to the Kentucky program told Cats Illustrated two years ago, referring to that particular challenge. "Do other schools use it against (Kentucky)? Of course. You wouldn't believe some of the things that are said."

Furthermore, recruiting in the South -- not just South Florida, but everywhere in SEC land -- is just different. Players in the West, Midwest, Great Plains and Northeast, are, to varying degrees, generally more loyal in their verbal commitments. Verbal commitments in the South are much tougher to turn into written letters of intent. That could be a dissertation topic, but one big reason is the sheer intensity of the football culture in the South as well as the large number of football-crazed universities with big stadiums, athletic budgets and fan bases who simply do not rest and beckon for 12 months.

Eddie Gran's recent success recruiting South Florida doesn't mean that the challenges outlined above have gone away. But Gran does seem to be proving that none of those hurdles are insurmountable, and it's still possible for Kentucky to have real recruiting success in the "shark tank" from West Palm Beach and Miami bordering the Atlantic to Fort Myers next to the Gulf.

It's about relationships.

Trends, challenges, odds - these things may be real on a large scale, but for individual recruits a simple relationship can override all of those things. Even history. The force of a coach's personality, the strength of their pitch or the relationships he has at a school can erase years and maybe decades of learned chatter that says Kentucky isn't a factor in Miami.

Gran's success in the area has to do with several factors. First, and maybe most importantly, he's got a history of recruiting in the area dating back to his time with Florida State and later with Cincinnati. He arrived in Lexington with relationships and a reputation.

Relationships are key in recruiting. Gran and Vince Marrow, Kentucky's ace in Ohio who has landed roughly 40-percent of all Kentucky commitments or transfers under Stoops, are certainly tireless recruiters with strong personalities. But just as important is who they know and what they know about their home turf.

Free link: Ask the Expert - USM defense shifting to pressure approach

Free link: Ask the Expert - Breaking down the USM offensive line

Premium link: Florida defensive end says Kentucky's his favorite

Coaches who work overtime as recruiters sometimes have success. But unless a coach is really entrenched on the ground in an area, knowing the right people, their ventures are likely to end in failure most of the time. Marrow generally knows who Ohio State will or won't offer in the Buckeye State. Gran, in turn, seems to have a good read on which players will be more receptive to Kentucky's pitch.

Gran has also been successful because he's brought the personal touch. He's also benefited from a team effort that has involved other staff members.

"From (Steven) Clinkscale to (Eddie) Gran and (Mark) Stoops, the whole staff treats you so well," Cedrick Dort said after committing to Kentucky.

The whole-staff team approach helped with Thomas, too.

"I loved working with Coach (Lamar) Thomas. I worked with him at a satellite camp I went to and we had a great relationship," the Cats' slot receiver commitment said.

But no matter the contributions of other staff members, these have been Gran's commitment for a reason. One of the biggest tasks of any Kentucky staff member recruiting in a faraway region is to convince players to visit. D.J. Eliot brought in a big group of visitors from Tennessee at the first part of the summer. Sunday Night Lights had more of a distinct South Florida feel to it.

Convincing players from South Florida to visit Kentucky over the summer, when the school can't foot the bill, is often where connections come in. Knowing the right mentors, high school coaches, trainers and 7-on-7 coaches is key, and plenty of those leading recruiting figures brought top Florida prospects to UK in July, undoubtedly due to Gran's prompting.

It would be wise to remember that landing a verbal commitment isn't the same thing as receiving a letter of intent. Gran's recent recruiting success in South Florida should also teach us that.

When Clevan Thomas committed to Kentucky he told Cats Illustrated, "I would say I'm solid for now, but I will take visits. I'm solid but I still need to see some schools, like Vanderbilt and Iowa State. Maybe Syracuse. But I don't think anything is gonna happen besides that. I think I'm gonna stay solid."

Joshua Ali committed to Kentucky before he ever even visited the school. Other programs have continued to recruit him.

Michael Nesbitt, Kentucky's newest commitment, said, "I'm most likely taking all of my (official) visits," just after announcing his pledge to UK on Twitter.

Of course, all might sign with Kentucky. The dynamics are just a little different in South Florida than in any other part of the country. Those players might visit Kentucky one more time -- maybe twice -- so constant contact with Gran and their presumed position coaches will be key for Kentucky's chances.

When a player makes the choice to go from South Florida to Lexington they're often deciding to leave everything they've known and start totally new. They'll be around new faces in a new place with a new atmosphere. So every person you know helps.

That's one reason Kentucky's in such good shape with Chris Whittaker, a three-star defensive lineman from Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna. Whittaker, who has an impressive offer list, hasn't visited Kentucky before. But he is the teammate of Ali, the wide receiver who is committed to Kentucky.

Whittaker will officially visit Kentucky on Sept. 17, and there are rumblings that he could be one of the next to pop for the Cats. Given the need on the defensive line, that would be significant.

Another player from the region to watch out for is defensive end and two-sport star Jordan Wright. John Calipari has given Wright the opportunity to walk-on with the basketball team if he picks Mark Stoops' program, and that's very appealing to the 6-foot-5 defensive end from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard.

Kentucky was already on Wright's short list with an official visit date tentatively scheduled for Sept. 24. The commitment of Nesbitt on Thursday night gives Kentucky a boost.

After Nesbitt committed Wright told Cats Illustrated that his decision will be "mostly about what's best for me," but he did acknowledge "that can help out a little."