Monster recruiting weekend in Lexington
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It's one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the year for Kentucky in the Mark Stoops' era, at least so far as weekends during the season have gone.
Kentucky is set to host most of their commitments, an impressive crowd of 2017 prospects, and even some elite 2018 players -- including commitments from both the '17 and '18 cycles.
2016 commits coming en masse
Let's start with who probably isn't coming because that'll be a lot easier and a much shorter list. Junior college commitments Kayaune Ross and Tate Leavitt are not traveling to Lexington for the game. Zy'Aire Hughes has a game at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday so it's unlikely he'll be in the house, although we can't say that for 100-percent certain.
There's been some talk that Jordan Griffin might visit but not too long ago Griffin said his plan was to attend UK's games against Missouri, Tennessee and Louisville. Those plans could have changed to include the Florida game and you can bet the coaches have been pushing hard for that. Griffin is one of the commitments for the Cats that has been most sought after by other schools, due in large part to the outstanding senior season he's having.
There's no reason to believe Griffin's commitment is less than solid but we do know for certain that a lot of other schools consider him a take, and he's widely regarded -- at least among the ranks of college coaches elsewhere -- as one of Kentucky's best commitments.
Fellow Georgian Kobe Smith, a big-time defensive tackle, will be taking his official visit this weekend because Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer is on a bye. Miami has continued to recruit him but Smith is holding steady. He has visited Kentucky twice to date and both he and his family love it in Lexington. This weekend is Kentucky's best opportunity to solidify Smith's commitment through Signing Day. He'll get as much attention as coaches can give him on the weekend of a game.
Ja'Quize Cross, UK's defensive tackle commitment from Alabama, will be traveling to Lexington, too. He's been on campus multiple times and has not wavered at all since his commitment. He's having a strong season on the field and his stock is on the rise according to some.
Linebacker commitment Jamar Watson is traveling to Kentucky from Maryland. It's our understanding that this will be his second trip to Kentucky, which may mean that along with Leavitt he's visited less than any other commitment. But like Cross he's never wavered and is among the most enthusiastic of UK's commitments, partly because the staff bought in on him while he was still largely regarded as a sleeper.
The Ohio crowd is impressive: Quarterback Gunnar Hoak, running backs Benny Snell and Asim Rose, receiver Dakota Holtzclaw, tight end Justin Rigg, offensive lineman Luke Fortner, defensive tackle Kordell Looney, Jack linebacker Jaylin Bannerman, defensive back Tobias Gilliam, linebacker Roland Walder, and punter Grant McKinniss.
The Ohio group is tight-knit and most of them are pretty close with the Commonwealth natives, too.
Gilliam is generally in the center of most of the social circles there. Bannerman's well-known as is Walder. Snell and Looney are close. All of these players have visited many times before so their time on campus will be less about touring -- although with the facility progress there will be some of that -- and more about fraternizing and taking in the environment in the recruiting room and then in the stands.
Drake Jackson, Landon Young and Kash Daniel -- Kentucky's three in-state U.S. Army All-Americans -- will all be there and in the middle of the social scene throughout. They're well-known, respected, and among the leaders of the class. It's noteworthy that Davonte Robinson will be there, too. Robinson has held solid in his commitment to Kentucky in spite of Notre Dame's efforts to flip him.
All 2017 commitments to attend
Kentucky's got four Class of 2017 commitments in Mac Jones, Russ Yeast, Michael Warren and James Hudson. Kentucky's coaches have to be excited that all four players will be visiting.
It's not exactly easy for Jones to make that Florida to Kentucky trek during the season but the opportunity came up this week and that's big. With several other top 2017 recruits visiting, who aren't committed, Jones' presence as the committed quarterback will be helpful. He's proven to be a valuable asset as an energetic recruiter and you can expect him to build more important relationships that will help him in that endeavor.
With so long left between now and Signing Day in February of 2017 every visit for those four players is helpful. Michigan State's remained very interested in Warren and Hudson. Don't expect that to change. They haven't showed signs of wavering -- at all. But it makes all coaches breathe a little easier when they know their guys are on their campus as opposed to someone else's. It will also be a good opportunity for the aforementioned three and Yeast to bond with 2016 commitments and briefly see current players, as well as the best atmosphere in quite some time at Commonwealth Stadium.
Other 2017 recruits will attend
We've got to mention five-star offensive tackle Jedrick Wills first. The Lafayette tackle will be surrounded by many future Wildcats that will be striking a balance between making him feel wanted and giving him his space.
This is Kentucky's second home game and it's the second home game Wills has attended this year. Don't take that as an indication of how things will play out because Damien Harris visited as much as anyone last year and he picked Alabama. But there's also no reason to believe Wills' recruitment is similar to Harris'.
We'd also caution that Wills hears about Kentucky all the time so that's nothing new. All of UK's in-state recruiting advantages that come from being the state's flagship school are intact whether he attends all the home games or not. Wills is an important visitor because he's going to see a lot of big-time game atmosphere at other schools, and he'll have the opportunity to play for any elite program he wants to. Kentucky will help themselves a lot with Wills if they can notch a win the nation will notice, and showing him a big-time football atmosphere at Kentucky will make atmospheres at other schools less eye-opening.
Of course, Wills' family would like to see him at UK but they're going to give him the space to make that call. It's got to be something he wants to do and he hasn't decided on that point yet. Tennessee, Notre Dame, Arkansas and, yes, even Florida are among the many suitors thus far.
Lafayette dual-threat quarterback and athlete Walker Wood does not yet have an offer from UK but the 2017 prospect is on John Schlarman's radar with sources telling Cats Illustrated he's absolutely a player to watch out for. Mason Alstatt is a 2016 safety that could factor into the roster equation somehow down the road and he's visiting from Lafayette, too.
Four-star Tennessee linebacker Jacob Phillips first told Cats Illustrated of his plans to visit UK for a third time recently. He was supposed to take his third trip to UK on Aug. 1, but it doesn't seem like that trip took place. Still, he's very familiar with Kentucky. He was impressed with the facility improvement progress the last time he visited and he's been telling Cats Illustrated that he's anxious to see the product now that everything's closer to completion.
Lots of heavy-hitters -- i.e. big name elite programs -- have come calling for Phillips since the start of September, but his familiarity with Kentucky and Derrick Ansley's efforts seem to have helped to entrench the Cats as a long-term contender. He's a physical inside 'backer that has proven himself in camp settings and on the field, and is one of UK's top linebacker recruits in the '17 class. Kentucky would probably be on his short list, if he had one. That's our take rather than any admission from him.
One name that coaches and fans should be excited about, who will also be visiting, is Tyrell Ajian. He's a four-star athlete and a Rivals250 prospect from Ohio who happens to be one of the best safeties in the Midwest. But beyond that Ajian is dynamic with the ball in his hands and has the versatility to impact the game on all three units.
Notre Dame is probably the front runner for Ajian but Vince Marrow is turning up the heat and Ajian is already on good terms with Jones, Warren, Hudson and Gilliam. We'll be watching to see how he interacts with Kentucky's commitments and what he thinks of his first SEC game.
One player who has not confirmed his visit but has talked about visiting is four-star freak athlete Javonte Richardson. When we say he's a freak that's not an overstatement. He does not look like a high school football player, much less a junior. That's one reason why he's a Rivals100 four-star recruit. Richardson likes Michigan State but he also likes Kentucky and some others. Marrow is working on Richardson, too, and UK's Buckeye State ace has his attention.
At last check, late this week, Richardson told Cats Illustrated that he's trying to coordinate plans and logistics for a trip to Lexington but nothing had been finalized yet. If his father okays the trip and can make it happen then Richardson wants to make it happen. "Hopefully," he said.
Richardson is one of three elite receivers from Ohio along with fellow four stars Jaylen Harris and Danny Davis that Kentucky is pursuing. No word yet on whether either of those two will visit, so don't get your hopes up yet. But stranger things have happened and with UK having so many Ohio guys coming down there's always the potential that somebody could snag a ride at the last minute and make the caravan one person bigger.
Speaking of Ohio recruits another big-timer will visit -- three-star offensive tackle Thayer Munford. You don't draw up tackles more impressive than 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, and that's exactly what Munford is. He's not one for wordy quotes but he's confirmed with Cats Illustrated that he's visiting. He's also confirmed Marrow's interest -- which is high -- and we believe Munford is one of the Wildcats most important offensive line recruits along with Will and maybe just a couple of others. He's spoken highly of UK in the past and he's a prime candidate to watch for a commitment down the road, although we're not putting him on the clock yet.
One player that's been emerging of late is 2017 defensive back J'Marick Woods of Alabama. At 6-foot-2 he's got the length that Ansley likes, and he's versatile enough to be a "five" -- which is another way of saying he can probably play any position in the defensive backfield. That's another big consideration that Ansley takes into account when making target lists and recruiting.
Kentucky's coaches probably feel pretty good about the move to very lengthy corners given Chris Westry's success so far and so it's not a surprise that Woods has emerged as a major target.
Cats Illustrated first reported that four-star Michigan cornerback Ambry Thomas was planning to visit Kentucky. Time will tell if he makes that trip but he's already been to UK once before and was very eager to see the school again.
Cats get jump start on 2018
Gunnar Hoak isn't the only Hoak on the visitor list. His younger brother, Griffin, is a linebacker from the Class of 2018 and a promising recruit in his own right. One would have to assume that if he becomes a 'take' for Kentucky down the road that the Cats would stand a good chance with him
given his brother's plans. He's become very familiar with UK for obvious reasons and that relationship will continue to blossom.
We can't say for 100-percent certain yet but there have been rumblings from sources in Lexington that Class of 2018 Tampa (Fla.) Cambridge defensive end Richard Gouraige might be visiting along with Jermaine Eskridge, Kentucky's lone sophomore commit and phenom athlete also from Tampa.
Also, expect Class of 2018 inside linebacker Antwuan Johnson of Springfield (Ohio) -- Kordell Looney's teammate -- to visit Lexington for the game. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound 'backer already has offers from Kentucky and Louisville so he's a prime target and given the school he attends he's absolutely a player to watch early.