NSD Profile: Jaylin Bannerman
Cats Illustrated is profiling each of Kentucky's signees as part of our celebration and coverage of National Signing Day.
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Jaylin Bannerman photo gallery (FREE)
Cats Illustrated's video interview with Bannerman at the Rivals Camp in Columbus (PREMIUM)
6-foot-5, 218-pounds
Pickerington (Ohio) Pickerington Central
Ranking: Three-stars (5.6), not ranked nationally, not ranked at position, No. 47 in Ohio.
Recruiting Rewind
Bannerman became the tenth commitment for Kentucky’s 2016 class when he committed on Feb. 28, 2015. He held offers from Pittsburgh, Illinois and Toledo at the time of his commitment. Michigan State offered Bannerman a few days after he committed to Kentucky and he visited East Lansing, but eventually decided to stick with his original pledge to the Wildcats.
The Ohio native officially visited Kentucky in November and didn’t take any other official visits during the recruiting process.
Scout Speak
Bannerman is long and athletic (he was clocked running as fast as a 4.7 40-yard dash) and has everything you’d look for in an outside linebacker. Michigan State, known in recent years for developing elite defensive players under Mark Dantonio, offered him a scholarship so that alone should show the potential Bannerman possesses. He did a nice job rushing the passer in high school and the hope is that those skills translate to the college level.
Setting the Bar
The ultimate hope for Kentucky is Bannerman turns into the next Bud Dupree. Dupree’s measurables out of high school (6-foot-5, 220-pounds) were nearly identical to Bannerman’s, but Dupree filled out and played his senior season at over 260 pounds. Bannerman has a ways to go in reaching that weight so it’s likely he redshirts and adds muscle before seeing significant snaps for the Wildcats.