OFFER ANALYSIS: 'Cats cast the net in North Carolina

Dean Hood is handling Kentucky's recruiting efforts in North Carolina, a state that supplied the Wildcats with edge defender Kengera Daniel but hasn't been fertile recruiting territory for the program in the near or distant past.

Nonetheless the 'Cats are casting the net in North Carolina again. This week UK extended offers to a pair of younger players from the Tar Heel State.

Class of 2021 athlete Kaemen Marley is the more established prospect of the two who landed offers from UK. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound athlete from Ramseur (N.C.) Eastern Randolph is ranked the No. 3 athlete in the nation, the No. 6 player in the state, and the No. 84 prospect in the nation according to Rivals.com.

Marley already had offers from Florida, Louisville, NC State, Ohio State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and West Virginia by the time the Wildcats and Hood offered this week.

Marley does a little bit of everything for Eastern Randolph, from playing safety on defense to receiver on offense, and serving as both a return specialist and even a punter.

While the four-star Marley is well-known to recruiting gurus, Kentucky made an early move with its offer to Osiris Ross.

Like Marley, Ross is an athlete from Eastern Randolph, but that's about where the similarities end. Unlike the largely built Marley, Ross is 5-foot-10 and 10 pounds. Kentucky's offer was his first of the process.

Ross and Marley formed an elite pass catching duo for Eastern Randolph this season.