SIGNING DAY PREVIEW: Cornerback Michael Nesbitt
Cats Illustrated isn't waiting until National Signing Day to get you ready for all the action. We're rolling out Signing Day content all week.
In our new Signing Day Preview series we'll profile every single one of Kentucky's 2017 early enrollees as well as those who won't be signing until Wednesday.
STATUS: Will sign on Wednesday and enroll in June.
RESUME: Nesbitt had around 80 tackles and two interceptions in 2016. He returned one of those picks for a touchdown. His efforts helped Boyd Anderson to a 7-3 overall record.
RECRUITING HISTORY: Nesbitt picked up an offer from Kentucky fairly early in the recruiting process but as was the case with players like Cedrick Dort and Clevan Thomas, it seemed like things really picked up after he journeyed to Lexington for an appearance at Sunday Night Lights. Shortly thereafter he committed to Kentucky. Prior to that Nesbitt had picked up offers from some of the top ACC and SEC programs, plus others. Before Nesbitt committed to Kentucky he had scheduled an official visit to West Virginia. Other schools that were heavily involved just prior to his UK commitment included Arkansas, Auburn, Central Florida, Louisville, Maryland, LSU, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and West Virginia.
SCOUTING REPORT: Nesbitt is one of the more athletic secondary prospects in Florida from the 2017 class. At Sunday Night Lights he was clearly one of the best defensive backs and put on a footwork clinic. Another great quality Nesbitt has consistently displayed are his instincts for breaking on the ball, his reaction time and closing speed. He makes up a lot of ground in a hurry and that gives him a greater margin for error in coverage than some other cornerbacks have. He has good, not great size. He will need to get stronger and time in the program will help.
CATS ILLUSTRATED PROJECTION: In a stacked defensive back class Nesbitt is one of the best and one could make the case for him as the best. He was coveted by big-time programs for a reason and should be a starting defensive back with high-end potential down the road.
| Size | Speed | Ball Skills | Coverage | Instincts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8/10 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
9/10 |
