SIGNING DAY PREVIEW: Quarterback Walker Wood
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: Already enrolled.
RESUME: Wood accounted for 4,368 yards and 61 touchdowns en route to an incredible list of accomplishments and accolades as Lafayette's senior quarterback. Lafayette finished the year 13-2 with their only two losses coming to Trinity. One of those losses was in the state championship game, when Wood went down with an injury and one that he's still rehabbing from. Wood was a finalist for the Mr. Football Award in the state of Kentucky. He was the USA Today Offensive Player of the Year in the Commonwealth.
RECRUITING HISTORY: Wood started making the rounds and attending Rivals and Nike camps early in his time as a recruit. He picked up an early offer from Cincinnati while Darin Hinshaw and Eddie Gran were with the Bearcats, but was offered by Kentucky shortly thereafter. Wood committed to Kentucky before those coaches arrived in Lexington but remained on the commitment list without any drama through the offensive coaching staff transition. He was solidly committed to UK throughout the process and never wavered before signing.
SCOUTING REPORT: Wood is a dual-threat quarterback who made plenty of impressive scrambles and improvisation plays for Lafayette in recent years. He can throw on the run effectively and has better accuracy than he's often been given credit for. He doesn't have ideal size nor does he have the arm strength of fellow incoming quarterback Danny Clark. Some have speculated he might ultimately be moved to another position but Wood and the UK coaches have planned on him starting out at quarterback.
CATS ILLUSTRATED PROJECTION: Wood will have every opportunity to remain at quarterback so as of right now there's no reason to assume he'll end up elsewhere. But it's a fact that the quarterback depth chart is more loaded than at any point in recent memory, especially with Clark's arrival, Drew Barker's expected return, Stephen Johnson's emergence, Gunnar Hoak's praise, and even the commitment of 2018 dual-threat Jarren Williams. Wood will redshirt as a true freshman unless he makes a name for himself on special teams or doing something other than quarterback.
MORE WALKER WOOD COVERAGE AT CATS ILLUSTRATED
| Mobility | Size | Arm Strength | Accuracy | Decision Making | Intangibles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7.5/10 |
4/10 |
5.5/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
10/10 |
