SIGNING DAY PREVIEW: Wide receiver JaVonte Richardson
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: Richardson totaled well over 1,000 yards of total offense as a senior at Maple Heights. He didn't always have a lot of help and sometimes it was a struggle to showcase Richardson, but he made the most of his opportunities and was one of his area's most explosive playmakers as a receiver and a return man.
RECRUITING HISTORY: Richardson ultimately gave his verbal commitment to Kentucky on Easter morning early in 2016. He stayed faithful to the Cats as a player bordering on the Rivals100 throughout the recruiting process. Prior to his commitment to Kentucky, Richardson had entertained interest and offers from the likes of Michigan, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Purdue and many others. Michigan State and Ohio State were also very involved with Richardson early in the recruiting process.
SCOUTING REPORT: What sets Richardson apart from so many receivers is his explosiveness, speed and fluidity for a player who's a legitimate 6-foot-4 and now approaching 230 pounds. It's true, his size is absolutely rare for a receiver of his age, but it's Richardson's athletic qualities with that build that make him a scary prospect. He gets in and out of his breaks surprising well for a player as big as he is. He's worked on his route running a lot. There's still room for technical improvement but Richardson's combination of size, athleticism and skill is rare. Richardson did deal with some back issues as a junior but seems to have recovered nicely without any long-term drawbacks.
CATS ILLUSTRATED PROJECTION: Richardson may have No. 1 receiver stuff written all over him — and he does — but it wouldn't be fair to expect that from him right off the bat. Richardson will either ease his way into the rotation by playing sparingly or maybe even redshirting, but if he puts it all together, stays focused and works hard then he could quickly rise to the top of Kentucky's depth chart by his second year. Given the number of receivers UK loses after 2017 the Cats will need him to step up early.
MORE JAVONTE RICHARDSON COVERAGE AT CATS ILLUSTRATED
| Size | Speed | Hands | Routes | Leaping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10/10 |
8.5/10 |
8/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
