Two freshman Cats honored, recruit signs
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Thursday was a good day for several people associated with the Kentucky football program. Two freshmen Cats were honored and one recruit signed paperwork.
First the recruiting news.
Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer defensive tackle Kobe Smith tweeted out a picture of he and his parents as he signed his financial aid paperwork with the University of Kentucky's football program.
Smith has long been planning to enroll a semester early and the time for his move from Lawrenceville to Lexington is drawing near. He'll make the move early next month. Smith's senior season is behind him and all that's left of his high school career is a precious few days of school as a student.
News of Smith's financial aid signing has surely been greeted with a round of applause in the coaches' offices. The financial aid agreement is binding on Kentucky. It would require the university to honor the written scholarship offer for his freshman season, thus serving as a protection in the case of an injury or other unforeseen events. It's non-binding on Smith, who is hypothetically still free to choose another college to enroll at. However, the benefit to Kentucky is regular NCAA contact restrictions are lifted between now and the time Smith enrolls.
The coaches have almost unlimited access to Smith whereas any other school that might try to recruit him at the eleventh hour would be subject to the restrictions proper to the usual recruiting calendar for unsigned players. If that doesn't seem too significant on the surface it's worth remembering that there's a recruiting dead period between mid-December and the time Smith will enroll as a January entrant.
Most importantly it's a final sign of good faith that's as close to a binding promise as it gets that he'll be in Lexington. Smith, who had previously been committed to NC State, was not wavering in his commitment to the Wildcats. But he did tell Cats Illustrated even recently that coaches from Nebraska and Miami (before Mark Richt's hiring) were continuing to recruit him.
Given the scope of the need at defensive tackle in this class Smith can rightly be considered one of Kentucky's most significant Class of 2016 commitments. His extra semester could give him an opportunity to play even as a true freshman especially considering his size and the level of competition he faced in high-level Georgia prep football through this year.
UK's coaches were able to evaluate Smith at a summer camp where Jimmy Brumbaugh worked with him one-on-one and sized him up during individual matchups with players like Drake Jackson and Luke Fortner. Depending on which person close to the program you talk to you'll get different accounts of how those camp match ups turned out, but Smith was universally recognized by Cats Illustrated sources as one of the standouts at the event he reportedly did as well against Jackson as almost anyone at any previous event.
Smith is one of two Georgia commitments for the Cats in the '16 class with the other being Jonesboro cornerback Jordan Griffin, who was recently upgraded to four-star status when the network's analysts catapulted him into the Rivals250.
Griffin will not be signing financial aid paperwork but he will be taking his official visit to Kentucky this weekend. Both Griffin and Smith have been regular visitors in Lexington since their commitments. Cats Illustrated spotted Smith and his family most recently before Kentucky's season finale against Louisville at the Cat Walk.
Smith was slowed for a good portion of this season with a minor nagging injury that he eventually shook off. Some rust had accumulated and he started picking up steam while Archer's other top players were hitting their stride, but Smith still drew rave reviews this year. Notably, Rivals.com analyst Woody Wommack singled Smith out as an impressive performer following one game that he observed in person.
Andy Buh has been Kentucky's area recruiter in their pursuit of Smith.
Two freshman Cats honored
The good news isn't limited to Smith's signing today.
The official Twitter account for the Kentucky football program blasted out honors for cornerback Chris Westry and tight end C.J. Conrad.
Both Westry and Conrad were honored as All-SEC Freshman Team selections. Both players were true freshmen this season with Conrad arriving early and benefiting from an extra semester just as Kobe Smith will.
Westry was honored early in the 2015 season as the SEC's Freshman of the Week following Kentucky's win at South Carolina. He earned that honor on the back of an exceptional and somewhat surprising performance against heralded South Carolina receiver Pharoh Cooper. His effort against Cooper was part of a defensive effort that helped the program hold on for a narrow win, their second straight against the Gamecocks.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops hasn't shied away from praising Westry's long-term potential and he's coached plenty of good players in the secondary at previous stops in Tallahassee, Coral Gables and elsewhere.
Westry was verbally committed to Auburn as a recruit a year ago but when the Tigers brought in fired Florida coach Will Muschamp as their defensive coordinator he and new defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson seemed to want to bring in some recruits they had more personal experience with. Ironically, one of those players they were able to bring in was Jeremiah Dinson, a cornerback that had long been committed to Kentucky. Subsequently the 6-foot-4 Westry felt the pinch, visited Lexington and switched his commitment to Kentucky without much fanfare.
At the time Westry was recognized as physically impressive by most scouts and analysts but there wasn't much buzz about him as a surprise player early, much less a true freshman starter who would earn the honor he received today. Dinson, meanwhile, was watching as his recruiting stock rose and more schools became interested. But it was Westry who had the breakout freshman season. He'll be an unquestioned second-year starter in 2016, which might make him a veteran leader in a defensive backfield that often consisted of four freshmen late this year.
Westry started in every game for Kentucky as a true freshman after unseating his more experienced elders, and he finished the season with 36 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups. He was also officially credited with defending ten more pass attempts.
C.J. Conrad's identical honor from the SEC followed a season that wasn't as glamorous as Westry's. Conrad didn't generate a lot of headlines and he didn't find a consistent rapport with either Patrick Towles or Drew Barker as a true freshman tight end in the passing game.
However, right from the start the former four-star recruit from Ohio was the Cats' starting tight end. In Shannon Dawson's offense that meant Conrad lined up in the backfield as a blocking-receiving dual-threat with the quarterbacks in the Pistol formation.
Conrad's signature game as a true freshman was a six-catch performance against Missouri in Kentucky's 21-13 win over the Tigers, a program that had won two straight SEC East championships.
He finished the season as Kentucky's fifth leading receiver, snagging 15 balls for 149 yards and a touchdown in that Missouri game. Conrad started nine games and played in all of the Cats' 2015 contests. Those numbers were the best pass-catching stats for any player outside of UK's wide receiver unit.
Although Conrad was mostly known as a fierce competitor who knew how to get open against good coverage in high school, he made a better-than-expected debut as a freshman blocker. That's a part of his craft that didn't receive much attention in high school but he was comfortable for a true freshman helping to take on linebackers and also to serve in pass protection.
Conrad is expected to be Kentucky's starting tight end once again in 2016 and beyond barring something unforeseen. The unit was thin with just Conrad and redshirt freshman Darryl Long this year, but will benefit from a significant depth upgrade when Nebraska transfer and blocking specialist Greg Hart becomes eligible to play next year and when Springboro, Ohio tight end recruit Justin Rigg joins Conrad in Lexington as a true freshman.
