Visit helps UK gain separation early with 2018 DE

Alex Reigelsperger is a Class of 2018 recruit and that means he's got a long way to go. His decision will likely get much tougher before he gains real clarity and peace with a decision.

But the sophomore from Ohio visited Kentucky on Saturday and sounded very confident about where Kentucky stands in his recruitment.

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Sometimes a recruit's tone is tough to convey in a recruiting update. Without speaking to the player it's easy to misinterpret him at times, or at least to not gain the full effect that comes with audible emphasis.

That's relevant because Reigelsperger's tone, when speaking with Cats Illustrated about his trip to Kentucky on Saturday, was decidedly upbeat.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound defensive end from Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne, Tobias Gilliam's high school, isn't exactly saying that Kentucky's the number one school on his list in the big picture. Hold off on the 'favorite' talk, at least for now.

But Reigelsperger sounded like a player who wanted to say everything but that about Kentucky after that visit.

"Out of everything I've done Kentucky is definitely the best," Reigelsperger said. "What I can tell you is it was my favorite visit. It was my favorite place to be at."

Credit the coaches and Gilliam in part for that.

Gilliam, a recent signee from the Class of 2016, is two years older than Reigelsperger. But it's not as though he runs in an entirely different circle based on age. Just as Gilliam was one of the centerpieces of the social network in UK's 2016 class, which proved to be a very close-knit group, he's also close with younger teammates like Reigelsperger.

"Tobias came up there (on Saturday) just as soon as we were about to eat," Reigelsperger recalled. "Tobias is like a third brother to me. He says the same things the coaches will say. He says, 'Don't commit now. Don't rush anything. You've still got time. Just wait 'til the time's right.' He tells me that I'll see pretty campuses, go to sweet games and some awesome places. But at the end of the day he says I should go to the place where I feel most comfortable."

Given what Reigelsperger said about Kentucky as his "favorite place to visit," that could bode well. And yet it's early, with Reigelsperger planning to visit Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana in the near future. He will visit Miami-OH this Sunday before those trips.

Upon arrival at Kentucky the 2018 defensive end was immediately struck with the overall operation in Lexington, as well as the plans for improvement that will be completed soon.

"I thought they already had a beautiful facility," Reigelsperger said. "But they showed us how they're building it bigger, better and more around academics. They're having it built around each player instead of the team as a whole."

That way of describing the new upgrades frames it in the language of a "Player's First" approach popularized by the basketball program, but it's a well-received message when football players hear it, too.

"Each player gets their own tutor," Reigelsperger said. "They visit two or three times a week or even more if they need more help. They already have a training place built where there's a group of people specialized in each subject. If you need help on any subject you can call them any time and they'll help you with the subject. They'll help you work through a work sheet or on your homework."

Reigelsperger was accompanied by his brother, who is older than him by more than a decade, and said his sibling enjoyed Kentucky as well.

"He thought the same thing I thought," the player said. "He thought everybody was treated real nice and he really liked how instead of just being a big team it's about the individuals."

Vince Marrow will serve as Reigelsperger's primary recruiter and he spoke with the 2018 prospect as soon as he arrived at UK on Saturday, welcoming him and telling him that he would enjoy the day planned for him.

Defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh spoke with Reigelsperger at length, too, which isn't a surprise as position meetings are a staple of junior days everywhere.

"I went to the camp last year and that's when I met Coach Brumbaugh personally," he said. "I went up there and Coach Brumbaugh recognized me and knew me. Coach Brumbaugh just said not to rush anything and always keep them in mind."