As his news conference wound down yesterday, Rich Brooks got riled up.

The University of Kentucky football coach, apparently displeased with the mellow mood among the press corps, asked for some energy just before he stepped down from the podium.

"Get fired up! This is the start of the football season!" Brooks bellowed. "Come on! Holy cow!"

Even so, Kentucky's recruiting class might wind up as the best in the nation and the tops in school history. Meyer is joined by late-rising catcher Cory Farris, a premium athlete who had a big summer and nearly signed with the White Sox as a 43rd-round pick, and infielder Andy Burns, the top prep hitter in Colorado who held his own in the Northwoods League this summer.

The least-highly regarded of any player on this squad as far as the recruiting services are concerned, G.J. Vilarino (unranked Scout, Rivals, ESPN) probably had one of the best all-around performances of any of the 2009 high school players, which should give Kentucky fans some room for optimism that help is on the way.

Durham now top of depth chart at Right Guard
per O-line coach Heggins. Also says the poor performance in Saturday's scrimmage by his guys was due to attitude--not being aggressive enough--and there were encouraging signs at addressing that issue in today's practice.

Adeyemi doesn’t like to say how fast he can run, but he’s quick with answers.

"You have to see Aug. 31," Adeyemi joked. "I am pretty fast, I believe. I just have to work on my technique catching the ball."

The freshman receiver from Miami says he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash in high school and expects that time to drop considerably by his junior year at Kentucky because "our running program here is incredible."

• Daniel Orton is down to six schools — Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas, Ohio State and Kentucky. The Wildcats are his early favorite. "I'm really interested in Kentucky and their program," said Orton. "I've known the coaches for a long time. Coach (Billy) Gillispie recruited my brother, and (Assistant) Coach (Glynn) Cyprien coached him at Oklahoma State."

1.) Lexington is a fun place, and the state of Kentucky offers many fun alternatives to spend your free time. There are ample opportunities for QB1 on the depth chart to study the flora and plant life of the state, enjoy motorsports, and pursue life after football opportunities like stacking boxes at Amazon.

Derrick Favors is the top prospect on the 2009 US team, but he’s looked average at best in the opportunities we’ve had to evaluate him. Their point guard GJ Vilarino has been a nice surprise, though.

Brooks reported that second-team center Jake Lanefski sustained a broken bone in his snapping hand. Brooks said that Lanefski can practice with a cast, but probably would move to guard while the bone heals. Other offensive linemen, such as sophomore Marcus Davis and freshman Osaze Idumwonyi, will get a look at the backup center slot during Lanefski's absence.

The 10 worst-dressed teams:

1. Denmark. Jean shorts. JEAN SHORTS?! This isn't Gainesville, Fla.; this is the Olympics.