UK Wildcat 2015 Football Recruiting – Abbreviated Version

With a 2013 season that has another losing record looming and a error prone first game under its belt, how many recruits in the 2015 class will buy into what Stoops is trying to sell?

The 2013 and 2014 classes seem to have understood that Stoops faces a monumental challenge in turning around the Kentucky football program. They see the horizon filled with opportunity. It will be interesting to see how the 2015 class responds to the message offered by Kentucky.  Let's look at the pool of players from the states where the Wildcats recruit, starting with...

Ohio:

Varsity Preps has released their list of the top players from the Buckeye State and Kentucky has offered several.

1.       Eric Glover-Williams - RB/CB - Canton McKinley - committed to Ohio St.

2.       Hjalte Froholdt - DT - (Warren) Warren G. Harding -  listed as cool toward the Cats

3.       Larry (L.J.) Scott - RB - Hubbard - committed to Ohio St.

5.       Justin Hilliard - LB - (Cincinnati) St. Xavier - listed as cool toward the Cats

6.       Shuan Crawford - CB - (Lakewood) St. Edwards - listed as Warmer toward the Cats

7.       Tyree Kinnel - S - (Dayton) Huber Heights Wayne - listed as Warm toward the Cats

8.       George Brown - OL - (Cincinnati ) Winton Woods - listed as Warm toward the Cats

11.   Rob Dowdy - DL - Westerville South - listed as cool toward the Cats

13.   C.J. Conrad - TE - (Lagrange) Keystone - listed as cool toward the Cats

14.   Matt Jones - OL -  Hubbard - listed as cool toward the Cats

15.   Darrin Hall - RB - (Youngstown) Austintown Fitch - listed as Warm toward the Cats

16.   Chris Green - LB - Toledo Central Catholic - listed as cool toward the Cats

18.   Anthony McKee - LB - (Columbus) Walnut Ridge - listed as cool toward the Cats

24.   Reggie Rogers - S - (Akron) Washington  - listed as cool toward the Cats

25.   Matthew Draper - LB - (Cleveland) Glenville - listed as cool toward the Cats

Georgia:

Varsity Preps has also released their top 30 for Georgia.

1.       Mitch Hyatt - OL - (Suwanee) North Gwinnett - listed as cool toward the Cats

5.       Arden Key - DE - (Lithonia) Martin Luther King - committed to South Carolina

7.       Trenton Thompson - (Albany) Westover - listed as cool toward the Cats

12.   Lorenzo Nunez - QB - (Kennesaw) Harrison - committed to Ohio St.

13.   Chuma Edoga - OL - (Powder Springs) McEachern - committed to Tennessee

26.   Eric Swinney - RB - (Tyrone) Sandy Creek - listed as cool toward the Cats

Florida:

Here's Scout's top Florida players for 2015 with offers from Kentucky (national position rank).

#1 DE - CeCe Jefferson - (Glen St. Mary) Baker County - listed as cool toward the Cats

#1 CB - Kevin Toliver - (Jacksonville) Trinity Christain - committed to LSU

# 1 - S - Shawn Burgess-Becker - (Pompano Beach ) Monarch - listed as cool toward the Cats

#4 - LB - Jeffrey Holland - (Jacksonville) Trinity Christain - committed to Florida

#8 - TE - Garrett Williams - (Orlando) First Academy - listed as cool toward the Cats

#8 - S - Kendrell McFadden - (Hollywood) McArthur - listed as cool toward the Cats

#12 - CB - Tyrek Cole - Miramar - listed as cool toward the Cats

#14 - RB - Jacques Patrick - (Orlando) Timber Creek - listed as cool toward the Cats

#14 - OL - Jake Fruhmorgen - (Tampa) Plant - listed as cool toward the Cats

#15 - CB - Von Davis - Mt. Dora - listed as cool toward the Cats

#26 - WR -Ryan Davis - (St. Petersburg) Northeast - listed as cool toward the Cats

Tennessee:

Scout's top 2015 players by national position rank with UK offers.

#10 - S - Rico McGraw - (Nashville) Ensworth - listed as cool toward the Cats

#11 - DE - Kyle Phillips - (Nashville) Hillsboro - listed as cool toward the Cats

#19 - LB - Joshua McMillon - (Memphis) Whitehaven - listed as cool toward the Cats

#24 - LB - Josh Smith - (Murfreesboro) Oakland - listed as cool toward the Cats

Kentucky:

Scout's top 2015 players by national position rank with UK offers.

#2 RB - Damien Harris - (Berea) Madison Southern - committed to Michigan

#3 LB - Emmitt Smith - (Bowling Green) Warren Central - listed as Warm toward the Cats

#9 QB - Elijah Sindelar - (Princeton) Caldwell County - listed as Warmer toward the Cats

#12 LB - Eli Brown - (Bowling Green) Warren East - committed to Vanderbilt

The above players are only the ranked players from the states listed. Overall, Kentucky has 62 offers on the table, compared to 250 offers for 2014. Of Kentucky's 2015 offers, most are four and five star players as ranked by 247 Sports.

Kentucky has offered players from other states, including Jarrett Stidham (TX) and Ricky DeBerry (VA). Texas and Virginia are not yet Kentucky recruiting territory which is why the two states are not listed above.Currently, Kentucky is listed as warm or better in only a few cases. The important thing, however, is that Stoops & Company will continue to pursue quality players. Kentucky will get their share, but it might take more than 250 offers after another down year.