By Will Marshall and Hank Rippetoe
Lloyd Tubman DE
Louisville, KY
Seneca HS
The 6' 4'' 220 lb. defensive end is rated by Rivals as the third best player in the state of Kentucky in the 2014 Class. His recruitment has more twists and turns in it than maybe any other member of Kentucky's class. Originally, Tubman committed to Western Kentucky University last spring, but less than a month later he changed his mind and committed to Vanderbilt. After James Franklin's departure to Penn State, Tubman flipped his commitment to PSU in early January.
Tubman appeared to open up his recruitment soon afterwards when he scheduled an official visit to Nebraska, but there's some ambiguity if Tubman ever took that visit or not. That possible visit came on the heels of visiting UK two weeks prior. In any case, Tubman eventually elected to sign with UK.
Tubman is a promising prospect and solidifies the defensive line being the best of all positions signed in this class, in my opinion. Watching his highlight tape, Tubman already looks to have experience playing defensive end in the 4-3 defense. He is long with apparently great speed coming off the edge. Given the depth at defensive end, I strong suspect Tubman will redshirt this season in order to add 40-50 pounds to his frame. Tubman strikes me as the type of prospect who will greatly benefit from a college strength and conditioning program given the raw potential he already possesses.