Zy'Aire Hughes, Kayaune Ross give UK more offensive playmakers

The Kentucky Wildcats struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball last season, but don't expect that to continue going forward.

UK has added some talented playmakers on offense every year under Mark Stoops, and that continued this year with the signings of athlete Zy'Aire Hughes and wide receiver Kayaune Ross.

Hughes is expected to play receiver at UK after the McCracken County star did it all in high school, finishing his senior season with  2,779 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns to go with 1,128 receiving yards on 89 receptions for another 10 scores. Don't forget about his arm though as Hughes threw for 4,914 passing yards with 46 touchdowns,

As for Ross, the former junior college star will give the Cats another big pass-catching threat as his 6-6, 225-pound frame makes him a great red-zone threat and someone who can make an impact in the SEC his first year in Lexington.

Here are their UK Athletics profiles and high school highlights:

Kayaune Ross, Wide Receiver, 6-6, 225, So.-JC, West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West/Phoenix College) A three-star recruit out of high school ... Caught 15 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns in five games before injury sidelined him as a freshman at Phoenix College (Ariz.) in 2014 ... Redshirted the 2015 season ... Will have three seasons of eligibility remaining ... Will be reunited with former high school teammates Kyle Meadows, Mikel Horton and George Asafo-Adjei ... Named second-team All-Greater Miami Conference in 2011 for Coach Larry Cox at Lakota West High School ... Also played basketball ... Picked UK over offers from Arizona State, Indiana and Louisville.

ZyAire Hughes, Athlete, 6-1, 190, Fr.-HS, Paducah, Ky. (McCracken County) A three-star recruit by all the major recruiting services ...Can play multiple positions after seeing time at running back, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back in high school ... Concluded his prep career with an outstanding 4,914 passing yards with 46 touchdowns, 2,779 rushing yards with 53 touchdowns and 1,128 receiving yards on 89 receptions for another 10 scores ... After playing quarterback and receiver most of his high school career, he moved to running back his senior season and was named the 2015 Purchase Area Player of the Year by the Paducah Sun ... Compiled 1,170 rushing yards, 374 receiving yards and combined for 21 touchdowns in helping lead the Mustangs to a 10-3 record and a berth in the KHSAA Class 6A playoffs ... Earned 2015 All-State honorable mention by the Courier-Journal ... Fifth-highest scorer in the state as a senior, accounting for 128 points (17 TD runs, four receiving and one 2-point conversion) ... Completed 172 of 294 passes for 2,446 yards and 23 scores with just eight interceptions as a sophomore quarterback ... Also ran 116 times for 634 yards and 16 touchdowns ... Coached by Shawn Jackson at McCracken County ... Played his freshman season at Lone Oak High School before the McCracken County schools consolidated ... For the Purple Flash, he was 81 of 130 passing for 1,253 yards and 14 scores in just five games ... In addition, he ran 61 times for 390 yards and nine TDs ... Chose Kentucky over Louisville and Purdue.