2 major football recruits visit UK for Tennessee game

There is no question that the quality of Kentucky high school football recruits has been on the uptick. Colleges from across the country have invaded the Commonwealth in attempts to mine the talent this state is producing.

Add the name John Young and Beau Allen to the list of national targets from the Bluegrass state. The class of 2020 offensive tackle from Louisville and quarterback from Lexington are turning heads. Both turned the head of Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops and received scholarship offers from the Cats. Allen got his in 2017, while Young got his in 2018.

Both recruits were in town this weekend on an unofficial visit during UK’s beatdown of Tennessee. They were seen hanging out with UK recruiting ace Vince Marrow during the game.

In a recent article by Justin Rowland of CatsIllustrated.com, Young expressed his happiness with the offer.

“I loved it. I loved all the coaches. They were all really nice to me. The facilities were great. The basketball game went great. It was just a really good day,” Young said.

It doesn’t hurt either that Young grew up a Kentucky football fan either.

“I’ve always been a Kentucky fan. Growing up I watched Kentucky football a lot. I’ve been watching Kentucky football my entire life. I’ve been to games, I just haven’t been as a recruit.”

Young, a four-star recruit who’s rated the No. 21 offensive tackle by Rivals, also holds offers from the Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks and Tennessee Volunteers among many others.

Allen, a four-star recruit who’s rated the No. 14 pro-style quarterback by Rivals, holds offers from the Wolverines, Maryland Terrapins, West Virginia Mountaineers and Washington State Cougars, among others.

Allen has a family connection with UK. His dad Bill was a UK quarterback in the 1980s.

While it’s still early in the recruiting process for both players, UK currently holds all of the predictions for Allen and Young at Rivals and 247 Sports.

For Mark Stoops to keep taking Kentucky Football to new heights, it’s imperative that he continue to land most of the state’s top talent. He did so in 2019 with JJ Weaver, Jared Casey, Shawnkel Knight-Goff and Damontae Crume, but UK also lost guys like Tanner Bowles (Alabama), Jacob Lacey (Notre Dame), Stephen Herron (Stanford) and Wandale Robinson (Nebraska).

After Kentucky’s breakthrough 10-3 season, that will help in a big way with these in-state 2020 recruits.