The Kentucky Wildcats have picked up a major offensive line commit.
On Monday, four-star offensive tackle Deondre Buford committed to Kentucky.
Congratulations to Detroit King’s 2020 offensive lineman @DeondreBuford56 on selecting Kentucky for his commitment. @DetKingFootball pic.twitter.com/0q8n5kR8BD
— Jared Purcell (@JaredPurcellDET) August 19, 2019
A 6-4, 273-pound lineman out of Detroit, Buford is ranked 295th overall by 247 Sports in addition to being the seventh-best recruit out of Michigan. Kentucky secondary coach Steve Clinkscale, was the lead recruiter, as he continues to make major inroads for the Wildcats in the state of Michigan, similar to what Vince Marrow has done for Kentucky in Ohio.
Buford holds offers from the LSU Tigers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Auburn Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers and Michigan State Spartans among others. That speaks to the caliber of lineman Kentucky is getting in Buford, who projects to play offensive tackle in college.
Here is 247 Sports’ scouting report of Buford, which includes a comparison to former Pitt Panther and current Raiders lineman T.J. Clemmings:
Used to be more slender, but has bulked up and now looks more like a college-ready lineman. Borderline height between tackle and guard, but has longer arms. Bends well and moves fluidly. Has loose hips and can play with a wide base. Changes directions easily and can make blocks in space. Has gotten stronger and better at finishing blocks. Gets out of stance quickly in pass protection and has the feet to mirror defensive linemen. Has to get stronger still. Will sometimes try to overpunch and get off balance. Testing numbers did not show the athleticism we saw on tape and in drills. Has the athleticism of a tackle, but he could swing to guard, too. Will be a three-year high school starter at a good program and has the pieces of a player who can compete early but weight and strength need to be added first. Projects as a multi-year starter once those gains are made though and has the upside to be a draft pick.
PROJECTION: Power-5 Starter
COMPARISON: T.J. Clemmings
Buford joins Justin Rogers, Carrington Valentine, John Young, JuTahn McClain, Kalil Branham, Beau Allen, Samuel Anaele, Earnest Sanders, Izayah Cummings, D’Eryk Jackson, Torrance Davis, Andru Phillips, Jordan Watkins, and Joshua Jones in what may be the most impressive class Mark Stoops and company have put together yet.
Buford actually visited Kentucky on April 26th alongside Young, Rogers, Phillips and Allen. At this pace, it should finish as a top-25 class if there are no decommitments, but there’s a long way to go between now and the early signing period.
Check out some highlights of the newest Wildcat in action:
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