Today I tweeted that I think UK's 2016 class has an incredible and rare blend of grit and swag. Lots of Honey Badger types. I'm talking about nearly grown young men that take camp reps personally, play with chips on their shoulders, yet go about their business with a willingness to put in the work to get where they want. Not every player in the class has, right now, both attributes.
Some do. I believe Tobias Gilliam does. Swagger for days and he will get in your face and bark at you for all four quarters. He does not lack for confidence, he's a guy that you will find dancing to whatever pregame music is blaring, but he does so as he's in a zone, an impressive state of mental focus and self-motivation that many of the greats can create. Both grit and swag.
I think A.J. Rose is much the same. This guy is one tough baller. He's tight with Dorian Baker, who as you know, will back down from no man. Call it that Cleveland toughness. He's approachable when you interview him but underlying the pleasantries I get the feeling he's a guy that wants to stiff arm a would-be tackler, break the next guy's ankles, and high step into the end zone - maybe he wouldn't say that about himself, but it's my job to draw reasonable conclusions.
I'd actually put Drake Jackson in that 'grit and swag' category. He doesn't fit the mold of a swag candidate, because he isn't a big talker and he's a center, but this is a guy that exudes confidence, will stick his hand in your throat and maul you however possible, no matter how big or how highly ranked you are. He's named "Stone Wall Jackson" for a reason, and that reason is he has stone walled almost every camp opponent he's faced for more than two years. The grit is is personality and playing style but maybe a polite wink and a nod to critics that say he's too small or close to his ceiling.
I'll throw Benny Snell in there, too. When I first met him, he seemed quiet. But when he's going through drills and taking hand offs he's got a pep in his step that you cannot fake. This guy might look like a workhorse, and that's what he is. He's chiseled and physically impressive, but he's not some quiet grinder. He is a much different runner than Rose, but I think they have some similar qualities.
Dakota Holtzclaw? This guy is 6'7 and believes he can dominate every matchup because of his size. He posted a video of himself using a neighborhood speedometer to clock his sprint. He camped at Texas A&M, Baylor and TCU, three explosive offenses in a part of the country that's a long way from his, because, well, Texas A&M, Baylor and TCU have sick offenses. Didn't back down from an Ohio State camp, either. Every person asks him whether he'll grow into a tight end, I'm sure. Not a question. Receiver, he'll say.
You've got your humble giants in Landon Young and Justin Rigg. These guys are not known for getting in your face but they pick up their lunch pails and tote their massive frames up to the line every snap and just impress you with their towering, staggering builds at such a young age. These guys are down to earth and will be drama-free, getting along with just about everyone they come across. They have no bad weight, will never lack for effort, and will make Kentucky more powerful on the front line.
Luke Fortner is an extremely smart kid and drama-free himself. He'll make the line smarter, give it more versatility (he can play multiple positions), and will fit right in with the crew.
I'll throw out two guys that I think need to realize that they can be first round NFL draft picks: Davonte Robinson and Jaylin Bannerman. I'm not saying they will be. Bannerman's got to get a lot bigger and he has to work on the little things. I'm not saying he lacks for confidence, but he has to get it stuck in his head, "Oregon and UCLA want me for a reason. Kentucky wanted me for a reason. I'm 6-foot-6, I can chase down every single quarterback I blitz, and I'm going to still be able to do that 50 pounds from now." He has to play angry and he has to eat a lot and lift a lot. You cannot teach the great attributes he has.
Robinson isn't lacking for confidence either but he hasn't done a ton to put himself out there. That's not a concern, really, as track had something to do with that. But coming from Kentucky, lacking exposure, not having a lot of film out there, not facing the greatest competition thus far - he needs to have a great awakening early in his time at UK. From the first time I watched that one highlight a year ago, when he ran down a guy from a bad angle and about 30 yards away, I knew this kid could be special. Does he believe that? I haven't interacted with him in person but I haven't sensed he has quite Gilliam's 'Honey Badger' persona. He needs some of that to be the player he can be.
Gunnar Hoak at his best can be calm, collected, unmoved by a game's turmoil, accurate and a respected 'lead by example' quarterback. What Gunnar Hoak must improve on, before any physical aspect of the game, is to become the kind of vocal leader a quarterback has to be. He knows this. He's worked on it and will work on it. I don't think yelling at people - which you occasionally have to do - comes naturally to him. For him, the struggle will not be to pat a receiver on the helmet after he runs an errant route or drops an easy pass. For him, the struggle will be to chew the guy out that runs two bad routes in a row, or doesn't get open because he's giving 75-percent effort.
Kash Daniel? What can you say? The guy has an uncanny ability to mimic 30-year head coaches. He answers questions in a way that shows he's both very perceptive and thoughtful, yet prepared and keeping within the boundaries a coach will want him to when he's talking to the media.
I also tweeted today that in this class Kentucky has effectively added two coaches on the field, in the middle of the field, and one on each side of the ball. Drake Jackson is the quarterback of the offensive line that points out defensive alignments and tells his fellow linemen what to watch for. He will be steady, heady, reliable and respected. A true leader that will touch the ball before anyone else on every single snap. He will keep his quarterback calmer than he would be without him.
And Kash Daniel is about as good a quarterback of a defense, personality wise, as a person can find. When he sells out running to make a full body extension tackle, or when he takes on a block head on from someone 75 pounds bigger than someone, whether he's successful or not, his teammates will do the same for him. In terms of game readiness and football IQ, I see him largely as a Drake Jackson clone on defense.
Some do. I believe Tobias Gilliam does. Swagger for days and he will get in your face and bark at you for all four quarters. He does not lack for confidence, he's a guy that you will find dancing to whatever pregame music is blaring, but he does so as he's in a zone, an impressive state of mental focus and self-motivation that many of the greats can create. Both grit and swag.
I think A.J. Rose is much the same. This guy is one tough baller. He's tight with Dorian Baker, who as you know, will back down from no man. Call it that Cleveland toughness. He's approachable when you interview him but underlying the pleasantries I get the feeling he's a guy that wants to stiff arm a would-be tackler, break the next guy's ankles, and high step into the end zone - maybe he wouldn't say that about himself, but it's my job to draw reasonable conclusions.
I'd actually put Drake Jackson in that 'grit and swag' category. He doesn't fit the mold of a swag candidate, because he isn't a big talker and he's a center, but this is a guy that exudes confidence, will stick his hand in your throat and maul you however possible, no matter how big or how highly ranked you are. He's named "Stone Wall Jackson" for a reason, and that reason is he has stone walled almost every camp opponent he's faced for more than two years. The grit is is personality and playing style but maybe a polite wink and a nod to critics that say he's too small or close to his ceiling.
I'll throw Benny Snell in there, too. When I first met him, he seemed quiet. But when he's going through drills and taking hand offs he's got a pep in his step that you cannot fake. This guy might look like a workhorse, and that's what he is. He's chiseled and physically impressive, but he's not some quiet grinder. He is a much different runner than Rose, but I think they have some similar qualities.
Dakota Holtzclaw? This guy is 6'7 and believes he can dominate every matchup because of his size. He posted a video of himself using a neighborhood speedometer to clock his sprint. He camped at Texas A&M, Baylor and TCU, three explosive offenses in a part of the country that's a long way from his, because, well, Texas A&M, Baylor and TCU have sick offenses. Didn't back down from an Ohio State camp, either. Every person asks him whether he'll grow into a tight end, I'm sure. Not a question. Receiver, he'll say.
You've got your humble giants in Landon Young and Justin Rigg. These guys are not known for getting in your face but they pick up their lunch pails and tote their massive frames up to the line every snap and just impress you with their towering, staggering builds at such a young age. These guys are down to earth and will be drama-free, getting along with just about everyone they come across. They have no bad weight, will never lack for effort, and will make Kentucky more powerful on the front line.
Luke Fortner is an extremely smart kid and drama-free himself. He'll make the line smarter, give it more versatility (he can play multiple positions), and will fit right in with the crew.
I'll throw out two guys that I think need to realize that they can be first round NFL draft picks: Davonte Robinson and Jaylin Bannerman. I'm not saying they will be. Bannerman's got to get a lot bigger and he has to work on the little things. I'm not saying he lacks for confidence, but he has to get it stuck in his head, "Oregon and UCLA want me for a reason. Kentucky wanted me for a reason. I'm 6-foot-6, I can chase down every single quarterback I blitz, and I'm going to still be able to do that 50 pounds from now." He has to play angry and he has to eat a lot and lift a lot. You cannot teach the great attributes he has.
Robinson isn't lacking for confidence either but he hasn't done a ton to put himself out there. That's not a concern, really, as track had something to do with that. But coming from Kentucky, lacking exposure, not having a lot of film out there, not facing the greatest competition thus far - he needs to have a great awakening early in his time at UK. From the first time I watched that one highlight a year ago, when he ran down a guy from a bad angle and about 30 yards away, I knew this kid could be special. Does he believe that? I haven't interacted with him in person but I haven't sensed he has quite Gilliam's 'Honey Badger' persona. He needs some of that to be the player he can be.
Gunnar Hoak at his best can be calm, collected, unmoved by a game's turmoil, accurate and a respected 'lead by example' quarterback. What Gunnar Hoak must improve on, before any physical aspect of the game, is to become the kind of vocal leader a quarterback has to be. He knows this. He's worked on it and will work on it. I don't think yelling at people - which you occasionally have to do - comes naturally to him. For him, the struggle will not be to pat a receiver on the helmet after he runs an errant route or drops an easy pass. For him, the struggle will be to chew the guy out that runs two bad routes in a row, or doesn't get open because he's giving 75-percent effort.
Kash Daniel? What can you say? The guy has an uncanny ability to mimic 30-year head coaches. He answers questions in a way that shows he's both very perceptive and thoughtful, yet prepared and keeping within the boundaries a coach will want him to when he's talking to the media.
I also tweeted today that in this class Kentucky has effectively added two coaches on the field, in the middle of the field, and one on each side of the ball. Drake Jackson is the quarterback of the offensive line that points out defensive alignments and tells his fellow linemen what to watch for. He will be steady, heady, reliable and respected. A true leader that will touch the ball before anyone else on every single snap. He will keep his quarterback calmer than he would be without him.
And Kash Daniel is about as good a quarterback of a defense, personality wise, as a person can find. When he sells out running to make a full body extension tackle, or when he takes on a block head on from someone 75 pounds bigger than someone, whether he's successful or not, his teammates will do the same for him. In terms of game readiness and football IQ, I see him largely as a Drake Jackson clone on defense.
