Football ***** Stoops December Signing Day Presser Notes *****
- The House of Blue
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Good morning, HOB. Back over on campus for one last time prior to the Gator Bowl. Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow are scheduled to join us today as we discuss the Cats’ early signing period additions to the program. We’re scheduled to begin at approx 11:30 ET. Stay tuned…
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MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Excited to talk about this class. A great deal of work goes into a class like this. Weeks, months, years in some cases. Staff did a great job. A Top 25 class. Very balanced. 14 offensive players, 11 defensive players. Offense had a few more gaps to fill than defense.
* Could be one more HS player to add today.
* Cutter Boley had a great HS career at Lexington Christian. Thinks he’ll come in and compete. Has a big personality.
* Brock Vandagriff a very important piece to add at QB. When he came on his official visit, he would have been fine if you just locked him in a room with Coach Coen and let them talk football the whole time.
* BIg addition with Macllin to the WR room. Very skilled. He and Cottrell were both needed at that spot.
* Chip Trayanum is one heckuva football player. Extremely mature. Extremely hard working. Great fit for us and our culture. Good to add the HS RBs as well. That room needs depth.
* Stoops joked that he harassed OL Jalen Farmer when he visited. Said they were meant to be together. They recruited him a long time ago.
* Heavy at the LB position. We needed that, both inside and outside. Huge upside for Jacob Smith on the edge.
* Jamon Dumas-Johnson … Brings an awful lot to our football team. Unbelievable experience. Has that burning desire to bring the winning culture with him. “Pop” can bring an immediate impact to our program. Very excited about him.
* We had to go to Montana to get a kicker, Stoops says with a laugh. Really big leg with Jacob Kauwe.
* (Updated) 18 of these guys will be coming in mid-semester. Important to have that depth and development during spring practice.
* Stoops gives our own Justin Rowland a shout-out for his article on the 15 Club. Says they’ve had something like 70 people join since then. Important to spread the word on that.
* Really high on the future of Cutter Boley. Hopes that helps them start building that QBs room from a developmental standpoint.
* Some versatility within that OL group… and still recruiting a couple who can play tackle. It sounds like they’re waiting on one possible OT addition today.
* Culture and fit becoming a bigger part of recruiting with each passing year. It always has been part of the process, but even bigger now with the portal.
* Smith twins were a joy to recruit. They’ve had a strong connection with them for a while. Good for the state, good for that area to have two guys that good playing around here. Grateful to have them. Mature young men. Hard workers. The type of guys who can have an immediate impact.
* Gilmore is a guy who is already on campus. He got a special waiver due to some circumstances. He is practicing with the Cats but not eligible to play in the bowl game. But Stoops says he has all the skills you’re looking for in a WR.
* The success they’ve had with RBs in the past and the type of season that Ray Davis just had probably had a big impact on being able to attract Chip Trayanum, Stoops said. Guys know that they are committed to a good running game here.
* Brian Robinson‘s paperwork is in. They can officially talk about the Ohio LB/DE now. Stoops: Not sure I’ve ever seen a more dedicated HS player in terms of how he goes about his training.
* Maclin can be a dynamic inside guy to help them complement what they have with Key and Brown on the outside.
* Really happy to have Dingle back at TE. Almost like another recruit. Had to fight off some other schools to keep him (Tennessee, namely, although Stoops does not mention anyone.) Says that $$$ was being tossed around.
*****
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VINCE MARROW Q&A:
* Asked who his sleeper in this class would be, Vince says maybe Rodriguez, “but he won’t be a sleeper for long.” Really loves his new TE addition.
* Every guy we wanted and targeted in the state, we got them, and those top five guys were recruited by a lot of good people. We have to keep a fence around Kentucky.
* Brian Robinson is “damn near perfect” in how he lives his life. His grades, his training, how he lives. One of the most physically impressive guys he’s been around. Saw a picture of him next to Myles Garrett, and it’s a wow moment. Has known his dad for more than 20 years.
* A lot of people see Mike Edwards in Nichols. You gotta be careful with that, Marrow notes, but he’s a very talented kid.
* Chip Trayanum was a really highly recruited kid coming out of HS. Vince wanted him then. Everyone wondered how he went to Arizona State. Wanted to play for Herm Edwards, and he did a good job there. Will not only be a great player but a great leader. Thought leadership was a little down this year on that side of the ball.
* On struggles to get that HS QB situation right… It’s a microwave society these days. Everyone wants it quick. Haven’t really found the right fit at the right time in the past, but thinks they’ve found a guy in Cutter who can change that.
* OL remind him of the type of guys Schlarman used to recruit. Tough. Hard-nosed.
* Relationships really made the biggest difference in this class. It was as important as anything.
* Yenser did a great job of identifying and sticking with Nave, even after he committed to OHio State. UK being the early offer and maintaining that relationship made a big difference. Like that kid a lot. Really physical guy. Excited about him.
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MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Excited to talk about this class. A great deal of work goes into a class like this. Weeks, months, years in some cases. Staff did a great job. A Top 25 class. Very balanced. 14 offensive players, 11 defensive players. Offense had a few more gaps to fill than defense.
* Could be one more HS player to add today.
* Cutter Boley had a great HS career at Lexington Christian. Thinks he’ll come in and compete. Has a big personality.
* Brock Vandagriff a very important piece to add at QB. When he came on his official visit, he would have been fine if you just locked him in a room with Coach Coen and let them talk football the whole time.
* BIg addition with Macllin to the WR room. Very skilled. He and Cottrell were both needed at that spot.
* Chip Trayanum is one heckuva football player. Extremely mature. Extremely hard working. Great fit for us and our culture. Good to add the HS RBs as well. That room needs depth.
* Stoops joked that he harassed OL Jalen Farmer when he visited. Said they were meant to be together. They recruited him a long time ago.
* Heavy at the LB position. We needed that, both inside and outside. Huge upside for Jacob Smith on the edge.
* Jamon Dumas-Johnson … Brings an awful lot to our football team. Unbelievable experience. Has that burning desire to bring the winning culture with him. “Pop” can bring an immediate impact to our program. Very excited about him.
* We had to go to Montana to get a kicker, Stoops says with a laugh. Really big leg with Jacob Kauwe.
* (Updated) 18 of these guys will be coming in mid-semester. Important to have that depth and development during spring practice.
* Stoops gives our own Justin Rowland a shout-out for his article on the 15 Club. Says they’ve had something like 70 people join since then. Important to spread the word on that.
* Really high on the future of Cutter Boley. Hopes that helps them start building that QBs room from a developmental standpoint.
* Some versatility within that OL group… and still recruiting a couple who can play tackle. It sounds like they’re waiting on one possible OT addition today.
* Culture and fit becoming a bigger part of recruiting with each passing year. It always has been part of the process, but even bigger now with the portal.
* Smith twins were a joy to recruit. They’ve had a strong connection with them for a while. Good for the state, good for that area to have two guys that good playing around here. Grateful to have them. Mature young men. Hard workers. The type of guys who can have an immediate impact.
* Gilmore is a guy who is already on campus. He got a special waiver due to some circumstances. He is practicing with the Cats but not eligible to play in the bowl game. But Stoops says he has all the skills you’re looking for in a WR.
* The success they’ve had with RBs in the past and the type of season that Ray Davis just had probably had a big impact on being able to attract Chip Trayanum, Stoops said. Guys know that they are committed to a good running game here.
* Brian Robinson‘s paperwork is in. They can officially talk about the Ohio LB/DE now. Stoops: Not sure I’ve ever seen a more dedicated HS player in terms of how he goes about his training.
* Maclin can be a dynamic inside guy to help them complement what they have with Key and Brown on the outside.
* Really happy to have Dingle back at TE. Almost like another recruit. Had to fight off some other schools to keep him (Tennessee, namely, although Stoops does not mention anyone.) Says that $$$ was being tossed around.
*****
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VINCE MARROW Q&A:
* Asked who his sleeper in this class would be, Vince says maybe Rodriguez, “but he won’t be a sleeper for long.” Really loves his new TE addition.
* Every guy we wanted and targeted in the state, we got them, and those top five guys were recruited by a lot of good people. We have to keep a fence around Kentucky.
* Brian Robinson is “damn near perfect” in how he lives his life. His grades, his training, how he lives. One of the most physically impressive guys he’s been around. Saw a picture of him next to Myles Garrett, and it’s a wow moment. Has known his dad for more than 20 years.
* A lot of people see Mike Edwards in Nichols. You gotta be careful with that, Marrow notes, but he’s a very talented kid.
* Chip Trayanum was a really highly recruited kid coming out of HS. Vince wanted him then. Everyone wondered how he went to Arizona State. Wanted to play for Herm Edwards, and he did a good job there. Will not only be a great player but a great leader. Thought leadership was a little down this year on that side of the ball.
* On struggles to get that HS QB situation right… It’s a microwave society these days. Everyone wants it quick. Haven’t really found the right fit at the right time in the past, but thinks they’ve found a guy in Cutter who can change that.
* OL remind him of the type of guys Schlarman used to recruit. Tough. Hard-nosed.
* Relationships really made the biggest difference in this class. It was as important as anything.
* Yenser did a great job of identifying and sticking with Nave, even after he committed to OHio State. UK being the early offer and maintaining that relationship made a big difference. Like that kid a lot. Really physical guy. Excited about him.
