Discussion about possible inbound transfer candidates
- Thread starter Rembrandt90
- Start date
Re: Karngbaye, I agree with you. The pass catching ability stood out. His size also stands out, and he is strong. One thing that probably attracted Coach Coen and Coach Boulware is the multiple years of eligibility. Once Davis, Jefferson, and McClain are gone, Karngbaye will still be here. That helps.
It has been said that Larkins doesn't know yet whether he will be a CB or a S. But I am pretty sure I know. A 170# S would get killed in the SEC. He has to be a CB, where his length should be an asset in our 3-3-5 defense.
I think Coach White really likes Daveren Rayner. It is a little bit concerning that he is on the light side, but he has a frame that can carry more weight. And he is from Lawrence Central hs in Indy, so we continue to see this growing emphasis on Indy players subsequent to Kendrick Gilbert coming on board. Those relationships are being built now.
Yes Raynor is on scholarship. Will be on campus first of June.
If you look at Larkins background.....he only weighed 145# coming out of HS, probably why he ended up at a small college. He has the length Coach Stoops likes in his DBs so one could say he's in the process of "growing into his body." 8 INTs is impressive, I don't care what level a guy is playing. Sounds as if he has that ball hawking knack coaches look for.
Pretty happy with our haul, guess we are full. The staff exceeded my expectations by not only filling the gaps we all knew about at O line, LB, secondary....but also got quality transfers at place kicker and running back. Karngbaye is instantly RB2, and lessens the potential need to press Wilcox into service before he is physically ready. Outstanding late pickup.
I like the acquisition of Karngbaye, especially since he will also be eligible in 2024. But nobody wins a job on Stoops' teams without earning it. Karngbaye isn't even on campus yet. He has not been promised anything, because that isn't how it works here. If Jefferson is healthy, he will be very competitive. I also think many on this board are hellbent to sell McClain short. In order for Karngbaye to lessen the need for Wilcox to play, he will have to beat out Wilcox in practice. Maybe he will, but Wilcox is a tremendous prospect. Not saying Karngbaye can't do it. Maybe he can, maybe he will. But our coaches want more competition. Saying Karngbaye is "instantly" RB2 ignores the way this coaching staff has always done things.
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1. Ray Davis will be hard to push of RB1 IMO. I'd argue the rest are fighting for RB2 reps and beyond.
2. I feel Wilcox is most likely to be RB2....but Karngbaye will get a long look.
3. I just have never seen much out of McClain besides good hands out of backfield. Maybe Coen coming back can find some plays to make him a weapon. But he just doesnt' break tackles, he's not explosive or elusive in open field like Boom Williams....those things aren't likely to change going forward.
4. The biggest roster issue I see with adding Karngbaye is Lavell Wright. To me, this is a death nail for his career at UK. If they believed in him at all, they'd not pick up this guy.
I have no idea about Jefferson....we'll see if he can come back.
As far as RB goes.
1. Ray Davis will be hard to push of RB1 IMO. I'd argue the rest are fighting for RB2 reps and beyond.
2. I feel Wilcox is most likely to be RB2....but Karngbaye will get a long look.
3. I just have never seen much out of McClain besides good hands out of backfield. Maybe Coen coming back can find some plays to make him a weapon. But he just doesnt' break tackles, he's not explosive or elusive in open field like Boom Williams....those things aren't likely to change going forward.
4. The biggest roster issue I see with adding Karngbaye is Lavell Wright. To me, this is a death nail for his career at UK. If they believed in him at all, they'd not pick up this guy.
I have no idea about Jefferson....we'll see if he can come back.
Of course. Davis is one of the top returning RBs in the SEC, and he earned the starting job in spring practice. He is clearly the starter.
Interesting. From our coaches' point of view, a good portion of the appeal of Karngbaye and Wilcox is that both will be eligible at UK in 2024, after Davis, Jefferson, and McClain are gone. This addresses a 2024 problem. I am a big fan of Wilcox. Anyone who has seen his film from South Paulding hs ought to be. At some point, Wilcox will be a legitimate Power 5 playmaker. Karngbaye is a different kind of RB, so they will compliment one another. If either earns playing time in 2023, which seems likely, that will have to be determined in practice. There is a lot of talent in that room.
I have never heard McClain compared to Boom. Boom was an all-SEC RB. Jojo Kemp and Bryant Koback are physical comps for McClain although McClain is the best player of those three. McClain missed some time in 2022. After he got healthy and well prepped, he was actually doing most of the things you don't believe he can do. But he is not explosive. That is true. He is a grinder. Lots of effective RBs are grinders.
You may be right, but I think Wright's inability to stay healthy is his primary problem. JMO. Wright isn't a bad player, but he needs some continuity with a stable offensive coaching staff for a change. I'm sure our coaches would like Wright to succeed and set a good example for the younger kids at North Hardin hs. But Wright is in a full RB room with a bunch of other good players who have more experience at this level than he does. So I don't think it is necessarily a lack of confidence in Wright, so much as more confidence in the more experienced players. Also, Karngbaye is coming here in large part because of his prior relationship with Leary at NC St. That has nothing directly to do with Wright or McClain. Karngbaye hasn't even practiced yet, nor has he ever played in the SEC, so he must still earn the trust of our staff.
If Jefferson is healthy, he has the inside track for RB2. A healthy Jefferson can be a really productive player for us. But physically similar to Davis. Like all of these RBs, he has strengths and limitations. There is physical diversity at the position, which is very good for Coen and Leary.
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It's pretty simple too me, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye last season won a starting tailback job at a D1 power 5 school, only Ray Davis on this roster can say that. He didn't finish the yr like that due to injury, hence RB2 in my book. Barring complete recovery from injuries, which I assume, otherwise UK wouldn't have brought him in.
Who knows how the guys actually look come Aug! Wilcox might be another Quinshon Judkins and shine as the best back in the room once pads come on.
However PT and carries get divided I'm much happier now than I was before we got yet another NC State skill position starter.
Who knows how the guys actually look come Aug! Wilcox might be another Quinshon Judkins and shine as the best back in the room once pads come on.
However PT and carries get divided I'm much happier now than I was before we got yet another NC State skill position starter.
I agree, completely, that it’s not good for Wright. He had serious issues last season, missing open gaps & running into traffic. It wasn’t just a cpl of bad reads, either. It was a problem in every game he played. Van Hiles, who does a great job of breaking down film, highlighted this several times.
Looked to me like he had basic vision issues, or, he just didn’t understand the playbook & didn’t know where to go. Disappointing to me, bc I thought he was good in his FR season. But, he regressed last year for one reason or another. He didn’t seem to run as hard last season, either. On the bright side, those are fundamental issues/mistakes, so, hopefully he can clean that up. Although, bringing in Karngbaye isn’t a good sign for him & gives the impression that Wright is still struggling, IMO.
Ramon Jefferson had surgery for a torn ACL, an injury that at one time was pretty much career ending. Now, thanks to improved surgical technique and much better rehabbing, it's not unusual for guys to pretty much make a full recovery. Just where Jefferson is remains to be seen but I wonder if part of bringing in Sumo was due to a slower than expected Jefferson recovery? Whatever the reason, I'm sure glad UK added him.
For me, anything UK gets from Jefferson will be gravy.
For me, anything UK gets from Jefferson will be gravy.
I think the new RB addition brings immediate quality depth for this year (which apparently we needed) as well as a starter for next year as well. Good pickup.
I have to agree about Jefferson. It all depends on if he’s 100%. If so, I can definitely see him being our #2 without much loss at all from Davis! He’s just a bowling ball and has good speed as well. What I love the most is his experience, being around football as long as he has and he has a lot of carries! Also, for the staff to even have him back imo means they think he’ll be ready and can help us. Really like Jefferson. Ha.
8, . . . Eight, . . . Ate Interceptions???
Yeah.
That’s worthy of moving up to the SEC!!
From what I have seen, Jefferson's recovery is on schedule or ahead of schedule. IDK but that's just what I see in the media. He didn't participate in spring practice but the coaches implied he will be ready in August. ACL is such a common injury for athletes that the rehab is standardized. Vito Tisdale had the same surgery and recovered in the same timeframe before blowing his opportunity.
Karngbaye has multiple years of eligibility remaining, and was a teammate of Leary at NC St. Those are the reasons he is here. Davis is the starter. Karngbaye will play. So will Jefferson and McClain. Whether Wilcox beats these guys out in 2023 remains to be seen, but Wilcox is potentially the best player in the room.
Wright still has multiple years of eligibility. It is not a mystery to me why Wright has struggled. Youngest player in the room that included CRod. Nagging injuries. Different offensive coaching staff with different play book every year. Ineffective OL in 2022. This is going to come down to what Liam Coen thinks of Wright. Yes he may get crowded out of the rotation in 2023. But unless he gives up and transfers, he should be here with Wilcox and Karngbaye after the others are gone. So if he impresses Coen, there is still a path for Wright to be a valuable rotation player here. He has the physical tools, but not every player is fully developed and ready as a freshman or sophomore. It took Brenden Bates, Jalen Geiger, Justin Rigg, and Austin Dotson longer than that.
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Nothing in their careers suggests Jutahn is better than koback or Kemp. I don’t even think McClain has had a 300 yard season in his career.
Right. Nothing suggests he isn't, either.
Kemp had a couple of productive games but was a 3rd string RB on a lesser team here. Koback transferred to Toledo where he was the best RB in the room in a secondary conference.
So if we are comparing outcomes, there is an apples and oranges element. McClain has persevered at UK in a deeper, more talented room. Of course, Koback made it to the NFL, although he was an undrafted FA and we don't know if it will amount to anything. But these three RBs are about the same size with about the same skill set. IMO, McClain is the best of the three. Hypothetically, if McClain transferred to a MAC team, I would anticipate that he could accomplish what Koback accomplished. McClain's career isn't over, and he shared the position with CRod, Smoke, and now Davis.
I have never bought into the dismissive perspective some here have on McClain. McClain was the #12 ranked hs player in the state of OH in 2020. He chose UK over offers from seven B10 schools including MI. PA St, and OH St. The Buckeyes offered McClain on Oct. 18, 2018. I am not suggesting the offer was still committable by the time McClain verballed to UK. But the offer sheet usually says a lot about a prospect. McClain played for a new coordinator behind a bad OL in 2022. He doesn't have elite top end speed, but he is a fine, hardnosed football player who does everything pretty well in the nation's top conference. JMO.
Given UK's formal announcement earlier this week of new transfers accepted by Coach Stoops, the roster is set for now and Stoops' participation in the transfer portal is over until the next window opens.
According to ESPN, the next portal window will open in December.
www.espn.com
A player can leave the team at anytime. But players can't enter the transfer portal until a window opens. There are exceptions. The transfer portal window doesn't apply to grad transfers or to players whose head coaches have left their current schools to take other coaching positions.
Anyone familiar with my thinking will know that I don't pay much attention to online class rankings. However, it isn't a secret that Coach Stoops has been skillful at selecting and convincing good players to come to UK out of the portal. So FWIW, 247 ranks UK's most recent transfer class #18 in the nation and #6 in the SEC, while On3 ranks UK's transfer class #16 in the nation and #4 in the SEC. In both rankings, Neon Deion's incoming transfer class at CO is ranked #1 while Auburn is credited with the SEC's best incoming transfers.
What stands out about Stoops' latest group is that UK's roster needs are carefully and tactically addressed. One could argue that we could have used one more WR, and it is known that our coaches made an effort in that direction. But QB, RB, OL, LB, and DB were addressed, and at least three of our new transfers will start next September. If he can stay healthy, Devin Leary could become one of the SEC's top QBs. If that happens, our retooled OL will be one of the reasons. Hope springs eternal.
According to ESPN, the next portal window will open in December.
How transfer windows will change college football: Everything we know, and what coaches are saying
The transfer portal opens in less than a month, and coaches and personnel directors are already preparing for the "chaos" element.
A player can leave the team at anytime. But players can't enter the transfer portal until a window opens. There are exceptions. The transfer portal window doesn't apply to grad transfers or to players whose head coaches have left their current schools to take other coaching positions.
Anyone familiar with my thinking will know that I don't pay much attention to online class rankings. However, it isn't a secret that Coach Stoops has been skillful at selecting and convincing good players to come to UK out of the portal. So FWIW, 247 ranks UK's most recent transfer class #18 in the nation and #6 in the SEC, while On3 ranks UK's transfer class #16 in the nation and #4 in the SEC. In both rankings, Neon Deion's incoming transfer class at CO is ranked #1 while Auburn is credited with the SEC's best incoming transfers.
What stands out about Stoops' latest group is that UK's roster needs are carefully and tactically addressed. One could argue that we could have used one more WR, and it is known that our coaches made an effort in that direction. But QB, RB, OL, LB, and DB were addressed, and at least three of our new transfers will start next September. If he can stay healthy, Devin Leary could become one of the SEC's top QBs. If that happens, our retooled OL will be one of the reasons. Hope springs eternal.
On paper, at least, it appears to have been a masterful use of the portal (and presumably NIL). Of course, the proof will be in the pudding, but what the staff put together this off season looks deeply impressive from this May vantage.
The services need to come up with a better way of ranking transfer classes and I’m sure they eventually will.Given UK's formal announcement earlier this week of new transfers accepted by Coach Stoops, the roster is set for now and Stoops' participation in the transfer portal is over until the next window opens.
According to ESPN, the next portal window will open in December.
How transfer windows will change college football: Everything we know, and what coaches are saying
The transfer portal opens in less than a month, and coaches and personnel directors are already preparing for the "chaos" element.
A player can leave the team at anytime. But players can't enter the transfer portal until a window opens. There are exceptions. The transfer portal window doesn't apply to grad transfers or to players whose head coaches have left their current schools to take other coaching positions.
Anyone familiar with my thinking will know that I don't pay much attention to online class rankings. However, it isn't a secret that Coach Stoops has been skillful at selecting and convincing good players to come to UK out of the portal. So FWIW, 247 ranks UK's most recent transfer class #18 in the nation and #6 in the SEC, while On3 ranks UK's transfer class #16 in the nation and #4 in the SEC. In both rankings, Neon Deion's incoming transfer class at CO is ranked #1 while Auburn is credited with the SEC's best incoming transfers.
What stands out about Stoops' latest group is that UK's roster needs are carefully and tactically addressed. One could argue that we could have used one more WR, and it is known that our coaches made an effort in that direction. But QB, RB, OL, LB, and DB were addressed, and at least three of our new transfers will start next September. If he can stay healthy, Devin Leary could become one of the SEC's top QBs. If that happens, our retooled OL will be one of the reasons. Hope springs eternal.
Colorado only #1 cause they took in 39 3 star players and 48 in total. Maybe they just count the top 10 in each teams class.
It's always going to be about performance. The rest is a game of click bait.
At the end of the day, Stoops has used the transfer portal very effectively. All of us are anxious to see what Devin Leary can do, but the four incoming offensive linemen will be a big key to that.
And I have to say, Kevin Larkins is intriguing. At 170#, he probably isn't ready for SEC physicality. But he has multiple years of eligibility and a frame that can easily carry more good weight. With 8 picks in 9 games at Livingstone College, he obviously understands how to jump a route and has the instincts to do that. The SEC will be a big jump for him, but it looks like he has nice physical tools. In his interview, he said they haven't addressed whether he will be developed as a CB or a S. But at 6'2" 170#, he isn't a safety. With a little more strength conditioning, he could be a heck of a find on the outside.
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Trevard Lindley was also very slight of build at UK. If Larkins can turn into that level of player, he will be a gem of a find!
Lindley could cover receivers about as good as anyone I have ever seen at UK. He had a knack of getting his arm in to break up the pass at the perfect time.
Lindley was a great player for us, but that was a long time ago and the defensive game has changed since then. We play a 3-3-5 now and CBs often have to tackle SEC backs on the edges in run support. In 2022 our starting CBs were 204# and 194#. Larkins weighs 170#. He has a frame that can add more good weight, and he will need it in today's SEC game.
