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Elijah Groves...

I saw him on UT gear a few months back. That doesn't mean he'll end up there, but I certainly thought it was interesting
 
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He's an interesting one. 247 has him as the 130th player overall in the class, but his only Power 5 offers were UK, Purdue, NC State, VaTech and Vandy. Something seems off there.
 
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Kentucky was the best school to offer him, these kids that do that don't understand the time and money that schools spend recruiting them. It also can hurt the program when the school they committed to, thinks have a need covered and quits recruiting for that position, but that's the way it is in the recruiting business, I guess.
 
This kind of stuff used to cause me frustration....but in this new world. It's like UK will just go get a transfer portal LBer all the same. Just high school recruiting means so much less than it used to.

From a position standpoint...Groves looks like a Sam or Mike/Will Lb.

1. Afari has that Sam on lock down for 2 more years
2. Until guys like Grant Godfrey, Javonte Brown (He seems destined for Mike), Lorenzo Cowan, Antwan Smith, Steven Soles, Caleb Redd, etc... start to get to those LB spots...it's hard for me to tell how much of a hole this leave.

If I had to guess the past 2024 for LBer spots (so I will assume guys like Deryck Jackson, Trevin Wallace, JJ Weaver and Raynor will be gone after next year)

Sam - Afari, Grant Godfrey
Mike - Javonte Brown
Will - Lorenzo Cowan, Antwan Smith, Steven Soles
Jack - Fearby and Noah Matthews

But these are wild guesses of how it might pan out.
 
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This kind of stuff used to cause me frustration....but in this new world. It's like UK will just go get a transfer portal LBer all the same. Just high school recruiting means so much less than it used to.

From a position standpoint...Groves looks like a Sam or Mike/Will Lb.

1. Afari has that Sam on lock down for 2 more years
2. Until guys like Grant Godfrey, Javonte Brown (He seems destined for Mike), Lorenzo Cowan, Antwan Smith, Steven Soles, Caleb Redd, etc... start to get to those LB spots...it's hard for me to tell how much of a hole this leave.

If I had to guess the past 2024 for LBer spots (so I will assume guys like Deryck Jackson, Trevin Wallace, JJ Weaver and Raynor will be gone after next year)

Sam - Afari, Grant Godfrey
Mike - Javonte Brown
Will - Lorenzo Cowan, Antwan Smith, Steven Soles
Jack - Fearby and Noah Matthews

But these are wild guesses of how it might pan out.
 
Once again posters are upset and surprised that an 17 year old changed his mind lol. Decommits are not new lol, it’s as old as college football, we see hundreds of these across football every year and always have. It’s recruiting and it never stops. No idea why this bothers people so much…. No one is a done deal until they sign, that’s when you get excited. Until then anything can and will happen
 
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Saw his HS lose the state championship game 14-7 last week and while he's a tall, lanky athlete he didn't really do anything that stood out. One sidebar here is that he has a younger brother, just completed his soph year, who ran for over 3000 yards this season. Think there may be another brother or maybe cousin too. Regardless of where he ends up he's several years away from contributing.

BUT....this is another of a mid-TN prospect that has parted with UK. That's now 4 in 2 days. Nashville metro area/mid-TN should be a key recruiting area for UK, one of the fastest growing areas certainly in the South but maybe the country. No question the pipeline UK thought they were building has ruptured.
 
Once again posters are upset and surprised that an 17 year old changed his mind lol. Decommits are not new lol, it’s as old as college football, we see hundreds of these across football every year and always have. It’s recruiting and it never stops. No idea why this bothers people so much…. No one is a done deal until they sign, that’s when you get excited. Until then anything can and will happen

No idea why it bothers people so much that other people are bothered by decommits and transfers. It seems silly that they'd even comment about a comment in a recruiting thread, because they'd have to know that some people do get invested in recruiting or they wouldn't post or bother to read about it.

But I guess anything can and will happen on a message board.
 
Maybe NIL money changed his mind ?
Doubtful. While a good athlete he just didn't look SEC to me. Maybe he's the type of player that everything's come easy because of size, etc but hasn't really had to work hard to succeed. He has potential but is several years away. I think the word assigned to this type player is "project."
 
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No idea why it bothers people so much that other people are bothered by decommits and transfers. It seems silly that they'd even comment about a comment in a recruiting thread, because they'd have to know that some people do get invested in recruiting or they wouldn't post or bother to read about it.

But I guess anything can and will happen on a message board.
I know what you mean. I have no idea why it bothers people so much that other people are bothered by people who are bothered by people who are bothered by people who decommit and transfer. By those people who truly don't understand the landscape of college sports. By those who are ok if we get flips but think players are horrible if they leave us and some even post negatively about kids doing what is best for them. I don't know why anyone would be upset about that, I don't know why any would be so invested that they lose all levels of empathy and rationality but as you said, it's a crazy world, anything can happen
 
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And this is why Stoops' "Pony Up" comments were nothing but truth.

He has a CB to NCST now so I guess NCST is going to get one back on us after we took Leary and Sumo.
 
Cousin (I think...) is a DB at Ole Miss. Younger brother just won TN Mr. Football today. Would've been nice to get one of the family in here but oh well. Good luck to him.
 
Cousin (I think...) is a DB at Ole Miss. Younger brother just won TN Mr. Football today. Would've been nice to get one of the family in here but oh well. Good luck to him.
Like I said, younger brother, soph, just completed a season where he rushed for 3000+ yards. Really think this is the ultimate target. See my comments about Elijah....while intriguing not sure he has SEC talent. Elijah is probably 6'5" but very slender, really needs a good strength program but is 2-3 years away from helping anybody.
 
Saw his HS lose the state championship game 14-7 last week and while he's a tall, lanky athlete he didn't really do anything that stood out. One sidebar here is that he has a younger brother, just completed his soph year, who ran for over 3000 yards this season. Think there may be another brother or maybe cousin too. Regardless of where he ends up he's several years away from contributing.

BUT....this is another of a mid-TN prospect that has parted with UK. That's now 4 in 2 days. Nashville metro area/mid-TN should be a key recruiting area for UK, one of the fastest growing areas certainly in the South but maybe the country. No question the pipeline UK thought they were building has ruptured.
He has a family
I know what you mean. I have no idea why it bothers people so much that other people are bothered by people who are bothered by people who are bothered by people who decommit and transfer. By those people who truly don't understand the landscape of college sports. By those who are ok if we get flips but think players are horrible if they leave us and some even post negatively about kids doing what is best for them. I don't know why anyone would be upset about that, I don't know why any would be so invested that they lose all levels of empathy and rationality but as you said, it's a crazy world, anything can happen
This bothers me......
 
He has a family

This bothers me......
That is fine, what I spoke of were people taking it as personal offense or trashing players when they decide to leave. I don't think that helps and I don't think any fan has a right to that level of entitlement. So, I am not sure why you included me in this, I agree people should lay off. As for the pipeline, I mean that is never good, but its also not the end of the world. That Nashville pipeline was in its early stages and wasn't well established yet anyway and it also doesn't mean it cannot continue. UKs fate never depends on the kids staying or leaving, you will always have that and it has been that way long before the portal or NIL came along. Life will go on, we will rebound and find others. We should understand this is their lives, not ours and not take it as personal affront, we do not own them, nor does UK and that is my point. Life is bigger than UK football and its fanhood's desires.
 
Like I said, younger brother, soph, just completed a season where he rushed for 3000+ yards. Really think this is the ultimate target. See my comments about Elijah....while intriguing not sure he has SEC talent. Elijah is probably 6'5" but very slender, really needs a good strength program but is 2-3 years away from helping anybody.
They play 1A in TN. Hard to get a good read on how they would translate to SEC football.
Other than Carlus Groves who played for UT 30 years ago this HS hasnt produced D1 talent despite being a 1A power in football and basketball.
 
They play 1A in TN. Hard to get a good read on how they would translate to SEC football.
Other than Carlus Groves who played for UT 30 years ago this HS hasnt produced D1 talent despite being a 1A power in football and basketball.
And Carlus Groves only claim to fame is he got in a fight with Shaq.

As for Elijah Groves, I wish him luck but he just didn't show SEC talent in their state championship game.
 
That's concerning. Seems like Woodward was his recruiter. Maybe given the combination of those things, we just moved on. Seems the staff is really focused on locking down their guys and I didn't see them visit him

Brad White is Groves' UK recruiter. And the whole thing is very odd.

For those who believe this is about NIL, do you honestly think a guy with offers from Vandy, VA Tech, NC St, and Purdue is decommitting from UK over NIL? Think TN is coming after Groves? Maybe, but that doesn't really add up either. TN already has a commitment from Jordan Rose. Does Groves want to compete with Rose for playing time? Throughout the fall, Groves was gungho on UK. He was one of the crown jewels of UK's class. It's strange.
 
Brad White is Groves' UK recruiter. And the whole thing is very odd.

For those who believe this is about NIL, do you honestly think a guy with offers from Vandy, VA Tech, NC St, and Purdue is decommitting from UK over NIL? Think TN is coming after Groves? Maybe, but that doesn't really add up either. TN already has a commitment from Jordan Rose. Does Groves want to compete with Rose for playing time? Throughout the fall, Groves was gungho on UK. He was one of the crown jewels of UK's class. It's strange.
you remember the Auburn recruit that got a Auburn tattoo then flipped to Alabama
you just never know until they get on campus
 
Brad White is Groves' UK recruiter. And the whole thing is very odd.

For those who believe this is about NIL, do you honestly think a guy with offers from Vandy, VA Tech, NC St, and Purdue is decommitting from UK over NIL? Think TN is coming after Groves? Maybe, but that doesn't really add up either. TN already has a commitment from Jordan Rose. Does Groves want to compete with Rose for playing time? Throughout the fall, Groves was gungho on UK. He was one of the crown jewels of UK's class. It's strange.
Saw Groves play last weekend in his state championship game and commented elsewhere. After actually seeing the game I'm not concerned about his decommit. I don't want to diss the guy anymore than I have, I'm sure he's a fine young man and I wish him well..... UK will survive.
 
Picks NC state did not see that coming and don't understand the decision oh well
 
With UK having several Edge commitments anyway, it's not that big of a loss. Good luck to him.
 
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