Alright folks, consider this my official pivot to the 2023 class. Doesn't mean Kentucky is necessarily done between now and the late signing period but I think it's fair to say '23s are now center focus since so many new offers have been going out and coaches have been on the road focused on bringing them into the fold.
Kentucky already has commitments from two of the top players in the state in RB Kaden Moorman and S Ty Bryant. I'll share some notes on them, which I will also be passing along as recommendations for ranking purposes, as well as the many other interesting players in the state who could come into focus.
Soon I'll be running down a list of UK's top targets in other states as well, from Ohio to Michigan, from Tennessee to Georgia.
There are many who will make the case that Male lineman William "Woo" Spencer is the top player in the state from the 2023 class. Admittedly I don't have a strong opinion on this yet but from everything I've heard the reason so many are enamored with Spencer is his size. He's got a great body and looks like a guy who could possibly be a high level player in the SEC. 6'5, 315, the movement piece, and someone who could play offensive guard or defensive line. I think Kentucky's in a good position and seems to have made a great impression early. Having that kind of year during that important junior season, when guys really get focused on recruiting, is a good thing. The only FutureCast logged right now is for Kentucky courtesy of Dave Lackford.
What I've always said about Cristian Conyer is that it seems like he has a very open mind toward Kentucky but I don't know if he's leaning in any direction yet. That's the vibe I've always gotten which is solid, could be worse, but is going to mean that UK needs to recruit him well. That's why Marrow's in state. He's Rivals250 right now and I think that's fair. Has a lot of great qualities for a safety. Conyer visited Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Purdue, Alabama, Louisville, Cincinnati, and WKU during the season so that's the pool of programs you should keep in mind when you're trying to gauge where Kentucky and others stand.
Saadiq Clements is someone who has big-time upside. While Spencer rightfully gets a lot of consideration for the title of No. 1 in the state there are a lot of people out there who believe that Clements may have the highest upside of the big guys in the state. There's just no consensus on that but it's not a fringe opinion. While Clements is under 6'4 he's not far from it so that's not really a big concern. The big thing with Clements is the way he runs at 280+ pounds. He's elite in terms of the speed and quickness he can play with at that size. He'd probably be a strongside defensive end with the same role as Josh Paschal recently. They aren't really built the same way though.
I really like Rivals bumping RB Kaden Moorman to a four-star ranking. That was forward thinking in my view. He is just right in that mold of running back that has thrived so much at Kentucky in the Stoops era. He's got qualities from several of those backs. I see a lot of Chris Rodriguez in his game. Not the exact same kind of runner, different tendencies. A good sized back who runs and fights like heck and has better movement than you think. He grows on you the more you watch him and that's what C Rod's high school coach told me when he was coming out of Ola in Georgia a few years ago. If you only stay to watch the 40-time then you're never going to appreciate him but this is someone who is custom built to thrive the way Kentucky plays and he can also catch the ball.
The sense I got with Ty Bryant early in the recruiting process is that Kentucky liked him. After the camp last year they really warmed even more and the reclass made it a total no brainer. He's got good size at safety and we saw him run in the 4.5s at camp over the summer. Really good kid, smart kid, has the measurables and that's a take almost every single time, especially in your backyard. UK's got a great track record of local kids turning into real contributors and I have little doubt that will be the case here.
Don't have a lot of new info on Micah Carter but he's going to be right in that high three, low four star range and it's fair. Really nice prospect and Kentucky's going to be tough to beat out.
Jeremiah Collins is someone you should definitely be paying attention to but in terms of where exactly he falls on the board my guess would be they are eager to see how he develops in the months ahead. A good local defensive back option who is rightfully considered a top 10 or so player in the state. He definitely likes Kentucky and has a lot of connections to UK. Sometimes you just never know how these things are going to break. I think about guys like Jawaun Northington on the one hand, but also Elijah Reed on the other. I wouldn't project Collins to Kentucky right now but that could change.
All along I've made it clear that I love the way Boyle County EDGE defender Tommy Ziesmer plays the game. He plays the game the right way. My big personal experience scouting him was over the summer when they moved things indoors one day and he was fantastic against the best group of linemen they saw all summer. A lot of four-star caliber players, maybe even some worthy of five-star consideration, and Ziesmer was really good. Kind of the way Drake Jackson dominated as a young kid against those heralded guys at camps and combines. He's got a lot of great traits but is definitely on the shorter side. He's really a fantastic player and probably close to elite in some areas but the issue will be projecting out how the size will translate and that's the question everyone will ask and arrive at their own conclusion on. It will just be about schools determining where and how he fits the scheme. If he finds the right fit he can thrive.
Dakota Patterson is a receiver all the way, physically in the mold of someone like Dane Key. They're pretty comparable in terms of build. The key for Patterson will be proving that he can be that explosive or close to it. He had 32 catches for 508 yards and three touchdowns for Corbin this past season.
Oryend Fisher is a bit like Clements in that I don't believe people realize how high his ceiling is. He does not have the sure-fire impact ability of Woo Spencer or probably Cristian Conyer because there is so much development and physical maturation that needs to take place but he's a legit 6'5 and an athlete. I don't know where his head is at. I know Fisher was at least at the UK-Chattanooga game and UK likes him as an EDGE. My guess would be that Kentucky would add him on the basis of the upside alone but we shall see. In terms of his recruitment it is probably more favorable than it was with Perry, where they were playing catch up and didn't have a great chance.
Currently on board: RB Kaden Moorman, DB Ty Bryant
I'd currently forecast the following to Kentucky: OL/DL Woo Spencer, DL Micah Carter, DE Saadiq Clements
Too early to say: DB Cristian Conyer, Oryend Fisher
Continue to monitor: DB Jeremiah Collins, EDGE Tommy Ziesmer, WR Dakota Patterson
Kentucky already has commitments from two of the top players in the state in RB Kaden Moorman and S Ty Bryant. I'll share some notes on them, which I will also be passing along as recommendations for ranking purposes, as well as the many other interesting players in the state who could come into focus.
Soon I'll be running down a list of UK's top targets in other states as well, from Ohio to Michigan, from Tennessee to Georgia.
There are many who will make the case that Male lineman William "Woo" Spencer is the top player in the state from the 2023 class. Admittedly I don't have a strong opinion on this yet but from everything I've heard the reason so many are enamored with Spencer is his size. He's got a great body and looks like a guy who could possibly be a high level player in the SEC. 6'5, 315, the movement piece, and someone who could play offensive guard or defensive line. I think Kentucky's in a good position and seems to have made a great impression early. Having that kind of year during that important junior season, when guys really get focused on recruiting, is a good thing. The only FutureCast logged right now is for Kentucky courtesy of Dave Lackford.
What I've always said about Cristian Conyer is that it seems like he has a very open mind toward Kentucky but I don't know if he's leaning in any direction yet. That's the vibe I've always gotten which is solid, could be worse, but is going to mean that UK needs to recruit him well. That's why Marrow's in state. He's Rivals250 right now and I think that's fair. Has a lot of great qualities for a safety. Conyer visited Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Purdue, Alabama, Louisville, Cincinnati, and WKU during the season so that's the pool of programs you should keep in mind when you're trying to gauge where Kentucky and others stand.
Saadiq Clements is someone who has big-time upside. While Spencer rightfully gets a lot of consideration for the title of No. 1 in the state there are a lot of people out there who believe that Clements may have the highest upside of the big guys in the state. There's just no consensus on that but it's not a fringe opinion. While Clements is under 6'4 he's not far from it so that's not really a big concern. The big thing with Clements is the way he runs at 280+ pounds. He's elite in terms of the speed and quickness he can play with at that size. He'd probably be a strongside defensive end with the same role as Josh Paschal recently. They aren't really built the same way though.
I really like Rivals bumping RB Kaden Moorman to a four-star ranking. That was forward thinking in my view. He is just right in that mold of running back that has thrived so much at Kentucky in the Stoops era. He's got qualities from several of those backs. I see a lot of Chris Rodriguez in his game. Not the exact same kind of runner, different tendencies. A good sized back who runs and fights like heck and has better movement than you think. He grows on you the more you watch him and that's what C Rod's high school coach told me when he was coming out of Ola in Georgia a few years ago. If you only stay to watch the 40-time then you're never going to appreciate him but this is someone who is custom built to thrive the way Kentucky plays and he can also catch the ball.
The sense I got with Ty Bryant early in the recruiting process is that Kentucky liked him. After the camp last year they really warmed even more and the reclass made it a total no brainer. He's got good size at safety and we saw him run in the 4.5s at camp over the summer. Really good kid, smart kid, has the measurables and that's a take almost every single time, especially in your backyard. UK's got a great track record of local kids turning into real contributors and I have little doubt that will be the case here.
Don't have a lot of new info on Micah Carter but he's going to be right in that high three, low four star range and it's fair. Really nice prospect and Kentucky's going to be tough to beat out.
Jeremiah Collins is someone you should definitely be paying attention to but in terms of where exactly he falls on the board my guess would be they are eager to see how he develops in the months ahead. A good local defensive back option who is rightfully considered a top 10 or so player in the state. He definitely likes Kentucky and has a lot of connections to UK. Sometimes you just never know how these things are going to break. I think about guys like Jawaun Northington on the one hand, but also Elijah Reed on the other. I wouldn't project Collins to Kentucky right now but that could change.
All along I've made it clear that I love the way Boyle County EDGE defender Tommy Ziesmer plays the game. He plays the game the right way. My big personal experience scouting him was over the summer when they moved things indoors one day and he was fantastic against the best group of linemen they saw all summer. A lot of four-star caliber players, maybe even some worthy of five-star consideration, and Ziesmer was really good. Kind of the way Drake Jackson dominated as a young kid against those heralded guys at camps and combines. He's got a lot of great traits but is definitely on the shorter side. He's really a fantastic player and probably close to elite in some areas but the issue will be projecting out how the size will translate and that's the question everyone will ask and arrive at their own conclusion on. It will just be about schools determining where and how he fits the scheme. If he finds the right fit he can thrive.
Dakota Patterson is a receiver all the way, physically in the mold of someone like Dane Key. They're pretty comparable in terms of build. The key for Patterson will be proving that he can be that explosive or close to it. He had 32 catches for 508 yards and three touchdowns for Corbin this past season.
Oryend Fisher is a bit like Clements in that I don't believe people realize how high his ceiling is. He does not have the sure-fire impact ability of Woo Spencer or probably Cristian Conyer because there is so much development and physical maturation that needs to take place but he's a legit 6'5 and an athlete. I don't know where his head is at. I know Fisher was at least at the UK-Chattanooga game and UK likes him as an EDGE. My guess would be that Kentucky would add him on the basis of the upside alone but we shall see. In terms of his recruitment it is probably more favorable than it was with Perry, where they were playing catch up and didn't have a great chance.
Currently on board: RB Kaden Moorman, DB Ty Bryant
I'd currently forecast the following to Kentucky: OL/DL Woo Spencer, DL Micah Carter, DE Saadiq Clements
Too early to say: DB Cristian Conyer, Oryend Fisher
Continue to monitor: DB Jeremiah Collins, EDGE Tommy Ziesmer, WR Dakota Patterson
