Kentucky hosted a number of uncommitted official visitors over the weekend but there were two players already locked in verbally as future Wildcats on their officials as well in Johnson Central offensive lineman Grant Bingham and Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller tight end
Josh Kattus
.
While neither player seemed to be wavering in their decision going into the trip there's nothing like an official visit. Nothing simulates being on campus for 48 hours, because in that amount of time the campus experience - even with most students gone - is authentic and outside of a carefully choreographed setting.
Kattus, a three-star tight end from Ohio, spoke with Cats Illustrated a day after the conclusion of his official visit.
"The coolest thing is you're going down and sitting there eating dinner with Coach Stoops and Coach Coen and that means a lot because your parents and you are sitting there and you're just having a conversation with them, which I thought was really cool," Kattus said.
"Obviously the facilities are amazing. My host was Brenden Bates and he did a really awesome job. Me and him are really close so he made it fun and also C.J. Conrad did a really good job of taking me around everywhere and being patient with us. When I was putting on that uniform I had a smaller uniform and it was a three man job to get that thing off. I loved the trip. It was amazing and it feels like home."
Bates attended Archbishop Moeller where he was a tight end just like Kattus, so the connection through background and personal experience was strong and made for an easy host choice.
Kattus said he was able to visit Kentucky on his own without the coordination or involvement of the coaching staff during spring break so it hadn't been too long since he had been in Lexington.
But this time was very different in part because it was a major recruiting weekend.
"Aamil (Wagner) was there, Grant Bingham was there. These two guys from Missouri (Quinton Conley and Jason Essex) were there. Then there was Dane and I. I think that was it but there were some guys who were there unofficially. That big d-lineman from Michigan (Deone Walker) and a few other guys came the other day but I didn't talk to them," Kattus said. "Kiyaunta (Goodwin) was there (on Sunday), too."
Sitting down with the coaching staff to talk football was another highlight of Kattus' official visit.
"I got to do a film session with Coach Marrow where they put your clips on your highlight tape and they compare it to plays they're doing in spring practice and show how they do it on the team. It's good to see because I'll be coming in with some knowledge because we do a lot of the same things," Kattus said.
So how solid is Kattus after visiting UK? Will he visit any other schools?
"I'm done. I'm one and done with that. I'm gonna come down some times during the summer and get up there during the season to a few games. I loved it. It's my one and only place I'll visit," he said.
Josh Kattus
.
While neither player seemed to be wavering in their decision going into the trip there's nothing like an official visit. Nothing simulates being on campus for 48 hours, because in that amount of time the campus experience - even with most students gone - is authentic and outside of a carefully choreographed setting.
Kattus, a three-star tight end from Ohio, spoke with Cats Illustrated a day after the conclusion of his official visit.
"The coolest thing is you're going down and sitting there eating dinner with Coach Stoops and Coach Coen and that means a lot because your parents and you are sitting there and you're just having a conversation with them, which I thought was really cool," Kattus said.
"Obviously the facilities are amazing. My host was Brenden Bates and he did a really awesome job. Me and him are really close so he made it fun and also C.J. Conrad did a really good job of taking me around everywhere and being patient with us. When I was putting on that uniform I had a smaller uniform and it was a three man job to get that thing off. I loved the trip. It was amazing and it feels like home."
Bates attended Archbishop Moeller where he was a tight end just like Kattus, so the connection through background and personal experience was strong and made for an easy host choice.
Kattus said he was able to visit Kentucky on his own without the coordination or involvement of the coaching staff during spring break so it hadn't been too long since he had been in Lexington.
But this time was very different in part because it was a major recruiting weekend.
"Aamil (Wagner) was there, Grant Bingham was there. These two guys from Missouri (Quinton Conley and Jason Essex) were there. Then there was Dane and I. I think that was it but there were some guys who were there unofficially. That big d-lineman from Michigan (Deone Walker) and a few other guys came the other day but I didn't talk to them," Kattus said. "Kiyaunta (Goodwin) was there (on Sunday), too."
Sitting down with the coaching staff to talk football was another highlight of Kattus' official visit.
"I got to do a film session with Coach Marrow where they put your clips on your highlight tape and they compare it to plays they're doing in spring practice and show how they do it on the team. It's good to see because I'll be coming in with some knowledge because we do a lot of the same things," Kattus said.
So how solid is Kattus after visiting UK? Will he visit any other schools?
"I'm done. I'm one and done with that. I'm gonna come down some times during the summer and get up there during the season to a few games. I loved it. It's my one and only place I'll visit," he said.
