Kentucky gets hammered pretty hard on SEC Network

[woodson991]

for having the 35th ranked class (ESPN ranking) behind everyone but Vandy after our best season in 40+ years. I’ve been watching Finebaum all day today, and the most talked about team outside of Alabama and Georgia has been Kentucky and how disappointing of a class we pulled in coming off a 10-win season. Probably 7 or 8 Kentucky callers have called in asking Finebaum why the class is so bad. Jordan Rodgers and Craig Haubert (the ESPN recruiting expert) both agreed that Kentucky had one of the most disappointing recruiting hauls in the country coming off a 10-win season. Haubert mentioned how the top-6 prospects in KY left the state to go elsewhere as all of the guys on the recruiting set shook their heads and laughed in amazement. Everyone on their set seemed pretty shocked that the class was as bad as it was, and Kentucky has been getting hammered all throughout the 4 hour Finebaum show for the poor showing. Kind of shocking to see really. You can tell me about diamonds in the rough and developing two stars into Josh Allen’s, but if we’re being honest with ourselves these recruiting rankings DO matter more often than not, and this class is a really, really bad way to cap off a really good season. You can’t count on finding diamonds in the rough every year—that might work in other conferences, but it’s not going to work in this conference on a CONSISTENT basis. The SEC Network analysts can’t seem to figure out why we’re out recruited by the likes of Arkansas, Mizzou, Ole Miss, South Carolina, etc coming off a 10-win season, and to be honest, I can’t either.

 

[Rock_Cat78]

Rodgers was particularly harsh and basically said there's no way at this point UK should have been behind South Carolina, Arkansas, Mizzou, etc. He felt UK didn't capitalize on the 2018 season enough. Unfortunately, he fails to realize that most guys had already committed elsewhere by the time this season really got going. The 2020 and 2021 classes are where UK should reap the rewards of the 2018 season.

 

[The-Hack]

I didnt figure Finebaum could get Saban's nuts out of his mouth long enough to give an honest assessment of Kentucky's class.

One at a time, PC, one at a time!

 

[HerrosHeroes]

How exactly do you “capitalize” on a 10 win season? You can’t force kids to go anywhere...
Kentucky is a basketball school. Always has been, always will be.
If this doesn’t prove it to you guys nothing will.
Yawn

 

[The-Hack]

I think we all recall their freakishly accurate accessments three and four years ago that our 30ish ranked classes would lead to a 10 win season by 2018.

Hence, my extreme concern with their current opinions.

 

[Rock_Cat78]

I didnt figure Finebaum could get Saban's nuts out of his mouth long enough to give an honest assessment of Kentucky's class.

To be fair, it wasn't Finebaum. The only thing Finebaum said about UK today was that their classes are never ranked high (correct) and that Stoops has done an excellent job at developing his roster (correct).

 

[College#19]

I honestly do not understand how Jordan Rodgers has his job. Some could say because of his brother but his brother doesn't like him at all. They don't even talk. Jordan is clueless. I have never heard anything come out of his mouth that is refreshing or makes me think twice.

 

[Kampus Korner]

for the 35th ranked class (ESPN ranking). I’ve been watching Finebaum all day today and the most talked about team outside of probably Alabama and Georgia has been Kentucky and how disappointing of a class we pulled in coming off a 10-win season. Probably 7 or 8 Kentucky callers have called in asking Finebaum why the class is so bad. Jordan Rodgers and Craig Haubert (the ESPN recruiting expert) both agreed that Kentucky had one of the most disappointing recruiting hauls in the country coming off a 10-win season. Haubert mentioned how the top-6 prospects in KY left the state to go elsewhere as all of the guys on the recruiting set shook their heads and laughed in amazement. Everyone on their set seemed pretty shocked that the class was as bad as it was, and Kentucky has been getting hammered all throughout the 4 hour Finebaum show for the poor showing. Kind of shocking to see really. You can tell me about diamonds in the rough and developing two stars into Josh Allen’s, but if we’re being honest with ourselves these recruiting rankings DO matter more often than not, and this class is a really, really bad way to cap off a really good season. You can’t count on finding diamonds in the rough every year. That might work in other conferences, but it’s not going to work in this conference on a CONSISTENT basis.

Very puzzling

 

[ThePunk]

Kentucky recruited the same this year as years past... Recruit and develop. I look for this upcoming recruiting class to take a step foward. Trust the process. These coaches know what they’re doing.

 

[Sleepy Sleeperson]

99% of all recruited players always mention relationships that the coaches have built - it would be very difficult for CMS to build a solid relationship with a player starting after our 10th win. And, as far as today goes - - we're not going up against Tomato State. LSU is a powerhouse.

 

[TACcat7]

Kentucky recruited the same this year as years past... Recruit and develop. I look for this upcoming recruiting class to take a step foward. Trust the process. These coaches know what they’re doing.

I’d recommend them find an enthusiastic young up and coming recruiter. Simply put, Marrow cannot do this alone. At this point, he’s dragging every recruiting class across the finish line. The other coaches have got to start carrying their own weight. Period.

 

[seccats04]

I think we all recall their freakishly accurate accessments three and four years ago that our 30ish ranked classes would lead to a 10 win season by 2018.

Hence, my extreme concern with their current opinions.

But remember our highest rated class in history, 2014, which was rated #17, had a lot of 5th year stars on last years team. Probably not a coincidence. I think we’re recruiting well enough to compete but we have less room for error than 12 other SEC teams.

 

[minjo]

Kentucky recruited the same this year as years past... Recruit and develop. I look for this upcoming recruiting class to take a step foward. Trust the process. These coaches know what they’re doing.

They may know what they are doing, but someone who knows what they are doing, tell me so I will know what they are dong.

 

[BlueRaider22]

Ugh. I get tired of explaining this.

The amount of success you have this yr affects next yr’s class more than the current one. The amount of success you have this yr helps to maintain your current class.

For instance, going 7-5 in 2017-18 set up the 2019 class. Going 10-3 in 2018-19 helped to hold together the 2019 class.....but set up 2020.

Yes, going 10-3 helped us to land a couple fish we wouldn’t have. If the 2020 average quality of recruit isn’t significantly improved I’ll worry.

 

[why_not_kentucky]

Ugh. I get tired of explaining this.

The amount of success you have this yr affects next yr’s class more than the current one. The amount of success you gave this yr helps to maintain your current class.

For instance, going 7-5 in 2017-18 set up the 2019 class. Going 10-3 in 2018-19 helped to hold together the 2019 class.

Yes, going 10-3 helped us to land a couple fish we wouldn’t have. If the 2020 average quality of recruit isn’t significantly improved I’ll worry.

So keep winning 8 to 10 games per season

 

[Zakk Wyldcat]

Putting UK aside, it is somewhat puzzling how Arkansas, UT and South Carolina were able to put together the classes they did when their respective recent seasons have been no better than the Cats. That is the head-scratcher of this recruiting season.

 

[Deeeefense]

How exactly do you “capitalize” on a 10 win season? You can’t force kids to go anywhere...
Kentucky is a basketball school. Always has been, always will be.
If this doesn’t prove it to you guys nothing will.
Yawn

The history and the success of the basketball program has absolutely nothing to do with the current state of the football program. No football recruit is going to decide against coming to Kentucky because of the basketball team.

The OP makes a valid point as do the commentators he is quoting. In reality this staff over recruited for the first few years bringing in classes far higher than then their w/l record could justify but now the tables have started to turn. We really need to take advantage of that 10 win season, major bowl win over PSU and our success with landing players in the NFL draft this year. All that needs to be parlayed into a top 20+ recruiting class in 2020.

 

[Cawood86]

UK lost two big time guys on the last day to LSU. It's big boy recruiting.

 

[law1127]

We’ve only been serious about football for 6 years, after 60 years of more or less a dumpster fire. So from where we’ve been, to where we are, to where we very likely will be, is very positive. It’s still the SEC!

 

[wildcatfan-2-]

Ugh. I get tired of explaining this.

The amount of success you have this yr affects next yr’s class more than the current one. The amount of success you gave this yr helps to maintain your current class.

For instance, going 7-5 in 2017-18 set up the 2019 class. Going 10-3 in 2018-19 helped to hold together the 2019 class.

Yes, going 10-3 helped us to land a couple fish we wouldn’t have. If the 2020 average quality of recruit isn’t significantly improved I’ll worry.

Good Post. This is exactly the way it works, IMO.

 

[SanAntonioCat]

So keep winning 8 to 10 games per season

The truth is recruiting “experts” are nothing more than last week’s gardening and food critics. They are also commenting for ratings. The more controversial, the more call ins and on air mayhem. They seek job security at any cost.

Another truth is our fellow SEC coaches who are being attentive to our rise in the SEC. We just lost at the last minute two 4-star Louisiana recruits. In the not to distant past, that would be pure folly for us to imagine.

We will have a winning season in 2019 and go to a bowl. There is a great deal of talent on our team. They are far, far beyond any of us could imagine.

 

[Black Diamond Cat]

Are we done ? IF so, I wouldn't worry too much, we have several outstanding recruits coming in. There is also the possibility of a Grad transfer at a needed spot to shore up depth. Developing and coaching up players is what this staff does best !

 

[KintuckyWildCayuts]

How exactly do you “capitalize” on a 10 win season? You can’t force kids to go anywhere...
Kentucky is a basketball school. Always has been, always will be.
If this doesn’t prove it to you guys nothing will.
Yawn

Get out of here with your bipolar bull crap, Wiltjer. You’ll be back in August making your case for 12-0

 

[Geckoman]

Ugh. I get tired of explaining this.

The amount of success you have this yr affects next yr’s class more than the current one. The amount of success you gave this yr helps to maintain your current class.

For instance, going 7-5 in 2017-18 set up the 2019 class. Going 10-3 in 2018-19 helped to hold together the 2019 class.

Yes, going 10-3 helped us to land a couple fish we wouldn’t have. If the 2020 average quality of recruit isn’t significantly improved I’ll worry.

I’d start....

 

[CB3UK]

We'll be fine. As said above, this about where we always recruit normally, and that next year's class is where you'll see dividends. The important thing this season is fill the areas of need even if they arent flashy spots.

 

[Deeeefense]

Are we done ? IF so, I wouldn't worry too much, we have several outstanding recruits coming in. There is also the possibility of a Grad transfer at a needed spot to shore up depth. Developing and coaching up players is what this staff does best !

I agree that we might get lucky with a grad transfer, late JUCO or maybe J. Richardson suddenly gets qualified, but at this point I don't really see us needing depth, what we really need is a playmaker or two at the receiver position. Maybe we already have one or two on the roster and just don't know it yet, but that's where the greatest need lies IMO. We look very solid just about everywhere else IMO.

 

[TuckyFB]

How exactly do you “capitalize” on a 10 win season? You can’t force kids to go anywhere...
Kentucky is a basketball school. Always has been, always will be.
If this doesn’t prove it to you guys nothing will.
Yawn

Bi-polar ass. Gtfoh

 

[Bluegrass79]

MY COACHES can identify 2 star players and make them top 2 in the NFL DRAFT. I say shut the hell up ESPN cuz the proof is in the pudding.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

The history and the success of the basketball program has absolutely nothing to do with the current state of the football program. No football recruit is going to decide against coming to Kentucky because of the basketball team.

The OP makes a valid point as do the commentators he is quoting. In reality this staff over recruited for the first few years bringing in classes far higher than then their w/l record could justify but now the tables have started to turn. We really need to take advantage of that 10 win season, major bowl win over PSU and our success with landing players in the NFL draft this year. All that needs to be parlayed into a top 20+ class recruiting class in 2020.

Pruitt at UT was known as a recruiter before he got the UT job, his staff has some very good recruiters, I posted UT was going to have a very good class and they did.

Muschamp has always been looked at as a strong recruiter, he has hired a staff of top recruiters. But like HIS UF classes they are not very balanced, heavy defensively, especially up front.

The Arky coach is a former Texas HS coach and is well known there, it helped his recruiting.

I have no idea how Missouri was able to keep their class together after the sanctions hit.

 

[trav55]

for the 35th ranked class (ESPN ranking). I’ve been watching Finebaum all day today and the most talked about team outside of probably Alabama and Georgia has been Kentucky and how disappointing of a class we pulled in coming off a 10-win season. Probably 7 or 8 Kentucky callers have called in asking Finebaum why the class is so bad. Jordan Rodgers and Craig Haubert (the ESPN recruiting expert) both agreed that Kentucky had one of the most disappointing recruiting hauls in the country coming off a 10-win season. Haubert mentioned how the top-6 prospects in KY left the state to go elsewhere as all of the guys on the recruiting set shook their heads and laughed in amazement. Everyone on their set seemed pretty shocked that the class was as bad as it was, and Kentucky has been getting hammered all throughout the 4 hour Finebaum show for the poor showing. Kind of shocking to see really. You can tell me about diamonds in the rough and developing two stars into Josh Allen’s, but if we’re being honest with ourselves these recruiting rankings DO matter more often than not, and this class is a really, really bad way to cap off a really good season. You can’t count on finding diamonds in the rough every year. That might work in other conferences, but it’s not going to work in this conference on a CONSISTENT basis.

Do recruiting rankings matter? Sure. But we’ve shown now it doesn’t take a top 10 class to win. So I’m not concerned.

 

[Rock_Cat78]

Pruitt at UT was known as a recruiter before he got the UT job, his staff has some very good recruiters, I posted UT was going to have a very good class and they did.

Muschamp has always been looked at as a strong recruiter, he has hired a staff of top recruiters. But like HIS UF classes they are not very balanced, heavy defensively, especially up front.

The Arky coach is a former Texas HS coach and is well known there, it helped his recruiting.

I have no idea how Missouri was able to keep their class together after the sanctions hit.

On Missouri, my guess is most had already signed in December.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

On Missouri, my guess is most had already signed in December.

That has to be it, I didn't bother to check.

 

[Smashcat]

Chris Low-Only 5 SEC teams have finished .500 or better vs. SEC foes each of the last 3 seasons: @AlabamaFTBL, @FootballUGA, @UKFootball, @LSUfootball and @AggieFootball. Number of 4/5-star prospects signed during that span: Alabama (59), Georgia (58), LSU (50), A&M (42) and Kentucky (14).

 

[Black Diamond Cat]

Chris Low-Only 5 SEC teams have finished .500 or better vs. SEC foes each of the last 3 seasons: @AlabamaFTBL, @FootballUGA, @UKFootball, @LSUfootball and @AggieFootball. Number of 4/5-star prospects signed during that span: Alabama (59), Georgia (58), LSU (50), A&M (42) and Kentucky (14).

Wow, 14 total. I guess we certainly do more with less !

 

[catben]

Putting UK aside, it is somewhat puzzling how Arkansas, UT and South Carolina were able to put together the classes they did when their respective recent seasons have been no better than the Cats. That is the head-scratcher of this recruiting season.

This is what drives me crazy!!

We have had WAY MORE sustained success the last Arky and UT, plus we've beaten South Carolina 4 STRAIGHT YEARS!! How do those schools get higher ranked recruits than we do at this point in the Stoops era?

Saying all of that, I trust Coach Stoops opinion of his recruits WAY MORE than the so called recruiting experts and Mr. Rodgers. But, it is frustrating to see schools that we have had success over on the field come up with higher ranked recruiting classes year after year.

 

[Rock_Cat78]

This is what drives me crazy!!

We have had WAY MORE sustained success the last Arky and UT, plus we've beaten South Carolina 4 STRAIGHT YEARS!! How do those schools get higher ranked recruits than we do at this point in the Stoops era?

Saying all of that, I trust Coach Stoops opinion of his recruits WAY MORE than the so called recruiting experts and Mr. Rodgers. But, it is frustrating to see schools that we have had success over on the field come up with higher ranked recruiting classes year after year.

Unfortunately a lot of kids and high school coaches in the South still see UK as the red headed stepchild of the SEC. It's still going to take some time to change the perception of several decades of mostly really bad football. I think this year was a very good start, but generally too late for this particular class. Not to mention, those staffs have good recruiters with connections too. Still think the 2020 UK class will be very very good and a step up in the "rankings."

 

[TBCat]

I hate topics like this because they both have a point and they are way off base at the same time. As with most things there are both positives and negatives here.

Positives:

• We got some damn good players. Casey, Weaver, Douglass especially.
  
• We got some guys that are big time over looked. Particularly Crumes. He's a high level 4 star if he comes from any other state. Same with Knight-Goff.
  
• The players we got fit a system that Stoops is looking for. It's not just about getting diamonds in the rough it's about getting players that are specifically what your system needs. I feel that we did get that. This class looks a lot like the 2015 class that everyone said was so terrible and yet 10 of those guys are going to get drafted.

Negatives:

• They have a point about in state recruiting. For most of Stoops' tenure it has been unacceptably bad. We can talk about the 3 star kids from Ohio all we want but we need some 5 star level guys and the best chance to get that is in state recruits. If there is a Damien Harris, or Wandale Robinson then you have to get them. You just have to. It hurts to lose even a couple of those guys. Since Stoops has been here we've basically lost them all except Landon Young. 7 years of losing every high 4 star or 5 star that comes out of the state will spell failure at some point. Let's face it if Tim Couch were to come out of high school today we might not even get a visit the way we are recruiting instate. Can't happen. Just simply can't. Inexcusable.
• Our class over all is pretty good but it's also very unbalanced. Great class on defense, next to nothing on offense. And offense is what we really need. We are starting to become pigeon holed as a bad offensive program and that can't work out well.
  
• No matter where you are you have to get some 5 star kids every now and then. Hell even Vandy will pull one off every so often. You don't really even have to win to do that.
  
• We really should have been able to cash in on Benny's success. No disrespect to Tisdale but we should have been able to do much much better. We are not only a run team but we have a major void that a big time back can come in and fill. And yet we get nothing. Even Indiana snagged a pretty high level back. Hell Nebraska got 3 of them. We should have done much better.

The other thing you have to look at is how our recruits typically get down graded. Casey, Weaver and Douglass have all seen their rankings drop. Truth is our ranking would be a lot better if our signees didn't mysteriously drop when they sign with us.

Also as many people, myself among them, have pointed out these recruiting sites are really good at evaluating the top 100 guys. They are awful as all get out at rating guys ranked below that. I'm sure they spend tons of time evaluating guys like Jerrion Ealy but how much time do they invest in the 200th ranked player in the class? 10 minutes worth of youtube videos maybe. They are quite reliable in evaluating the #1 player in the class. However they are all over the place with guys starting at 101. There may or may not be a difference between the 101th player in the class and the 700th player. So these experts pretending that Missouri out recruited us because their 300th ranked DB is better than our 500th ranked DB is just silly.

Truth be told we did better than those guys are giving us credit for but at the same time there are some glaring short comings.

 

[NoDef]

Until we start keeping the majority of top players in state it will be a struggle as far as rankings go. There was eight four star players in the state and we got #7 and #8..Four of those players went to schools that are not schools that you should be losing players to. Not sure how that happens. I can see losing kids on the offensive skill positions just because of our offense, but we lost O- lineman and defensive players which are two of our best areas.

 

[Soupbean]

Rodgers was particularly harsh and basically said there's no way at this point UK should have been behind South Carolina, Arkansas, Mizzou, etc. He felt UK didn't capitalize on the 2018 season enough. Unfortunately, he fails to realize that most guys had already committed elsewhere by the time this season really got going. The 2020 and 2021 classes are where UK should reap the rewards of the 2018 season.

And the reality is there is not one ounce of difference between our class and although some you named and you can throw in Miss St too. You can throw A blanket over all of them as far as expected on the field contribution they all will get from the top 10-12 guys of each class, which is about all that end up contributing any way. Which of our top 10 would you give away?

You guys are getting WAY too caught up in every individual order number of these rankings.

Stressing over whether we're 31st or 20th in the country or 12th or 7th in the SEC is like fretting over who 5 golf drives of 270,275,278, 280, and 285 and thinking we have no shot at winning that skin hitting first. It's one extra club at the most and if we're better iron players anyway were just as likely to birdie than the guys hitting last.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

I don’t trust any of those commentators to know whether this is a good class or not. Nor do I trust Rivals to tell me. But, many of the kids from Kentucky who UK failed to woo had decided on other schools before UK demonstrated this was a great season. Wandale is the exception (not sure we really recruited the WR from Cal as hard as people may think). Casey flipped to UK and Weaver landed with UK late. But, again, whether this is a bad, average, good or great class just isn’t known by anyone discussed in the OP.

I am a fan. I like this class, but I won’t know the answers until these guys hit the turf. But, what will the talking heads say if Butler, Casey, Weaver, Tisdale, etc. are killing it in two years?

I will echo Stoops from today. How many of those guys preseason were saying UK would win 10 games or predicting Allen’s dominance or that UK would have so many draft prospects?