State of 2020 recruiting

[Rembrandt90]

Don’t disagree I am very happy with the class. But he is a difference maker in the mold of Cobb and Bowden and what Wandale could’ve been had he came here. We don’t have that shifty playmaker in this class, yet...

Jutahn McClain is a shifty playmaker, to use your description. So is Travis Tisdale, for that matter.

We already have two RBs and three receivers in this class. Drennen is a fine prospect, and I hope Stoops signs him. All along, Rock Cat has been very positive about our chances to sign Drennen. Drennen would be another excellent addition, but I don’t think it is correct to believe Drennen would definitely be a unique talent in the class or on our roster for that matter.

There has also been a question in my mind all along about whether we correctly understand Drennen’s intentions. Somewhere along the line, a rumor got started here that Drennen is being recruited by Vince Marrow as a slot receiver. But Drennen has been offered by LSU, UF, and Southern Cal as a RB. Although some people believe and repeat the slot receiver rumor, I don’t think anyone actually knows for a fact that Drennen wants to play slot receiver in college. As far as I know, he has never said so in public.

 

[JASUN74]

Don’t disagree I am very happy with the class. But he is a difference maker in the mold of Cobb and Bowden and what Wandale could’ve been had he came here. We don’t have that shifty playmaker in this class, yet...

I believe we have several playmakers on this team who could become superstars. You have to remember, this is an SEC team, and these recruits and players are all the best in their states and definitely some of the best players on their teams. They’re all great players and have huge numbers in High School. Some need some weight and strength, but our development of players at Kentucky is second to none.

They’ll be some of these guys step up and become leaders. It happens on every team and we’re no different. I don’t want to get into who it will be because I’d be guessing, but there’s definitely a few that have the chance. I like Tisdale's speed and vision, I like Smokes heart, and he has all the tools as well to become a star here. But there’s so many that could do it. I do agree with you that Drennen would be a fantastic get, but he’s not a manor or break for Kentucky like in days past. Thanks

 

[Rembrandt90]

For whatever it’s worth, which isn’t much, if Drennen signs with UK he would rank fourth in our 2020 class in player ranking behind Rogers, Hayes, and Anaele. And he would rank ninth on our overall 2020 roster behind Joseph, Gatewood, Rogers, L.Young, Jackson, McCall, Hayes, and Anaele.

For additional reference, Drennen would be the second-highest ranked RB signed by Stoops at UK, behind Boom Williams.

Which says something about player ratings, I guess, since Benny Snell was the best RB who ever played here. Benny had one of the lowest player ratings among all players signed by Stoops, although Josh Allen and Bunchy Stallings were rated even lower than Benny. All three were All Americans.

 

[The-Hack]

Josh Allen and Bunchy Stallings were rated even lower than Benny. All three were All Americans.

And all three were AA’s in the same season!

 

[uofkFTW18]

Jutahn McClain is a shifty playmaker, to use your description. So is Travis Tisdale, for that matter.

We already have two RBs and three receivers in this class. Drennen is a fine prospect, and I hope Stoops signs him. All along, Rock Cat has been very positive about our chances to sign Drennen. Drennen would be another excellent addition, but I don’t think it is correct to believe Drennen would definitely be a unique talent in the class or on our roster for that matter.

There has also been a question in my mind all along about whether we correctly understand Drennen’s intentions. Somewhere along the line, a rumor got started here that Drennen is being recruited by Vince Marrow as a slot receiver. But Drennen has been offered by LSU, UF, and Southern Cal as a RB. Although some people believe and repeat the slot receiver rumor, I don’t think anyone actually knows for a fact that Drennen wants to play slot receiver in college. As far as I know, he has never said so in public.

I don't really know if I'd call this just a "rumor" to be honest. He is certainly being recruited by UK to be an all-purpose slot receiver similar to what Lynn was before he moved to QB. Idk if he's ever outright said that he wants to play receiver, but if he didn't want to play that position then UK wouldn't currently be his favorite IMO.

I also think you are somewhat underselling the impact of Drennen's potential commitment. He certainly isn't a make or break type of prospect like he would've been in years past, but a Drennen commitment to UK would mean(to me at least) that Stoops has signed his best receiver class since coming to UK. This is incredibly significant when you consider that receiver is one of the few positions this staff hasn't knocked out of the park recruiting wise. And make no mistake about it: Drennen would be the headline prospect of Stoops' best receiver class if he were to come here.

 

[Rembrandt90]

I don't really know if I'd call this just a "rumor" to be honest. He is certainly being recruited by UK to be an all-purpose slot receiver similar to what Lynn was before he moved to QB. Idk if he's ever outright said that he wants to play receiver, but if he didn't want to play that position then UK wouldn't currently be his favorite IMO.

I also think you are somewhat underselling the impact of Drennen's potential commitment. He certainly isn't a make or break type of prospect like he would've been in years past, but a Drennen commitment to UK would mean(to me at least) that Stoops has signed his best receiver class since coming to UK. This is incredibly significant when you consider that receiver is one of the few positions this staff hasn't knocked out of the park recruiting wise. And make no mistake about it: Drennen would be the headline prospect of Stoops' best receiver class if he were to come here.

That’s a distortion of the truth. I am not underselling Drennen. I have been very consistent in saying I hope he signs with UK. Drennen would rank as the #9 player on UK’s current roster in terms of prospect ratings. I didn’t make that up. He would be an excellent addition to our 2020 class, but I learned a long time ago that I can’t predict a player’s college career in advance.

As for your first paragraph, that is indeed a rumor. It may be a popular rumor, and it may be getting clicks for a website. But it is still a rumor. How do you know UK is recruiting Drennen as a slot receiver? Who told you? Drennen? Coach Marrow? How do you know UK is his current favorite? I hope that is right, but I usually don’t trust crystal ball picks. The truth is that we fans don’t know what Marrow and Drennen have discussed.

Many fans assume we must have a Bowden 2.0. Watching the development of our 2020 football team will be very interesting, although I don’t expect it to look very much like our 2019 team. We will see.

 

[ghorn19]

Any idea on a timeframe for Drennen? Has he stated a date for his reveal?

 

[vhcat70]

Any idea on a timeframe for Drennen? Has he stated a date for his reveal?

After Feb. 04.

 

[LouievileKat]

As for your first paragraph, that is indeed a rumor. It may be a popular rumor, and it may be getting clicks for a website. But it is still a rumor. How do you know UK is recruiting Drennen as a slot receiver? Who told you? Drennen? Coach Marrow?

This is from an article in October. Drennen says UK is recruiting him to be a Lynn Bowden type player.

UK, Drennen says, wants him to be a Lynn Bowden-type weapon. He would be the highest-rated skill player to commit to UK since Bowden, if he ultimately chooses the Wildcats.

I read another article from an Ohio high school football scouting service a few months ago where Drennens dad essentially said the same thing but I cant seem it now. Could he be a Lynn Bowden type weapon at RB? Perhaps.

 

[Rock_Cat78]

Drennen is signing a week from today on signing day.

 

[Rembrandt90]

This is from an article in October. Drennen says UK is recruiting him to be a Lynn Bowden type player.

UK, Drennen says, wants him to be a Lynn Bowden-type weapon. He would be the highest-rated skill player to commit to UK since Bowden, if he ultimately chooses the Wildcats.

I read another article from an Ohio high school football scouting service a few months ago where Drennens dad essentially said the same thing but I cant seem it now. Could he be a Lynn Bowden type weapon at RB? Perhaps.

Joey Gatewood is the highest rated skill player on UK’s roster, by far. FWIW, Boom Williams was also rated higher than Drennen.

But let’s not take anything away from Drennen. He is a fine player. In fact, I think he is a more interesting RB prospect than either McClain or Davis, and that is not meant to take anything away from the other two either. They are excellent players in their own right. But Drennen is the total package, and his offer sheet reflects that. Drennen holds offers from nine SEC schools plus ND, OH St, and PA St. They may not all be committable offers at this moment, but all those schools were very interested in signing him during this recruiting cycle. Impressive.

The article you cited is more than three months old. I do not know which way Drennen is currently leaning, or what is his current thinking about a college position. I understand he is being recruited as a feature RB by most of the schools he is considering, so I that must be an aspect of his decision. As with all players who sign with UK, the evaluation that counts with regard to his role would be performed during his first year at UK. I will just say this. Whatever role Drennen would play, he is one of the few in this class who would likely play extensively at UK as a true freshman despite the impressive returning depth at every position. FWIW, I believe Drennen could thrive as a feature back in UK’s offense.

Rock Cat has been optimistic that UK will sign Drennen, and I hope he is right.

 

[LouievileKat]

Joey Gatewood is the highest rated skill player on UK’s roster, by far. FWIW, Boom Williams was also rated higher than Drennen.

But let’s not take anything away from Drennen. He is a fine player. In fact, I think he is a more interesting RB prospect than either McClain or Davis, and that is not meant to take anything away from the other two either. They are excellent players in their own right. But Drennen is the total package, and his offer sheet reflects that. Drennen holds offers from nine SEC schools plus ND, OH St, and PA St. They may not all be committable offers at this moment, but all those schools were very interested in signing him during this recruiting cycle. Impressive.

The article you cited is more than three months old. I do not know which way Drennen is currently learning, or what is his current thinking about a college position. I understand he is being recruited as a feature RB by most of the schools he is considering, so I that must be an aspect of his decision. As with all players who sign with UK, the evaluation that counts with regard to his roll would be performed during his first year at UK. I will just say this. Whatever role Drennen would play, he is one of the few in this class who would likely play extensively at UK as a true freshman despite the impressive returning depth at every position.

Rock Cat has been optimistic that UK will sign Drennen, and I hope he is right.

Oh I only wanted to address the part where people are questioning if he's being pitched as a slot receiver. I think he certainly is based on his quote there and the ohio interview that I cant find anymore. He spent his freshman and soph season of high school in the slot.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Oh I only wanted to address the part where people are questioning if he's being pitched as a slot receiver. I think he certainly is based on his quote there and the ohio interview that I cant find anymore. He spent his freshman and soph season of high school in the slot.

All I’m saying is that none of us knows what Coach Marrow and Drennen are discussing now. I couldn’t help but notice that Drennen contemplated taking a couple of new campus visits in January, and then apparently cancelled them. Who knows what he was told that brought about those decisions? If every other school is recruiting him as a RB, my guess would be that UK’s coaching staff has probably told him that he can take a crack at both roles. IMO, he is that important. My assessment is that Drennen has a chance to be the best RB on our current roster if his career goes in that direction. He is fast, skilled, and a strong. I think he is similar to McClain, but stronger at this point. And I don’t have any inside info about him, but my opinion of his skills is very high.

Is there room for Drennen as a RB? That would be a question for our coaches. But Rose will be a senior. Smoke misses games with migraines. Rodriguez is a strong runner but not a pass receiver. I think Davis should get a redshirt. RBs get injured. As far as skills are concerned, Tisdale, McClain, and Drennen all have the necessary speed and hands to contribute in the slot. If it works out that way, I would view it as a good problem to have. The strong survive. I just hope we sign Drennen. Then the coaches can sort everything out.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Michael Drennen, a star RB from Coffman hs in Dublin, OH, has now committed to UK’s 2020 class. Drennen is one of the top hs football prospects at any position in the state of OH, and one of the top RB prospects in the country this year. He is strong, fast, and skilled. Drennen has been recruited by Vince Marrow.

Drennen’s commitment brings to 23 the current number of commitments to UK’s 2020 class. Also included in that number, RB commitment Torrance Davis recently confirmed his intention to sign with UK, but currently remains unsigned. Hopefully, clarification will become available soon.

Detraveon Brown, an uncommitted WR prospect from Shreveport, LA, visited UK, Ole Miss, and Houston last month. He holds offers from all three schools, but it is possible that his UK offer might not be committable now that Drennen is a member of UK’s class. I expect Brown to end up elsewhere. Brown has been recruited by Michael Smith.

Several preferred walkons have already committed to UK’s 2020 class. One PFO of particular interest is P/K Graham Wald, from Henry Clay hs in Lexington. Wald is a graduate of the Kohls kicking camp, a well known summer combine for talented hs kickers. Wald is not very big, but is known for having a strong leg. He may or may not be able to work his way into our 2020 placekicking competition, but his presence on our roster could become significant under the circumstances.

 

[Canned Heat]

As always . Great thread.

 

[Rembrandt90]

As always . Great thread.

Thank you. You have been an enthusiastic contributor to this thread, always focused on the important subject at hand. Appreciated!

Although WR Detraveon Brown was being recruited by UK WR coach Michael Smith as recently as a few weeks ago, there is circumstantial evidence today that Drennen’s acceptance of UK’s scholarship offer may have left Brown as the odd man out. FWIW, websites that were previously reporting UK as a finalist for Brown’s commitment are reporting today that Brown’s interest in UK is now “cool”. This time of year, in light of Drennen’s announcement, that probably suggests UK has pulled the scholarship offer, or that it was never committable.

So I surmise that the only variable left now for UK’s 2020 recruiting class is the uncertainty surrounding RB Torrance Davis. My interpretation of Davis’ recent public comments is that he will eventually sign with UK if he still has that opportunity. I believe UK still wants him, but something has not been worked out yet that would allow Davis to sign his papers.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

 

[Rembrandt90]

It is interesting to look at all the player rankings on different websites and understand how differently the players are perceived in some cases.

For example, in our 2019 class, ESPN named Travis Tisdale as the top player in UK’s class. 247 named Jared Casey, while Rivals named Moses Douglass. Other players in the class were also awarded varying grades and ranking orders by different websites. Although most players were valued at similar levels across websites, many were not. For example, ratings for Douglass, Taj Dodson, Nik Scalzo, and KD McDaniel widely varied across websites.

This year, there are significant variations across different websites in ratings for Deondre Buford, Beau Allen, Andru Phillips, Earnest Sanders, D’Eryk Jackson, and others. All this goes to illustrate that player ratings are far from a science. This is why I prefer offer sheets as a better predictor of a prospect’s future as a college player. College coaches who talk with these players and their hs coaches know what they are getting. Their careers depend on it.

Appreciating our 2020 class is a different proposition than appreciating our 2014 class, since our 2014 class has already delivered the goods. But, given that this is still very subjective, here is how I currently rank Stoops’ classes-

2020 (Rogers, Anaele, Hayes, Drennen)
2016 (Young, Jackson, Snell, Boogie)
2015 (Allen, Taylor, Stenberg, Conrad)
2017 (Bowden, Bohanna, Corker, Paschal)
2014 (Bunchy, Boom, Edwards, Juice)
2018 (Kinnard, Square, Wilson, Duffy)
2019 (Casey, Weaver, Douglass, Echols)
2013 (Smith, MacGinnis, Kemp, Wilson)

This is not to understate any of the classes, all of which improved our roster at the time.

 

[Rembrandt90]

It was interesting to note the four hats on the table at Drennen’s announcement-

FL
UK
MI
USC

I had no idea MI was on his finalist list.

When you look at our 2020 class, it isn’t very hard to imagine that Drennen and Justin Rogers might have the best chances to play in 2020 as true freshmen. I would probably also lump Kalil Branham into that group.

 

[jauk11]

It is interesting to look at all the player rankings on different websites and understand how differently the players are perceived in some cases.

For example, in our 2019 class, ESPN named Travis Tisdale as the top player in UK’s class. 247 named Jared Casey, while Rivals named Moses Douglass. Other players in the class were also awarded varying grades and ranking orders by different websites. Although most players were valued at similar levels across websites, many were not. For example, ratings for Douglass, Taj Dodson, Nik Scalzo, and KD McDaniel widely varied across websites.

This year, there are significant variations across different websites in ratings for Deondre Buford, Beau Allen, Andru Phillips, Earnest Sanders, D’Eryk Jackson, and others. All this goes to illustrate that player ratings are far from a science. This is why I prefer offer sheets as a better predictor of a prospect’s future as a college player. College coaches who talk with these players and their hs coaches know what they are getting. Their careers depend on it.

Appreciating our 2020 class is a different proposition than appreciating our 2014 class, since our 2014 class has already delivered the goods. But, given that this is still very subjective, here is how I currently rank Stoops’ classes-

2020 (Rogers, Anaele, Hayes, Drennen)
2016 (Young, Jackson, Snell, Boogie)
2015 (Allen, Taylor, Stenberg, Conrad)
2017 (Bowden, Bohanna, Corker, Paschal)
2014 (Bunchy, Boom, Edwards, Juice)
2018 (Kinnard, Square, Wilson, Duffy)
2019 (Casey, Weaver, Douglass, Echols)
2013 (Smith, MacGinnis, Kemp, Wilson

This is not to understate any of the classes, all of which improved our roster at the time.

I would rate the 18 and 19 classes a little higher, I think they might have not made as much of an impact yet because it is early in their career AND the competition is better.

 

[TysonD44]

I would rate the 18 and 19 classes a little higher, I think they might have not made as much of an impact yet because it is early in their career AND the competition is better.

I absolutely agree with you...the 18 and 19 classes have been redshirted and are moreso scout team players until their numbers get called upon.

 

[vhcat70]

So whatever happened with Torrance Davis?

 

[vhcat70]

dp

 

[mrschwump]

So whatever happened with Torrance Davis?

Good question. Seems I recall, pre-virus, he'd likely sign in May with UK. That would coincide with the end of HS. Now....who knows?

 

[Rock_Cat78]

I'd be a little surprised if Torrance Davis ever shows up at UK. Maybe not impossible, but I certainly wouldn't expect it.

 

[Rembrandt90]

So whatever happened with Torrance Davis?

This is worth an update. Torrance Davis verbally committed to UK on 6/7/2019 but did not actually sign until this month. In the interim, there has been much speculation.

In hindsight, it appears that Davis needed a summer school class to bring his academic record up to a level that would allow him to sign a UK scholarship document within the eligibility rules. He recently completed the class and got cleared.

Although Davis was recruited as a RB, he will begin his UK career as an interior LB on UK's defense. This reflects a current roster need, intensified by the graduation of Kash Daniel, transfer of Tra Wilkins, and Chris Oats' Illness. Davis' body type may also have contributed to the decision, as UK's official roster lists him at 6'2 220#. Evidently, Davis saw the field at times as a LB during his career at Garfield Heights hs, although he made his fame in the state of OH as a prolific RB. But by the time Davis became eligible, UK's plans in the RB rotation were set for the next several years, while multiple transfers and other issues have depleted UK's LB roster. Whether Davis remains on the defense, and whether he redshirts, remain to be seen. But it is good to see a player focus on this goal and not give up. This tells me that Davis will be a leader.

 

[vikingfer]

Thank God FOOTBALL