Exactly. Wonder how many times we have been burned by this? Big boy programs feed off 'commitments' from lower programs late in the process. Why they don't like it. We have been much better off since the early period began.
State of 2023 Recruiting
- Thread starter Canned Heat
- Start date
...AND WE DONT DO THE SAME? Sure we do...
Of course UK does. I think in recent years UK has flipped more late than they've lost.
So you think since the early signing period started we have not been able to do better in recruiting? We wasn't going to pull a 4 star away from another program late but the bigger programs could certainly pull one from us late. All you have to do is see who is for and against the early signing and all the big programs was not for it for a reason just like we was for it for a reason.
The following 2023 prospects remain uncommitted as far as I know, and hold UK offers. This is not a complete list. I am not suggesting where these players will sign, or whether their UK offers are still committable. Just saying these players still appear to be available, and all four of them have visited Lexington.
Demitrius Bell, WR, Nashville, TN
Devin Hyatt, WR, Bradenton, FL
Wm. Spencer, OL, New Albany, IN
Jamarion Wilcox, RB, Douglasville, GA
There have been reports that Wilcox will commit to UK as soon as this week. I hope they are accurate because Wilcox could help Liam Coen's offense right away.
Demitrius Bell, WR, Nashville, TN
Devin Hyatt, WR, Bradenton, FL
Wm. Spencer, OL, New Albany, IN
Jamarion Wilcox, RB, Douglasville, GA
There have been reports that Wilcox will commit to UK as soon as this week. I hope they are accurate because Wilcox could help Liam Coen's offense right away.
As you can see, this is a list of four UNCOMMITTED prospects. Gilbert is still publicly committed to Purdue. He might decommit, but he hasn't yet. Gilbert did not sign during the early signing period. His recruitment has been quiet for weeks. I don't expect him to sign with UK, but he visited Lexington earlier and anything can happen in recruiting.
No worries.
FWIW, I wish Gilbert would sign in our class. He has had many opportunities to do so.
Really? He just signed the best class ever on early signing day. How against it can he possibly be?
But I really can't tell if you guys are united in wanting an early signing day, no early signing day or just sign whenever. If it goes to whenever, official visit dates will need to be addressed. Signed I don't think you can take officials.
To be honest the argument for just letting kids sign whenever they want has always been weak but whatever
Basketball has a signing period before halfway point of its season. Why football can’t have one in season it’s fairy dust or the way the big dogs prefer
For some time, the impression here has been that RB Jamarion Wilcox will eventually commit to play at UK. I am not seeing anything at this time to change that impression. After delaying his announcement last week, Wilcox is now scheduled to make his public announcement later today.
After losing Chris Rodriguez to graduation, and Kavosiey Smoke and Michael Drennen to the portal, Coach Bouleware needs more players in his room. Jutahn McClain and LaVell Wright will return. Ramon Jefferson now intends to make a comeback for his medical redshirt season. Ray Davis, one of four SEC backs to rush for >1,000 yards in 2022, recently transferred from Vandy to UK. Now, signing Wilcox would add difference making speed and explosiveness to the room. Like Quinshon Judkins at Ole Miss, I would expect Wilcox to play extensively in 2023 as a true freshman and make an immediate impact.
Coach Coen's return is encouraging and promising. At his recent Zoom press conference, Coen stipulated that fixing the BBW will be his first priority. Amen to that!
After losing Chris Rodriguez to graduation, and Kavosiey Smoke and Michael Drennen to the portal, Coach Bouleware needs more players in his room. Jutahn McClain and LaVell Wright will return. Ramon Jefferson now intends to make a comeback for his medical redshirt season. Ray Davis, one of four SEC backs to rush for >1,000 yards in 2022, recently transferred from Vandy to UK. Now, signing Wilcox would add difference making speed and explosiveness to the room. Like Quinshon Judkins at Ole Miss, I would expect Wilcox to play extensively in 2023 as a true freshman and make an immediate impact.
Coach Coen's return is encouraging and promising. At his recent Zoom press conference, Coen stipulated that fixing the BBW will be his first priority. Amen to that!
As expected, RB Jamarion Wilcox has committed to UK.
UK's current 2023 recruiting class-
Nasir Addison, DB/WR, Irvington, NJ
Khamari Anderson, TE/DL, Detroit, MI
Jaremiah Anglin, DB, Lake Wales, FL
Ardell Banks, WR, Massillon, OH
Anthony Brown, slotR, Springfield, OH
Jayvant Brown, LB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ty Bryant, DB, Lexington, KY
Jakob Dixon, WR, Louisville, KY
Tavion Gadson, DL, Savannah, GA
Grant Godfrey, LB, Suwanee, GA
Koby Keenum, OL, Florence, AL
Tanner LeMaster, TE, Washington CH, OH
Shamir Porter, WR, Nashville, TN
Austin Ramsey, OL, Philadelphia, PA
Avery Stuart, DB, Montgomery, AL
Jamarion Wilcox, RB, Douglasville, GA
Malachi Wood, OL, Richmond, KY
Tommy Ziesmer, LB, Danville, KY
State by state breakdown- KY 4, OH 3, GA 3, AL 2, FL 2, TN 1,MI 1, NJ 1, PA 1.
I have been transparent about the fact that I am not an "insider". Almost everything I know can be accessed publicly if one is diligent with the available information. But if one has been an observer of recruiting for very long, some conclusions can be inferred. In that spirit, here are some commonly asked questions, along with my guesses.
Is this UK's final 2023 class? Reading between the lines, I infer that UK is probably no longer recruiting Woo Spencer or Kendrick Gilbert. That could be wrong, and I am aware that Spencer recently named UK in his final three schools. But if Spencer or Gilbert was seriously interested in playing football at UK, each had extensive opportunities in 2022 to act on that interest with a commitment. I infer that Spencer is probably going to UL, while Gilbert will probably sign with UL or Purdue. Again, I could certainly be wrong. I am a Dad, but never claim to understand teenagers.
If UK adds to the 2023 class in February, IMO the most likely addition could be uncommitted WR Demitrius Bell from Nashville. Another less likely possibility could be WR Devin Hyatt from Bradenton. Both are highly recruited, particularly within the SEC, and either would fill an obvious need. But I am not predicting where either will sign. In fact, it would come as a pleasant surprise if UK gets either. But if UK does add another hs player, that would need to be someone who has visited UK, or will visit between now and the end of this month. At this point, there are only a few possibilities, including Bell or Hyatt. Meanwhile, it appears that the attention of our coaching staff has shifted primarily to the transfer portal and our 2024 recruiting class now.
Will Liam Coen's return to UK translate to other additions to our 2023 class in February? This is still a possibility, but I doubt it. There isn't much time left between now and the late signing period.
Who is the most underrated prospect in our class? Ty Bryant. UK legacy. Bryant won awards and dominated better known prospects at several regional combines. Excellent athlete with everything you would want in a DB at this point except superior physical strength (which can be worked on during a redshirt).
My runner-up for most underrated in this class is Jamarion Wilcox. Although Wilcox is a very well regarded prospect, I still think his height (5'7") may have caused analysts to underestimate what he can accomplish in college. Wilcox is explosive with the ball in his hands, has an elite gear, and is stronger than his size would suggest. Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney have apparently recognized this.
Which freshmen will redshirt in 2023? My guesses- Addison, Anglin, Banks, J. Brown, Bryant, Dixon, Gadson, Godfrey, Keenum, Lemaster, Ramsey, Wood, and Ziesmer.
Is this recruiting class a "disappointment"? No, not to my way of thinking. I don't put a whole lot of stock in internet generated class rankings. The purpose of a recruiting class is roster building, which is also the purpose of the transfer portal. This must be done after a smart analysis of roster needs, now a moving target because of the portal. In recent years, Coach Stoops has imported a lot of key players through the portal, while losing comparatively little in the way of outbound transfers so far. This year, Stoops needed to add a QB and restock his RB, WR, LB, and DB rooms. Between the portal and the class, these boxes have been checked well. I doubt the portal additions are done yet. The transfers who have been added up to this point will enroll for UK's spring semester and practice with our team in the spring. That is a huge advantage, but there will almost certainly be more inbound tranfers to enroll in August (as Will Levis and Dare Rosenthal enrolled in August).
Recently, several UK players have clarified their plans for 2023. For example, Justin Rogers and Kobi Albert entered the portal, while JJ Weaver, Ken Horsey, Tayvion Robinson, and Ramon Jefferson announced plans to return. By my new count today, Stoops has now committed 80 scholarships (including Wilcox and Silver) for the 2023 season. In other words, a handful of scholarships are still open. I expect some of these will be filled with inbound transfers who will enroll in August. It certainly wouldn't hurt to add another WR, OT, edge LB, interior LB, or S.
UK's current 2023 recruiting class-
Nasir Addison, DB/WR, Irvington, NJ
Khamari Anderson, TE/DL, Detroit, MI
Jaremiah Anglin, DB, Lake Wales, FL
Ardell Banks, WR, Massillon, OH
Anthony Brown, slotR, Springfield, OH
Jayvant Brown, LB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ty Bryant, DB, Lexington, KY
Jakob Dixon, WR, Louisville, KY
Tavion Gadson, DL, Savannah, GA
Grant Godfrey, LB, Suwanee, GA
Koby Keenum, OL, Florence, AL
Tanner LeMaster, TE, Washington CH, OH
Shamir Porter, WR, Nashville, TN
Austin Ramsey, OL, Philadelphia, PA
Avery Stuart, DB, Montgomery, AL
Jamarion Wilcox, RB, Douglasville, GA
Malachi Wood, OL, Richmond, KY
Tommy Ziesmer, LB, Danville, KY
State by state breakdown- KY 4, OH 3, GA 3, AL 2, FL 2, TN 1,MI 1, NJ 1, PA 1.
I have been transparent about the fact that I am not an "insider". Almost everything I know can be accessed publicly if one is diligent with the available information. But if one has been an observer of recruiting for very long, some conclusions can be inferred. In that spirit, here are some commonly asked questions, along with my guesses.
Is this UK's final 2023 class? Reading between the lines, I infer that UK is probably no longer recruiting Woo Spencer or Kendrick Gilbert. That could be wrong, and I am aware that Spencer recently named UK in his final three schools. But if Spencer or Gilbert was seriously interested in playing football at UK, each had extensive opportunities in 2022 to act on that interest with a commitment. I infer that Spencer is probably going to UL, while Gilbert will probably sign with UL or Purdue. Again, I could certainly be wrong. I am a Dad, but never claim to understand teenagers.
If UK adds to the 2023 class in February, IMO the most likely addition could be uncommitted WR Demitrius Bell from Nashville. Another less likely possibility could be WR Devin Hyatt from Bradenton. Both are highly recruited, particularly within the SEC, and either would fill an obvious need. But I am not predicting where either will sign. In fact, it would come as a pleasant surprise if UK gets either. But if UK does add another hs player, that would need to be someone who has visited UK, or will visit between now and the end of this month. At this point, there are only a few possibilities, including Bell or Hyatt. Meanwhile, it appears that the attention of our coaching staff has shifted primarily to the transfer portal and our 2024 recruiting class now.
Will Liam Coen's return to UK translate to other additions to our 2023 class in February? This is still a possibility, but I doubt it. There isn't much time left between now and the late signing period.
Who is the most underrated prospect in our class? Ty Bryant. UK legacy. Bryant won awards and dominated better known prospects at several regional combines. Excellent athlete with everything you would want in a DB at this point except superior physical strength (which can be worked on during a redshirt).
My runner-up for most underrated in this class is Jamarion Wilcox. Although Wilcox is a very well regarded prospect, I still think his height (5'7") may have caused analysts to underestimate what he can accomplish in college. Wilcox is explosive with the ball in his hands, has an elite gear, and is stronger than his size would suggest. Ryan Day and Dabo Swinney have apparently recognized this.
Which freshmen will redshirt in 2023? My guesses- Addison, Anglin, Banks, J. Brown, Bryant, Dixon, Gadson, Godfrey, Keenum, Lemaster, Ramsey, Wood, and Ziesmer.
Is this recruiting class a "disappointment"? No, not to my way of thinking. I don't put a whole lot of stock in internet generated class rankings. The purpose of a recruiting class is roster building, which is also the purpose of the transfer portal. This must be done after a smart analysis of roster needs, now a moving target because of the portal. In recent years, Coach Stoops has imported a lot of key players through the portal, while losing comparatively little in the way of outbound transfers so far. This year, Stoops needed to add a QB and restock his RB, WR, LB, and DB rooms. Between the portal and the class, these boxes have been checked well. I doubt the portal additions are done yet. The transfers who have been added up to this point will enroll for UK's spring semester and practice with our team in the spring. That is a huge advantage, but there will almost certainly be more inbound tranfers to enroll in August (as Will Levis and Dare Rosenthal enrolled in August).
Recently, several UK players have clarified their plans for 2023. For example, Justin Rogers and Kobi Albert entered the portal, while JJ Weaver, Ken Horsey, Tayvion Robinson, and Ramon Jefferson announced plans to return. By my new count today, Stoops has now committed 80 scholarships (including Wilcox and Silver) for the 2023 season. In other words, a handful of scholarships are still open. I expect some of these will be filled with inbound transfers who will enroll in August. It certainly wouldn't hurt to add another WR, OT, edge LB, interior LB, or S.
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More transfer candidates are literally entering the portal every day. As teams conduct their spring practices, more transfers will enter the portal.
UK's DL coach Anwar Stewart recently confirmed something I have suspected for several years. When UK's coaches are looking at players in the portal, they are focused on players they unsuccessfully recruited when those players were hs seniors. In other words, they liked those players enough to offer them, but they couldn't sign them at the time for whatever reasons. Now, the players are available for a second time. Our coaches already know them from having previously recruited them. So the evaluations have already been done.
So when you look at the list of players in the portal, focus on players who were previously recruited by UK.
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I think you are spot on for HS recruits. They're still talking to Gilbert and Spencer but most likely will not sign either
Thanks, Rembrandt, for putting in the work, i enjoy reding your stuff.
I am glad you enjoy reading it, and appreciate your thoughtful feedback. Happy New Year brother.
247 has him at 5-7. I say he is most likely in between those numbers. I doubt he's 5'10
Hope this works. Max preps has him listed at 5-10 also. Doesn’t look 5-7 in his film. BTW. The kid can really lay the wood on a defender. His film is incredible. Hard for me to believe he wasn’t higher rated.
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I have seen that a hundred times. I could copy and paste where 247 says 5'7 it doesn't matter. These numbers are never correct. Most are what the kid and his people say. Wood from central is alot smaller then his numbers show. Like I said he's somewhere between that
I care how he plays and that he doesn't get injured. If he's taller or shorter, that's for the NFL to wring their hands over
Look at his tape.. the QB handing off to him is 6-3.... geez buddy.
Not 5'10". In reality, shorter. Similar build to Randall Cobb, but shorter than Cobb.
But here is the interesting part. He weighs almost 200#. So he is compact and powerful, as well as fast. Strong lower body. Can run inside or outside. Can cut back or accelerate at the second level. You see all of these traits on his tape. Very underrated player. We got a good one here, and I'll bet Liam Coen knows just how to utilize him.
I look for Wilcox to get a lot of carries in 2023. A rotation of Wilcox, McClain, and Davis. As Jefferson gets back into playing shape, he should also receive opportunities, especially if one of the top three gets hurt. But Wilcox should be next year's top freshman on the team.
That QB's measurements are probably also inflated.
Generally, the measurements are accurate if the player goes to one of these recruiting site's combines or does SPARQ testing. The problem with that is: you don't always know if they went to a combine, and even if they did it's only one of the site's that have the accurate measurement. It happens in college too. How many times does UK list a player with one thing and then at the NFL combine they are shorter and lighter? Often.
Bud Elliot talks about recruits telling him their measurements and 100m times, and he waits until he gets confirmation from a combine and for the 100m time it's verified from a certain track and field site.
Love to have him, and let him sing the National Anthem!
Appreciate your analysis and insight. Regarding scholarship count, pretty much everyone including us will usually lose a few players after spring camp; some seeker greener pastures and the occasional academic casualty.
I would think we should be in very good shape to sign a full class next season, and could probably award a scholarship or two to deserving PWOs at fall camp.
By my count, UK is currently scheduled to have 17 scholarship seniors on the roster who will exhaust their eligibility in 2023. Once Stoops is done taking and losing transfers, we should be close to full roster by August. In the past, Stoops has said he tries to keep the roster close to full. With the transfer portal, this has become a moving target.
In any case, think of it like this. If there are no more inbound or outbound transfers for our 2023 roster, then Stoops could take about 17 new players next year, including both hs seniors and new inbound transfers next winter. But you and I know inbound and outbound transfers are not done happening, so that number will adjust up or down accordingly. Whether there will be room for a full 2024 class, it is too early to know. But Stoops is establishing a pattern of taking about 8-10 inbound transfers every year and also losing about that many. To one extent or another, our outbound transfers are a function of current players getting recruited-over. So if you believe a large number of current players will be recruited-over this coming year, then it would be reasonable to anticipate a large number of inbound transfers again. In time, we will know more.
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Another 2023 name may be on the radar.
Let me stress that I am not an insider. I research and provide analysis of publicly available information. I try not to make predictions because, let's face it, we don't know what these players are going to decide or how our coaches are prioritizing them. We only know what has been reported, and honestly a lot of that turns out to be bs.
Recently, UK DL coach Anwar Stewart strongly implied that 2023 recruiting is not over yet, and that more linemen are on the way. For reasons I have discussed here previously, I still don't believe Stewart is referring to Woo Spencer or Kendrick Gilbert, although it is certainly possible that I might be misreading that. IDK what those two will do next month.
So, see what you think about this and judge for yourself. There is an uncommitted interior defensive lineman from Powder Springs, GA, named Seven Cloud. Cloud has the body type of a NT and is similar in size to Justin Rogers and Quinton Bohanna. At one time, Cloud was publicly committed to GA. Reading between the lines, it looks like GA's coaches put him on the back burner and made him wait. He is still waiting, and his recruitment has been quiet. GA won the national championship, so their recruiting hand has been strengthened. GA probably won't take Seven Cloud now. Meanwhile UK lost Justin Rogers and Quentel Jones. Cloud reportedly holds a UK offer, and Coach Stewart is his recruiter. Cloud may be borderline academically. Is it possible that GA stopped recruiting Cloud and Coach Stewart is steering the player to UK? IDK, but this could be how Stoops ultimately fills Quentel Jones' scholarship. Sometimes it is interesting how various events come together to make something happen. Is Cloud going to be Quinton Bohanna 2.0?
Let me stress that I am not an insider. I research and provide analysis of publicly available information. I try not to make predictions because, let's face it, we don't know what these players are going to decide or how our coaches are prioritizing them. We only know what has been reported, and honestly a lot of that turns out to be bs.
Recently, UK DL coach Anwar Stewart strongly implied that 2023 recruiting is not over yet, and that more linemen are on the way. For reasons I have discussed here previously, I still don't believe Stewart is referring to Woo Spencer or Kendrick Gilbert, although it is certainly possible that I might be misreading that. IDK what those two will do next month.
So, see what you think about this and judge for yourself. There is an uncommitted interior defensive lineman from Powder Springs, GA, named Seven Cloud. Cloud has the body type of a NT and is similar in size to Justin Rogers and Quinton Bohanna. At one time, Cloud was publicly committed to GA. Reading between the lines, it looks like GA's coaches put him on the back burner and made him wait. He is still waiting, and his recruitment has been quiet. GA won the national championship, so their recruiting hand has been strengthened. GA probably won't take Seven Cloud now. Meanwhile UK lost Justin Rogers and Quentel Jones. Cloud reportedly holds a UK offer, and Coach Stewart is his recruiter. Cloud may be borderline academically. Is it possible that GA stopped recruiting Cloud and Coach Stewart is steering the player to UK? IDK, but this could be how Stoops ultimately fills Quentel Jones' scholarship. Sometimes it is interesting how various events come together to make something happen. Is Cloud going to be Quinton Bohanna 2.0?
A year and a half ago he camped at UK and they seemed to be recruiting him hard. JRow even wrote an article on him. Now it seems he's dropped from a 3 star to 2 star on rivals and there is almost nothing on him. UGA took several top DL the last 2 years and stopped recruiting him. The only name I see at all is ECU. I checked him out a while back and didn't even see ECU then. If UK went all in they could probably get him. Who knows if UK is still interested and if he's eligible. Not being eligible would make sense as to why there isn't much on him now. If he isn't eligible they could build a good relationship and maybe after JC he could come then
Right. But if Cloud is eligible, Stoops could still be interested, given how Quinton Bohanna developed from a lightly recruited prospect into an NFL DT. I don't buy that ECU is the only program interested in Cloud, but I do buy that academic issues may have driven off some programs. When a prospect reaches academic eligibility shortly before the signing date, he can be a steal. IDK if Cloud falls into this category, but I do know that Coach Stewart has been recruiting him. Just reading between the lines here. Might be nothing though.
I agree with what your saying and they're will always be teams there you don't read about
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