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State of 2023 Recruiting

Uh yeah it seems everybody is just running with this but that is an Aspiration Gym shirt. I guess everyone sees the adidas logo and assumes but unless there is a different photo people are talking about he didn’t wear a UL shirt.
 
Him wearing a Lville shirt on a KY visit sais something
I guess each person can interpret it as you see it
He's a former UL football player. What's Vince thinking, he probably thinks Aspirations and UL mending relationships was inevitable someday. Was bound to happen eventually.Just glad we got to mine the talent as much as we did the last yrs.
 
Wasn’t Jackson Smith the #1 ranked kicker in the country his Sr year??))
By at least one organization. I’ll research to see if I can find a thread, or link.

 
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Wasn’t Jackson Smith the #1 ranked kicker in the country his Sr year??))
It was my understanding that the staff wanted him as a punter. If I remember correctly, while he can boot clear across the state. I think he had a poor field goal percentage.

Correct me if I'm wrong because this was last year, but that is what I remember.
 
Dave Lackford changes Spencer futurecast from UL to UK

Practically as good as ink with his close Louisville ties
Interesting. I wonder if he may have heard speculation about Spencer possibly canceling his upcoming visit to UL. That would be the tell, if it happens.
 
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Good point, if they blow up & Barion/Key leave after 3 yrs, Bell an excellent candidate to go after for WR help

Nashvegas is a transient, affluent, professional burgeoning population with zero emotional pull towards Knoxville
 
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Good point, if they blow up & Barion/Key leave after 3 yrs, Bell an excellent candidate to go after for WR help

Nashvegas is a transient, affluent, professional burgeoning population with zero emotional pull towards Knoxville
I've mentioned this before....article I read maybe a year ago stated the Metro Nashville is expected to grow in population by one million in the next 10 years. Surely that's a hell of a lot of good football players too. UK very wise focusing on this area. Distance Nashville to Lexington not much different than Nashville to Knoxville.
 
It was my understanding that the staff wanted him as a punter. If I remember correctly, while he can boot clear across the state. I think he had a poor field goal percentage.

Correct me if I'm wrong because this was last year, but that is what I remember.
I thought he was being recruited to kick after this past season. I could be wrong, but he was brought in to take Ruffalo's place.
 
I thought he was being recruited to kick after this past season. I could be wrong, but he was brought in to take Ruffalo's place.
I think the point is that Smith punted and kicked placements in hs, and potentially could do either in the SEC, if he develops. But that takes work. People sometimes overlook the fact that college is a step up for a kicker, just like it is a step up for a position player. Placekickers get to kick FGs from a hold off a kicking tee in hs. In college, no tee is allowed for FGs. The holder takes the snap and holds the football upright on the ground. That makes a difference for the kicker, and may lead to a lower kicking trajectory until the kicker adjusts. Some adjust to college better than others. As far as punting is concerned, special teams players are quicker and faster in college. So the punt must get away quick, or else it gets blocked. The blocking schemes are often different in college. The punt must have hang time, or else it will be returned by the track stars like BB who return punts in the SEC.

So a hs kicker must establish himself as a college kicker. Scouting the kicker before signing him is crucial, but does not guarantee a result. When you have had as much trouble with the kicking game as UK has recently had, and you bring in a new special teams coach, he will want to work out a couple of kickers and pick one.
 
I thought he was being recruited to kick after this past season. I could be wrong, but he was brought in to take Ruffalo's place.
When they got the committment from Carter Scwartz, who is a punter only, I figured they were looking at Smith as the PK as he would have been the only PK if Chance Poore were to leave. I think the punting Duties are now Wilson Berry's to lose. He did pretty well after Goodfellow went down. Since Scwartz isn't coming now, I would think Smith would get a chance to compete for Punting now. They are also getting Max DeGraff and now Jackson Moore, so I guess there will be some competition.

Has anybody confirmed if Poore is coming back for his Covid year? That will be a big help and some experience at the position. Wouldn't doubt if they put him back to kicking field goals if that's the case. Surely he's grown out of the yips that cost him the job his freshman year.
 
When they got the committment from Carter Scwartz, who is a punter only, I figured they were looking at Smith as the PK as he would have been the only PK if Chance Poore were to leave. I think the punting Duties are now Wilson Berry's to lose. He did pretty well after Goodfellow went down. Since Scwartz isn't coming now, I would think Smith would get a chance to compete for Punting now. They are also getting Max DeGraff and now Jackson Moore, so I guess there will be some competition.

Has anybody confirmed if Poore is coming back for his Covid year? That will be a big help and some experience at the position. Wouldn't doubt if they put him back to kicking field goals if that's the case. Surely he's grown out of the yips that cost him the job his freshman year.
Re Poore, could've sworn I saw his comment on Twitter that he's returning but I've slept since then too.:)
 
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Has anybody confirmed if Poore is coming back for his Covid year?
No. There has been speculation from several sources that Poore will come back. It makes some intuitive sense that he stuck around as the kickoff specialist and Ruffolo's holder so he could handle the placements in 2023. But AFAIK, no one including Poore himself has confirmed anything yet. It is possible we might not know until spring practice.
 
Rivals 250 was updated today, no major changes from our guys but their final rankings are below:

Jamarion Wilcox down 5 spots to 151
Avery Stuart up 2 spots to 213
Khamari Anderson debuts at 250

Not sure what is going on with Kendrick Gilbert but he dropped 13 spots to 219. A couple UofL recruits had some steep drops after they were evaluated at all-star games, so overall I am pretty pleased with the update.
 
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Rivals 250 was updated today, no major changes from our guys but their final rankings are below:

Jamarion Wilcox down 5 spots to 151
Avery Stuart up 2 spots to 213
Khamari Anderson debuts at 250

Not sure what is going on with Kendrick Gilbert but he dropped 13 spots to 219. A couple UofL recruits had some steep drops after they were evaluated at all-star games, so overall I am pretty pleased with the update.
Gilbert's recruitment has been curious. Seems like he has really had trouble pulling the trigger, which sometimes means looking for more offers. I'm sure Purdue's new coaches are trying everything they can think of to keep him in their class. He has literally had months to commit to UK, so I remain skeptical about that possibility. But OTOH, when you listen to Coach Stewart, you really get the feeling that we have more big guys (plural) on their way into our 2023 class.
 
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I think the point is that Smith punted and kicked placements in hs, and potentially could do either in the SEC, if he develops. But that takes work. People sometimes overlook the fact that college is a step up for a kicker, just like it is a step up for a position player. Placekickers get to kick FGs from a hold off a kicking tee in hs. In college, no tee is allowed for FGs. The holder takes the snap and holds the football upright on the ground. That makes a difference for the kicker, and may lead to a lower kicking trajectory until the kicker adjusts. Some adjust to college better than others. As far as punting is concerned, special teams players are quicker and faster in college. So the punt must get away quick, or else it gets blocked. The blocking schemes are often different in college. The punt must have hang time, or else it will be returned by the track stars like BB who return punts in the SEC.

So a hs kicker must establish himself as a college kicker. Scouting the kicker before signing him is crucial, but does not guarantee a result. When you have had as much trouble with the kicking game as UK has recently had, and you bring in a new special teams coach, he will want to work out a couple of kickers and pick one.
My nephew did not use the tee for Field Goals his senior year and it didn't cost him any range. He was hoping that would help prepare him for the next level.
 
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It is now widely known that Nashville WR Demitrius Bell has committed to NE. At one time, Bell was thought to be very interested in UK.

The late signing period opens in a week. There are some circumstantial clues that Wm. Spencer might be about to commit to UK. This was believed to be a UK-UL contest.

Kendrick Gilbert is still committed to Purdue, but not signed, and his recruitment has been quiet.

WR Devin Hyatt of Bradenton, FL, remains uncommitted. He visited UK in November, but there has been no recent indication that our coaches are still recruiting him.

Coach Boulware appears to be recruiting P Gabe Russo of Montgomery, AL, as a PWO.
 
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As far as the influence of Mr. Vaughn is concerned, think about it this way. For a city the size of Louisville, relatively few SEC quality football prospects come out of Jefferson Co. these days. I'm not talking about history. I'm not talking about Brian Brohm, Dickie Lyons, and Paul Hornung. I am talking about the present situation. JJ Weaver is the only Jefferson Co. product in UK's starting lineup. Weaver, Izayah Cummings, Elijah Reed, and Jakob Dixon are the only scholarship players from Jefferson Co. on UK's current football roster. In fact, Hardin County has been more important to UK football than Jefferson Co. in recent years. This isn't because Coach Marrow is missing on Jefferson Co. players either. We can debate Micah Carter and Selah Brown. But as far as I can see, the bulk of the top football players in Kentucky are coming from Bowling Green, North Hardin hs, the greater Lexington area (including Danville), and the greater Cincinnati area on the south side of the OH River.

Besides that, Mr. Vaughn doesn't make announcements for players. Hayes Johnson trained with Mr. Vaughn. But when the time came for Johnson's decision, he picked UK. Woo Spencer may be about to do the same. So players still decide for themselves.

That is not to say Mr. Vaughn won't steer an occasional player to UL. But I am not concerned about it. The best players want the best competition. The best competition is in the SEC. Our coaches recruit a 600 mile radius around Lexington plus TX, FL, MI, PA, and the east coast. Coach Coen will increase our recruiting territory in some cases. I trust our coaches.
 
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As far as the influence of Mr. Vaughn is concerned, think about it this way. For a city the size of Louisville, relatively few SEC quality football prospects come out of Jefferson Co. these days. I'm not talking about history. I'm not talking about Brian Brohm, Dickie Lyons, and Paul Hornung. I am talking about the present situation. JJ Weaver is the only Jefferson Co. product in UK's starting lineup. Weaver, Izayah Cummings, Elijah Reed, and Jakob Dixon are the only scholarship players from Jefferson Co. on UK's current football roster. In fact, Hardin County has been more important to UK football than Jefferson Co. in recent years. This isn't because Coach Marrow is missing on Jefferson Co. players either. We can debate Micah Carter and Selah Brown. But as far as I can see, the bulk of the top football players in Kentucky are coming from Bowling Green, North Hardin hs, the greater Lexington area (including Danville), and the greater Cincinnati area on the south side of the OH River.

Besides that, Mr. Vaughn doesn't make announcements for players. Hayes Johnson trained with Mr. Vaughn. But when the time came for Johnson's decision, he picked UK. Woo Spencer may be about to do the same. So players still decide for themselves.

That is not to say Mr. Vaughn won't steer an occasional player to UL. But I am not concerned about it. The best players want the best competition. The best competition is in the SEC. Our coaches recruit a 600 mile radius around Lexington plus TX, FL, MI, PA, and the east coast. Coach Coen will increase our recruiting territory in some cases. I trust our coaches.
I see where Woo is having an announcement ceremony on Feb 1st at Aspirations Gym
Hope we get him but he is taking his official this weekend to Lville and I'm sure Chris Vaughn will be front and center so I am not feeling good about this one. Rembrandt90 ?
 
As far as the influence of Mr. Vaughn is concerned, think about it this way. For a city the size of Louisville, relatively few SEC quality football prospects come out of Jefferson Co. these days. I'm not talking about history. I'm not talking about Brian Brohm, Dickie Lyons, and Paul Hornung. I am talking about the present situation. JJ Weaver is the only Jefferson Co. product in UK's starting lineup. Weaver, Izayah Cummings, Elijah Reed, and Jakob Dixon are the only scholarship players from Jefferson Co. on UK's current football roster. In fact, Hardin County has been more important to UK football than Jefferson Co. in recent years. This isn't because Coach Marrow is missing on Jefferson Co. players either. We can debate Micah Carter and Selah Brown. But as far as I can see, the bulk of the top football players in Kentucky are coming from Bowling Green, North Hardin hs, the greater Lexington area (including Danville), and the greater Cincinnati area on the south side of the OH River.

Besides that, Mr. Vaughn doesn't make announcements for players. Hayes Johnson trained with Mr. Vaughn. But when the time came for Johnson's decision, he picked UK. Woo Spencer may be about to do the same. So players still decide for themselves.

That is not to say Mr. Vaughn won't steer an occasional player to UL. But I am not concerned about it. The best players want the best competition. The best competition is in the SEC. Our coaches recruit a 600 mile radius around Lexington plus TX, FL, MI, PA, and the east coast. Coach Coen will increase our recruiting territory in some cases. I trust our coaches.
Jefferson County hasn`t produced like it once did. I`m not sure if it`s coaching, kids rather be on phones or good players moving into other districts. I do believe Kentucky needs to bring in Spring practices like other states do and add middle school football even if they have to combine some schools to create a team.
No offense to Spencer, but I`m more concerned about Gilbert. We have a lot of young talent on the offensive line, but good defensive linemen are hard to find.
 
Jefferson County hasn`t produced like it once did. I`m not sure if it`s coaching, kids rather be on phones or good players moving into other districts. I do believe Kentucky needs to bring in Spring practices like other states do and add middle school football even if they have to combine some schools to create a team.
Doesn't KY allow HS spring practice? That goes back to the Claiborne Era, thought that was resolved long ago.

KY HS football seems to have improved over the years. Time was if you got a couple guys a year SEC level it was a big deal. Still way behind and the drop off in Jefferson Co is pretty pronounced.
 
Jefferson County hasn`t produced like it once did. I`m not sure if it`s coaching, kids rather be on phones or good players moving into other districts. I do believe Kentucky needs to bring in Spring practices like other states do and add middle school football even if they have to combine some schools to create a team.
No offense to Spencer, but I`m more concerned about Gilbert. We have a lot of young talent on the offensive line, but good defensive linemen are hard to find.
I agree
I would love to have them both but as our roster sits right now and had to pick just one I would take Gilbert
Him visiting this weekend hopefully a good sign
 
Jefferson County hasn`t produced like it once did. I`m not sure if it`s coaching, kids rather be on phones or good players moving into other districts. I do believe Kentucky needs to bring in Spring practices like other states do and add middle school football even if they have to combine some schools to create a team.
No offense to Spencer, but I`m more concerned about Gilbert. We have a lot of young talent on the offensive line, but good defensive linemen are hard to find.
Don't know which side of the ball Woo will be but if you read his evaluation he is very good on either side. Already has the size to go either way but is also strong and quick. Just reading about them, I would prefer Spencer even though they both could be exceptional in college.
 
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