State of 2024 Recruiting

[mrschwump]

Today's statement by new UK commit Brian Robinson says it all. Everyone ought to read this. Quoting Robinson-

"The individuals who played a pivotal role in my decision were Coach Marrow, Coach Stoops, Coach Brad White, and Coach Stewart. They provided incredible support and were the first to extend a Power Five offer. Their approach was straightforward and consistent. They were very clear about the people I would be working with, the way the program was structured, and the type of values they prioritize, as well as the contributions they felt I would make. They exhibited patience, never pressured me with timelines or slot availability. From day one, they assured me that I had a place within the program and they stuck to that. They valued me, they valued my family, and that created a sense of belonging.

I chose the University of Kentucky for several reasons. They are a people-first team. They really care about you, your family, and what your vision for your future is. It feels like home every time I step on that campus and in some ways it is because so many of the guys down there grew up where I grew up and we really know and care about each other. They are playing some incredible football. They also have a great program and a big vision for the future, and I love the guys that are there right now. It's no secret that I visited many times and I was fully invested in the recruiting process, right down to the final moments. They sprinted through that finish line with me.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to God, my parents, siblings, coaches from little league to high school, teammates, trainers, nutritionists, and doctors. Additionally I extend thanks to Campbell City School, Austintown, and Westerville North communities for welcoming and supporting me on this journey."

IMO this is a highly intelligent, gracious, perceptive young man who will make an early impact in our football program and become a leader. He has all-SEC written all over him.

This is a very strong defensive recruiting class and another excellent overall class for Coach Stoops. Several of these prospects, especially Gilmore, Mizell, Johnson, Scott, Cowan, and Devin Smith, are badly underrated IMHO. Anyone who argues this is not a very competitive SEC class simply does not understand what we have here. Our coaches are among the best in the country at evaluating, recruiting, and developing talent. We can still use another WR and an OT or two, but Coach Stoops can go to the portal again if necessary. I still think we have a great chance to flip Rico Scott. Plus, Kamron Mikell is scheduled to OV UK on Oct. 28.

Now, who was saying Coach Stoops is overpaid?

I'm a big fan of Anwar Stewart. I recall his playing days at UK, very dedicated and intense. Had a long, successful career in Canada. I think he's done a remarkable job with the DL and during Sat's UF game he was shown having coachable moments with Deone Walker. I think he's under appreciated to most not named Coach Stoops or Coach White. He's a UK guy and fortunately for us signed a contract extension this past summer. He's another example of the young coaches Mark Stoops attracts.

 

[albundy83]

His dad and coach Marrow are longtime friends

Hope all works out and the kid has a great career. Never heard a bad thing about the Kid, just the Dad.

 

[postmodernprimate]

I'm a big fan of Anwar Stewart. I recall his playing days at UK, very dedicated and intense. Had a long, successful career in Canada. I think he's done a remarkable job with the DL and during Sat's UF game he was shown having coachable moments with Dionne Walker. I think he's under appreciated to most not named Coach Stoops or Coach White. He's a UK guy and fortunately for us signed a contract extension this past summer. He's another example of the young coaches Mark Stoops attracts.

Dionne Walker. I'm seeing a 6'5" 350lb Dionne Warwick hybrid. Truly frightening. Maybe not the football player Deone Walker is, but I wouldn't want to see a monster Dionne Warwick across the line of scrimmage from me.

 

[mrschwump]

Dionne Walker. I'm seeing a 6'5" 350lb Dionne Warwick hybrid. Truly frightening. Maybe not the football player Deone Walker is, but I wouldn't want to see a monster Dionne Warwick across the line of scrimmage from me.

Say a little prayer for me.

 

[maroon79]

I can’t decide if it’s alcohol, black tar, or straight heroin there

 

[tdcat]

I can’t decide if it’s alcohol, black tar, or straight heroin there

Wrong, it's Sterno

 

[EdgeHD]

I'm a big fan of Anwar Stewart. I recall his playing days at UK, very dedicated and intense. Had a long, successful career in Canada. I think he's done a remarkable job with the DL and during Sat's UF game he was shown having coachable moments with Deone Walker. I think he's under appreciated to most not named Coach Stoops or Coach White. He's a UK guy and fortunately for us signed a contract extension this past summer. He's another example of the young coaches Mark Stoops attracts.

Anwar Stewart recruited Kendrick Gilbert and Jamarion Wilcox. He was secondary recruiter for Deone Walker. He persuaded Keeshaun Silver to transfer here. And as UK's defense has become one of the top SEC defenses year-in and year-out, Coach Stewart has developed our DL.

Another key assistant coach this year has been Jay Boulware, who has fixed our special teams and worked Ray Davis into our atarting lineup. Davis has arguably been the best player on our team so far. Coach Boulward persuaded Alex Raynor to transfer here. He is Tovani Mizell's and Jacob Kauwe's primary recruiter.

 

[Rembrandt90]

I can’t decide if it’s alcohol, black tar, or straight heroin there

Then just say no.

 

[catben]

This kid is a SPECIMEN!!! Big, strong, athletic and really takes care of himself with his discipline even down to his diet. He is a bigger version of Josh Pascal, IMHO. This kid has the potential to impact the program much like Josh Allen did. I realize that is saying a WHOLE LOT, but he is EXTREMELY talented!!

I am ELATED he chose the CATS!!

 

[Rembrandt90]

How many more commitments are taken in our 2024 class depends almost entirely now on our coaching staff's estimate on how many current UK underclassmen will leave through the transfer portal between now and the spring. Let's take it as a given that Coach Stoops will save some flexibility for inbound transfers, because transfers have been a big key to our team's success. If Coach Stoops believes there will be significantly more outbound than inbound transfers, then he can sign a full 2024 class. But if inbound transfers will approximately equal outbound transfers, then we have to be almost done. I have previously posted the roster math on this thread.

We can tell they will take at least one more WR prospect, because they are still actively recruiting Kamron Mikell, Donovan Hamilton, and Rico Scott. Mikell's OV will occur on Oct. 28. But beyond that, they have to be careful with numbers now because our 2024 roster is filling up.

Something to watch is OL recruitment. We already have commitments from Lafontant, Selm, and Johnson. We could be done. However, Coach Collins recently began recruiting OT Aidan Bryant from Greenville, MS. Bryant has an offer from OH St although he does not hold any SEC offers. He transferred from his home in IN to the Greenville school, so he may have slipped through the cracks as far as many programs are concerned. He participated in an OH St camp and was offered by Coach Day's staff after that. Another interesting OL possibility is Toledo product Marc Nave, who decommitted from OH St in the last week. Unlike Bryant, Nave already has an offer from UK and a longstanding relationship with Coach Marrow. It remains to be seen where Nave's decommitment will lead. It has been reported that UK's coaches (along with many other staffs) have contacted Nave since he decommitted. But we don't know yet whether Nave will OV UK.

 

[maroon79]

This Cat comes in looking like Allen now

Allen came in at like 210 lbs or so

 

[YaketySax]

 

[Rembrandt90]

This kid is a SPECIMEN!!! Big, strong, athletic and really takes care of himself with his discipline even down to his diet. He is a bigger version of Josh Pascal, IMHO.

Robinson is taller than Josh Paschal. But Robinson is not bigger than Josh. Currently Josh probably outweighs Robinson by 20#. You are correct that Robinson has a very mature approach to nutrition and conditioning. Once Robinson gets submersed in UK's conditioning program, he might be as big as Josh is, or even bigger.

This kid has the potential to impact the program much like Josh Allen did. I realize that is saying a WHOLE LOT, but he is EXTREMELY talented!!

I am ELATED he chose the CATS!!

Josh Allen came to UK at 6'4" 200# and left at 6'5" 260#. He was a Jack LB here. He was a Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, a consensus All American, and undoubtedly the best UK football player of the Stoops era. His speed and athleticism seperated him and made him unique. It will be difficult for another player to match or surpass his impact on our program. Brian Robinson will be a DE in our 3-3-5. He has outgrown the LB position. As I have said, I believe he is the most important prospect on UK's 2024 recruiting board at any position. I believe he is an impact recruit. Whether any player will ever impact Mark Stoops' program like Josh Allen did remains to be seen, but it is a very tall task. Can Robinson become an all-SEC player? Absolutely. He will be playing for a fantastic DC, and he has the talent package. Can Robinson become a consensus All American and challenge for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy? IDK, that's a lot to ask.

 

[Rembrandt90]

View embedded media

Up to 85. That number is not changing.

We can call this the Coach Prime rule.

 

[JPFisher]

I believe he is an impact recruit. Whether any player will ever impact Mark Stoops' program like Josh Allen did remains to be seen, but it is a very tall task.

He might not have to be another Josh Allen if the supporting cast is as good as we think it is. Rembrandt (and others), does this class give us the tools to match Stoops' defenses at FSU?

 

[Rembrandt90]

He might not have to be another Josh Allen if the supporting cast is as good as we think it is. Rembrandt (and others), does this class give us the tools to match Stoops' defenses at FSU?

Apples and oranges, I guess. FL St is an ACC school and Jimbo's best years there were driven by high profile college QBs including Jamies Winston. The Seminoles of Jimbo scored a lot of points, as did other top teams of the era. Not to slight Coach Stoops' work at FL St in any way, since he obviously built up their defense methodically, one class at a time, like he has here. Stoops' defenses were revolutionary for the ACC at that time.

But, not to dodge your question. Stoops was one of the most important 3-4 architects of that time. The 3-4 was developed to defend spread offenses. The #1 problem with the 3-4 has always been stopping the run. But Stoops understood that you can occupy a lot of offensive blockers if your three defensive down linemen are huge. He designed his defenses with big defensive linemen and athletic, aggressive LBs so that he could stop the run and put a lot of pressure on QBs by the blitz and by disguising his sets and coverages.

With this knowledge, we can understand why and how Stoops signed lightly recruited linemen like Melvin Lewis and Quinton Bohanna and then developed them into effective SEC NTs. They were big enough and strong enough in their lower bodies to occupy multiple blockers. They didn't have to be very mobile. They didn't even have to make many tackles. They just had to hold their gaps and avoid moving backward at all costs, even with two big offensive linemen trying to shove them backward.

Moving ahead, this is how we are looking so far for 2025. Of course, Deone Walker will still have eligibility as well, but we all know he will probably leave early for the NFL draft.

DE- Brian Robinson-Jerod Smith-Noah Matthews-Tommy Ziesmer

DT- Khalil Saunders-Jamarius Dinkins-Tavion Gadson

NT- Keeshawn Silver-Kendrick Gilbert

Jack LB- Keaton Wade-Tyreese Fearbry-Jacob Smith-Elijah Groves

Mike LB- Jayvant Brown-Devin Smith-Steven Soles

Will LB- Grant Godfrey-Lorenzo Cowan-Caleb Redd

Star (Nickel)- Alex Afari-Antwan Smith

S- Jordan Lovett-Elijah Reed-Ty Bryant-Quaysheed Scott

S- Jantzen Dunn-Jaremiah Anglin-Nasir Addison

CB- Avery Stuart-JQ Hardaway-Jiquavious Marshall

CB- Max Hairston-Terhyon Nichols

So this is how our 2025 defensive roster looks so far. This looks like a lot of talent to me. IMO Keeshawn Silver, Khalil Saunders, Keaton Wade, Alex Afari, Max Hairston, and Jordan Lovett have more upside than we have seen so far. Brian Robinson, Grant Godfrey, Devin Smith, Terhyon Nichols, and Avery Stuart look like future stars. In fact, every Smith looks excellent. So, yes, with Brad White teaching them I think this defensive roster will be very stout on the field. Our 2023 defense is already one of the best in the SEC. 2025 could be better.

 

[JPFisher]

Apples and oranges, I guess. FL St is an ACC school and Jimbo's best years there were driven by high profile college QBs including Jamies Winston. The Seminoles of Jimbo scored a lot of points, as did other top teams of the era. Not to slight Coach Stoops' work at FL St in any way, since he obviously built up their defense methodically, one class at a time, like he has here. Stoops' defenses were revolutionary for the ACC at that time.

But, not to dodge your question. Stoops was one of the most important 3-4 architects of that time. The 3-4 was developed to defend spread offenses. The #1 problem with the 3-4 has always been stopping the run. But Stoops understood that you can occupy a lot of offensive blockers if your three defensive down linemen are huge. He designed his defenses with big defensive linemen and athletic, aggressive LBs so that he could stop the run and put a lot of pressure on QBs by the blitz and by disguising his sets and coverages.

With this knowledge, we can understand why and how Stoops signed lightly recruited linemen like Melvin Lewis and Quinton Bohanna and then developed them into effective SEC NTs. They were big enough and strong enough in their lower bodies to occupy multiple blockers. They didn't have to be very mobile. They didn't even have to make many tackles. They just had to hold their gaps and avoid moving backward at all costs, even with two big offensive linemen trying to shove them backward.

Moving ahead, this is how we are looking so far for 2025. Of course, Deone Walker will still have eligibility as well, but we all know he will probably leave early for the NFL draft.

DE- Brian Robinson-Jerod Smith-Noah Matthews-Tommy Ziesmer

DT- Khalil Saunders-Jamarius Dinkins-Tavion Gadson

NT- Keeshawn Silver-Kendrick Gilbert

Jack LB- Keaton Wade-Tyreese Fearbry-Jacob Smith-Elijah Groves

Mike LB- Jayvant Brown-Devin Smith-Steven Soles

Will LB- Grant Godfrey-Lorenzo Cowan-Caleb Redd

Star (Nickel)- Alex Afari-Antwan Smith

S- Jordan Lovett-Elijah Reed-Ty Bryant-Quaysheed Scott

S- Jantzen Dunn-Jaremiah Anglin-Nasir Addison

CB- Avery Stuart-JQ Hardaway-Jiquavious Marshall

CB- Max Hairston-Terhyon Nichols

So this is how our 2025 defensive roster looks so far. This looks like a lot of talent to me. IMO Keeshawn Silver, Khalil Saunders, Keaton Wade, Alex Afari, Max Hairston, and Jordan Lovett have more upside than we have seen so far. Brian Robinson, Grant Godfrey, Devin Smith, Terhyon Nichols, and Avery Stuart look like future stars. In fact, every Smith looks excellent. So, yes, with Brad White teaching them I think this defensive roster will be very stout on the field. Our 2023 defense is already one of the best in the SEC. 2025 could be better.

Thank you for the input. That roster looks stacked – deep and talented at every position. I'm particularly interested to see how Afari, Wade, Hairston, and Fearby develop. Silver has been an absolute beast.

Hopefully our secondary comes along so we can take full advantage of the havoc created by our front seven in the years to come. Hell of a time to be a Cat fan.

 

[hmt5000]

Cincinnati Princeton hs WR prospect Dorian Williams has decommitted from Vandy and might become an active recruiting target for UK again.

Heavily recruited Brunswick hs LB prospect Devin Smith will announce his school decision today. Many talking heads believe his choice will be UK. Smith would become one of the top defensive commitments in our class. We need more Smiths.

Coach Collins is in communication with Aidan Bryant, a 6'5" 300# OT prospect from Greenville, MS. Bryant currently does not have any publicly reported SEC offers but may hold a new offer from OH St. Bryant is new to football, having played for two years. He reportedly has a long body and unusually long arms. UK has not offered but the situation is developing.

We definitely need more Smiths in this class.

 

[CatPatrick13]

Anwar Stewart recruited Kendrick Gilbert and Jamarion Wilcox. He was secondary recruiter for Deone Walker. He persuaded Keeshaun Silver to transfer here. And as UK's defense has become one of the top SEC defenses year-in and year-out, Coach Stewart has developed our DL.

Another key assistant coach this year has been Jay Boulware, who has fixed our special teams and worked Ray Davis into our atarting lineup. Davis has arguably been the best player on our team so far. Coach Boulward persuaded Alex Raynor to transfer here. He is Tovani Mizell's and Jacob Kauwe's primary recruiter.

One correction. Priefer is the reason Alex Raynor is here. Not Boulware.

 

[hmt5000]

I was listening to a national recruiting show last week, the consensus is the 2024 class of O tackles is thin & poor. They predicted a lot of power 5 upper level schools would be dipping down to offer and schedule visits with OTs that normally would be G5 level talent.

We don't seem to see TE's recruited to switch to OT as much lately. Seems like with the speed of the game that you would see that more now.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Thank you for the input. That roster looks stacked – deep and talented at every position. I'm particularly interested to see how Afari, Wade, Hairston, and Fearby develop. Silver has been an absolute beast.

Hopefully our secondary comes along so we can take full advantage of the havoc created by our front seven in the years to come. Hell of a time to be a Cat fan.

I believe Robinson, Silver, Afari, Stuart, and K. Wade will eventually become all-SEC players in this defense, and am looking forward to watching Hairston, Nichols, and D. Smith develop as well. I don't see any dropoff coming for our defense as long as Brad White is here.

Circling back to 2024 recruiting, this is becoming a stellar defensive class now. We are witnessing validation for reasons why I kept suggesting people should forget about class rankings during the summer. September was a really good month for our class, and Brian Robinson is the icing on the cake. I suspect defensive recruitment is done now for the 2024 class unless Artavius Jones wants to flip from Miami. Other than a large DT like Jones, IDK what else Coach Stoops might need for the defense this year. Another safety might be useful, but I just don't see room. I think they have probably stopped recruiting Casey Etienne.

I suppose the few remaining open scholarships are going to offensive prospects such as hopefully Rico Scott and-or Kamron Mikell. Of course, we could really use a true OT in the class.

 

[Madcat62]

guess we take a Qb, Rb. and OT in the portal ?
any one think Kaiya Sheron is the starter next year?

 

[Rembrandt90]

guess we take a Qb, Rb. and OT in the portal ?
any one think Kaiya Sheron is the starter next year?

Liam Coen likes Sheron, but Sheron has a long way to go before he could start for a >.500 SEC team. Sorry, but I just don't see that. If I'm wrong, I will be the first to say so.

LaVell Wright is missing this season with an injury. DSK, Wright, and Wilcox should be back in 2024. McClain could choose to come back on a COVID ticket. Wilcox will be a very good player here. He rushed for >2,000 yards in 2022 against a high level of hs competition in GA. Mizell will be here in 2024, and I think he can contribute early. If McClain comes back, I see no need to take a RB out of the portal unless Wright doesn't come back for some reason. But if McClain doesn't come back, then maybe we take a RB from the portal.

We are thin at OT, especially if Nik Hall can't come back and be effective. Presumably Marques Cox and Jeremy Flax will be gone. I am assuming Austin Ramsey will be an OG because the scouting reports I have read say that. Dylan Ray and Courtland Ford will be back. Ray is playing LG right now but he is a natural OT. Ben Christman is an OG but can play any OL position in a pinch. If healthy, there is a good chance Christman might start at LG in 2024. Malachi Wood's development could take a couple of years. It is not a sure thing yet that we won't sign an OT in our 2024 class, but that won't help on the field as early as 2024. So it looks like Stoops has to take at least one more OT out of the portal. If there is room, two would be better.

 

[Wildcat40229]

Apples and oranges, I guess. FL St is an ACC school and Jimbo's best years there were driven by high profile college QBs including Jamies Winston. The Seminoles of Jimbo scored a lot of points, as did other top teams of the era. Not to slight Coach Stoops' work at FL St in any way, since he obviously built up their defense methodically, one class at a time, like he has here. Stoops' defenses were revolutionary for the ACC at that time.

But, not to dodge your question. Stoops was one of the most important 3-4 architects of that time. The 3-4 was developed to defend spread offenses. The #1 problem with the 3-4 has always been stopping the run. But Stoops understood that you can occupy a lot of offensive blockers if your three defensive down linemen are huge. He designed his defenses with big defensive linemen and athletic, aggressive LBs so that he could stop the run and put a lot of pressure on QBs by the blitz and by disguising his sets and coverages.

With this knowledge, we can understand why and how Stoops signed lightly recruited linemen like Melvin Lewis and Quinton Bohanna and then developed them into effective SEC NTs. They were big enough and strong enough in their lower bodies to occupy multiple blockers. They didn't have to be very mobile. They didn't even have to make many tackles. They just had to hold their gaps and avoid moving backward at all costs, even with two big offensive linemen trying to shove them backward.

Moving ahead, this is how we are looking so far for 2025. Of course, Deone Walker will still have eligibility as well, but we all know he will probably leave early for the NFL draft.

DE- Brian Robinson-Jerod Smith-Noah Matthews-Tommy Ziesmer

DT- Khalil Saunders-Jamarius Dinkins-Tavion Gadson

NT- Keeshawn Silver-Kendrick Gilbert

Jack LB- Keaton Wade-Tyreese Fearbry-Jacob Smith-Elijah Groves

Mike LB- Jayvant Brown-Devin Smith-Steven Soles

Will LB- Grant Godfrey-Lorenzo Cowan-Caleb Redd

Star (Nickel)- Alex Afari-Antwan Smith

S- Jordan Lovett-Elijah Reed-Ty Bryant-Quaysheed Scott

S- Jantzen Dunn-Jaremiah Anglin-Nasir Addison

CB- Avery Stuart-JQ Hardaway-Jiquavious Marshall

CB- Max Hairston-Terhyon Nichols

So this is how our 2025 defensive roster looks so far. This looks like a lot of talent to me. IMO Keeshawn Silver, Khalil Saunders, Keaton Wade, Alex Afari, Max Hairston, and Jordan Lovett have more upside than we have seen so far. Brian Robinson, Grant Godfrey, Devin Smith, Terhyon Nichols, and Avery Stuart look like future stars. In fact, every Smith looks excellent. So, yes, with Brad White teaching them I think this defensive roster will be very stout on the field. Our 2023 defense is already one of the best in the SEC. 2025 could be better.

I wish our victory over Florida could get us back in with Kendall Jackson.

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Liam Coen likes Sheron, but Sheron has a long way to go before he could start for a >.500 SEC team. Sorry, but I just don't see that. If I'm wrong, I will be the first to say so.

LaVell Wright is missing this season with an injury. DSK, Wright, and Wilcox should be back in 2024. McClain could choose to come back on a COVID ticket. Wilcox will be a very good player here. He rushed for >2,000 yards in 2022 against a high level of hs competition in GA. Mizell will be here in 2024, and I think he can contribute early. If McClain comes back, I see no need to take a RB out of the portal unless Wright doesn't come back for some reason. But if McClain doesn't come back, then maybe we take a RB from the portal.

We are thin at OT, especially if Nik Hall can't come back and be effective. Presumably Marques Cox and Jeremy Flax will be gone. I am assuming Austin Ramsey will be an OG because the scouting reports I have read say that. Dylan Ray and Courtland Ford will be back. Ray is playing LG right now but he is a natural OT. Ben Christman is an OG but can play any OL position in a pinch. If healthy, there is a good chance Christman might start at LG in 2024. Malachi Wood's development could take a couple of years. It is not a sure thing yet that we won't sign an OT in our 2024 class, but that won't help on the field as early as 2024. So it looks like Stoops has to take at least one more OT out of the portal. If there is room, two would be better.

Totally agree on Sheron. But, unless Leary gets hot & plays out of his mind in the last 7-8 games, I think there’s a good chance he comes back next season, making it a moot point. He does have the Covid year if he wants it & to this point he hasn’t played well enough to be drafted in the first 5 rounds, if at all, IMO. So, he’d likely make more in NIL even if he was a 4th or 5th round pick.

Plus, he might still be struggling a little from the injury, both physically & mentally, & could use another year to fully get over it, if so. And, that would be ideal for the program & bridging the gap to Boley, as well. He’d already have a year in the system & chemistry built, as opposed to a new transfer having to learn the playbook & his teammates’ tendencies.

IMO, the only positive for him to leave after this season would be the age factor, if he’s even on NFL teams’ radars. He’ll be 25 this time next year & possibly too old for NFL teams to invest the time & money into a rookie QB of that age. His height & durability are more potential red flags for NFL teams.

Depends on the feedback he’s getting, I suppose. But, personally, I think the chances are at least decent that we get a 2nd season out of him, here & avoid the issue of having to replace him next season. Probably just wishful thinking, but, it sure would be nice if it works out that way.

 

[bigbluedon]

Totally agree on Sheron. But, unless Leary gets hot & plays out of his mind in the last 7-8 games, I think there’s a good chance he comes back next season, making it a moot point. He does have the Covid year if he wants it & to this point he hasn’t played well enough to be drafted in the first 5 rounds, if at all, IMO. So, he’d likely make more in NIL even if he was a 4th or 5th round pick.

Plus, he might still be struggling a little from the injury, both physically & mentally, & could use another year to fully get over it, if so. And, that would be ideal for the program & bridging the gap to Boley, as well. He’d already have a year in the system & chemistry built, as opposed to a new transfer having to learn the playbook & his teammates’ tendencies.

IMO, the only positive for him to leave after this season would be the age factor, if he’s even on NFL teams’ radars. He’ll be 25 this time next year & possibly too old for NFL teams to invest the time & money into a rookie QB of that age. His height & durability are more potential red flags for NFL teams.

Depends on the feedback he’s getting, I suppose. But, personally, I think the chances are at least decent that we get a 2nd season out of him, here & avoid the issue of having to replace him next season. Probably just wishful thinking, but, it sure would be nice if it works out that way.

Leary is done after this year. Cannot come back.

 

[Rembrandt90]

I wish our victory over Florida could get us back in with Kendall Jackson.

UK's coaches made a good recruiting pitch to Jackson but it didn't work out. Happens every year. Jackson is firm to FL, which is his home school. He and his family put some effort into his decision so he isn't likely to flip. Once committed, prospects seldom flip over one game. Generally, they flip because there is a coaching change, or because they have a misunderstanding with a coach, or because they get a more appealing offer, or because they change their minds about their fit in a system, or because they worry about going too far from home, or because their offer gets pulled. Something like that.

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Leary is done after this year. Cannot come back.

My bad. I could’ve sworn that I heard/saw someone say that he still had the Covid year.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Totally agree on Sheron. But, unless Leary gets hot & plays out of his mind in the last 7-8 games, I think there’s a good chance he comes back next season, making it a moot point. He does have the Covid year if he wants it & to this point he hasn’t played well enough to be drafted in the first 5 rounds, if at all, IMO. So, he’d likely make more in NIL even if he was a 4th or 5th round pick.

Plus, he might still be struggling a little from the injury, both physically & mentally, & could use another year to fully get over it, if so. And, that would be ideal for the program & bridging the gap to Boley, as well. He’d already have a year in the system & chemistry built, as opposed to a new transfer having to learn the playbook & his teammates’ tendencies.

IMO, the only positive for him to leave after this season would be the age factor, if he’s even on NFL teams’ radars. He’ll be 25 this time next year & possibly too old for NFL teams to invest the time & money into a rookie QB of that age. His height & durability are more potential red flags for NFL teams.

Depends on the feedback he’s getting, I suppose. But, personally, I think the chances are at least decent that we get a 2nd season out of him, here & avoid the issue of having to replace him next season. Probably just wishful thinking, but, it sure would be nice if it works out that way.

Leary missed most of the 2022 season after injuring a chest wall muscle. There was some rust. After watching replays, I have noticed that his arm slot has dropped compared to his throwing motion in 2021 and 2022. Really, that explains almost everything. With a more sidearmed motion, some throws will sail, and consistency and accuracy are not as good. He isn't really being rushed. UK's BBW has allowed 4 sacks, which is tied with GA for best in the SEC. Of course, it would help Devin if Dane Key and Barion Brown would catch the passes that are thrown in their normal catch radius. The drops have hurt. But for Leary to be more consistent, Coach Coen needs to work with him on his throwing mechanics, and I'm sure they know that.

In 2021, Will Levis initially had some mechanical issues but Coen fixed them and Levis became more effective in November and the Citrus Bowl. I expect Leary to perform better with more work.

Leary will not be back in 2024. This was understood from the outset, as he is using up his eligibility.

I cannot possibly see Boley starting in Sept., 2024. Boley has great size and length, but he was supposed to be a hs junior this year and is still a raw player. Even if he enrolls at UK this coming January, Boley just isn't going to be ready. It's possible that they might try to start Sheron in September while continuing to work with Boley and D. Wade to see if either can beat out Sheron by October. But Coen obviously won't prefer going into a season with that high level of uncertainty. IMO it's more likely that Coach Stoops will take another QB out of the portal. The problem with that approach is that it becomes a lot like a box of chocolates, to use the Forrest Gump analogy. You don't know what you will get. Ultimately, my gut feeling is that Stone Saunders will become an outstanding SEC QB, given time.

 

[Bereacat420]

Robinson is taller than Josh Paschal. But Robinson is not bigger than Josh. Currently Josh probably outweighs Robinson by 20#. You are correct that Robinson has a very mature approach to nutrition and conditioning. Once Robinson gets submersed in UK's conditioning program, he might be as big as Josh is, or even bigger.



Josh Allen came to UK at 6'4" 200# and left at 6'5" 260#. He was a Jack LB here. He was a Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, a consensus All American, and undoubtedly the best UK football player of the Stoops era. His speed and athleticism seperated him and made him unique. It will be difficult for another player to match or surpass his impact on our program. Brian Robinson will be a DE in our 3-3-5. He has outgrown the LB position. As I have said, I believe he is the most important prospect on UK's 2024 recruiting board at any position. I believe he is an impact recruit. Whether any player will ever impact Mark Stoops' program like Josh Allen did remains to be seen, but it is a very tall task. Can Robinson become an all-SEC player? Absolutely. He will be playing for a fantastic DC, and he has the talent package. Can Robinson become a consensus All American and challenge for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy? IDK, that's a lot to ask.

Walker has almost as big of an effect as Allen. By next year he may be the best DL in college. Could you imagine having a guy like Deone at DT playing beside of an edge rusher like Allen. That would be crazy

 

[Bereacat420]

My bad. I could’ve sworn that I heard/saw someone say that he still had the Covid year.

Idk for sure but I have heard both wsys

 

[Bereacat420]

Leary missed most of the 2022 season after injuring a chest wall muscle. There was some rust. After watching replays, I have noticed that his arm slot has dropped compared to his throwing motion in 2021 and 2022. Really, that explains almost everything. With a more sidearmed motion, some throws will sail, and consistency and accuracy are not as good. He isn't really being rushed. UK's BBW has allowed 4 sacks, which is tied with GA for best in the SEC. Of course, it would help Devin if Dane Key and Barion Brown would catch the passes that are thrown in their normal catch radius. The drops have hurt. But for Leary to be more consistent, Coach Coen needs to work with him on his throwing mechanics, and I'm sure they know that.

In 2021, Will Levis initially had some mechanical issues but Coen fixed them and Levis became more effective in November and the Citrus Bowl. I expect Leary to perform better with more work.

Leary will not be back in 2024. This was understood from the outset, as he is using up his eligibility.

I cannot possibly see Boley starting in Sept., 2024. Boley has great size and length, but he was supposed to be a hs junior this year and is still a raw player. Even if he enrolls at UK this coming January, Boley just isn't going to be ready. It's possible that they might try to start Sheron in September while continuing to work with Boley and D. Wade to see if either can beat out Sheron by October. But Coen obviously won't prefer going into a season with that high level of uncertainty. IMO it's more likely that Coach Stoops will take another QB out of the portal. The problem with that approach is that it becomes a lot like a box of chocolates, to use the Forrest Gump analogy. You don't know what you will get. Ultimately, my gut feeling is that Stone Saunders will become an outstanding SEC QB, given time.

Boley is a normal HS SR. He reclassed with the covid year to be in the '25 class when he transfereed to LCA. He just reclassed back into the '24 class he was supposed to be in. Without the covid option he would never have been in the '25 class. With that said I 100 percent agree that he is not ready to start for UK next year. He needs to take the RS year and let Coen work on his mechanics and hopefully have him ready in a year or two. I will add Cutter had better work his butt off because Saunders is the real deal and will be pushing him for that starting spot.

 

[Wildcat40229]

Boley is a normal HS SR. He reclassed with the covid year to be in the '25 class when he transfereed to LCA. He just reclassed back into the '24 class he was supposed to be in. Without the covid option he would never have been in the '25 class. With that said I 100 percent agree that he is not ready to start for UK next year. He needs to take the RS year and let Coen work on his mechanics and hopefully have him ready in a year or two. I will add Cutter had better work his butt off because Saunders is the real deal and will be pushing him for that starting spot.

I can see Boley starting in 2025 and 26, that will allow Saunders to redshirt. But 27 will have a tremendous battle for the starting spot. Boley will be a redshirt Junior and Saunders a redshirt sophomore.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Walker has almost as big of an effect as Allen. By next year he may be the best DL in college. Could you imagine having a guy like Deone at DT playing beside of an edge rusher like Allen. That would be crazy

I believe Keaton Wade will develop into the best Jack LB we have had since Josh Allen.

Having Deone Walker playing next to Keeshawn Silver in the interior gives us a chance to be an elite defense. Nobody will be able to move those two guys because both can hold their ground against a double team. That means our excellent interior LBs will have free downhill runs to make plays and opponents will have to run laterally. Our LBs are very good. If our secondary plays well, our defense will be good enough to keep us in games against anyone including GA. Kirby has seen the film and he knows.

That doesn't necessarily mean we can beat GA in Athens, but I beIieve we have a better chance than anyone else does. This game should be competitive.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Boley is a normal HS SR. He reclassed with the covid year to be in the '25 class when he transfereed to LCA. He just reclassed back into the '24 class he was supposed to be in. Without the covid option he would never have been in the '25 class. With that said I 100 percent agree that he is not ready to start for UK next year. He needs to take the RS year and let Coen work on his mechanics and hopefully have him ready in a year or two. I will add Cutter had better work his butt off because Saunders is the real deal and will be pushing him for that starting spot.

I know Boley's history, but I don't believe he will be ready to start in Sept., 2024. Boley has excellent height and length, but he will need positional development and more bulk and strength.

 

[Rembrandt90]

I can see Boley starting in 2025 and 26, that will allow Saunders to redshirt. But 27 will have a tremendous battle for the starting spot. Boley will be a redshirt Junior and Saunders a redshirt sophomore.

I submit Saunders is playing against a much better level of competition at Bishop McDevitt hs than Boley is facing in Lexington. It would be incredibly naive to think otherwise. Saunders is halfway through his junior season of hs and already holds the all time record for career passing yards at BMHS. Boley is obviously a good prospect as well. But don't try to compare their online ratings. Saunders is a tremendous QB prospect. Liam Coen stopped recruiting Ryan Montgomery to close the deal with Saunders. College football is not predictable, which is why a lot of people lose their shirts betting on it and hundreds of thousands of fans get surprised every week. I have never claimed to be a fortune teller. There is no conceivable way to predict now who will start at QB for UK in 2025-27. What we can say for sure is that there will be a competition.

 

[Rembrandt90]

We are getting down to the last several available 2024 scholarships. Kamron Mikell is still scheduled to OV UK on Oct. 28. And we know current AL commit (and Stone Saunders' BMHS teammate) Rico Scott visited UK for the FL game. It would be interesting to know whether Mikell and Scott are candidates for the same WR scholarship, or whether Stoops would take both. I suspect he would probably take both Mikell and Scott, if that opportunity presents itself.

 

[Cazwheel1072]

My bad. I could’ve sworn that I heard/saw someone say that he still had the Covid year.

I remember JRow posting something to this effect (that he actually could come back).

Prior to that I had assumed he was out of eligibility.

 

[JHannibalSmith]

I remember JRow posting something to this effect (that he actually could come back).

Prior to that I had assumed he was out of eligibility.

Same here, exactly. I couldn’t remember where I saw it but I KNEW someone trustworthy had said that. I’m glad someone else heard/read it. Thought I dreamed it up or that I was losing my mind for a minute, lol.

 

[Rembrandt90]

I remember JRow posting something to this effect (that he actually could come back).

Prior to that I had assumed he was out of eligibility.

Same here, exactly. I couldn’t remember where I saw it but I KNEW someone trustworthy had said that. I’m glad someone else heard/read it. Thought I dreamed it up or that I was losing my mind for a minute, lol.

Let's bring this to closure and circle back to 2024 recruiting. It is a matter of public knowledge that Devin Leary enrolled at NC St on June 10, 2018.

2018
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2021
2022
2023

Leary played too many games at NC St last year for a medical RS. He is done at the end of this season. I haven't seen the statement by JR but this is the reality.