State of 2024 Recruiting
- Thread starter Rembrandt90
- Start date
I guess he has until midnight tonight(Fri). Maybe he'll wait until Feb. Sure would like to have him at UK.
Maybe but 2 similar types have decommitted in the last month or so plus being a legacy, I'd guess UK would take him and work it out later.
Williams is a take for us. But getting him is a different story.
I firmly believe Coach Stoops would take Amaree Williams regardless of who else is in the class. Losing Groves and Cowan improves the fit. And since Williams hasn't actually signed with anyone else yet, we can hope.
But Williams will probably sign with FL St in February. He didn't commit during his recent visit to Tallahassee, but it is the only OV he has taken. So far, no evidence that he is broadening his decision process.
Is our 2024 class final now? At this point, that isn't a simple question. For one thing, with JJ Weaver and Zion Childress returning, our 2024 roster is currently full.
For sure, there will be some outbound transfers in the spring. So more scholarships will open up. All of us agree on that. But how many? Not all departures can be foreseen, but most probably can be. So our coaches must anticipate how many more scholarships they will plan to fill.
Once they have a target number of scholarships, those can be addressed through the upcoming transfer portal window or through the February signing date for our 2024 recruiting class. Or a mixture.
I have some thoughts about current Wildcat underclassmen who might consider transferring out during the spring due to the depth chart. But it's speculation, so I won't get into specific names now. Suffice to say, players leave every spring. So if Coach Stoops and Coach Marrow want to take a few more 2024 signees in February, they can. The question is, who is still on our 2024 recruiting board? I can offer several possible names of unsigned prospects-
Reese Baker, OL, Madison, AL
Robert Bourdon, OL, Collierville, TN
Jaylen Brown, WR, Nicogdoches, TX
Terry Bussey, ATH, Timpson, TX
Casey Etienne, DB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Vosky Howard, slotR, Timpson, TX
Jaylin Jones, LB, Beaumont, TX
LaVonte Johnson, ATH, Houston, TX
Luke Masterson, OL, Nashville, TN
Kison Shepard, OL, Germantown, TN
Amaree Williams, LB, North Palm Beach, FL
Dorian Williams, WR, Cincinnati, OH
Some of these names could come into play because Coach Shorts previously attempted to recruit them at UH. To be clear, I am not suggesting any of these unsigned 2024 players will end up at UK. But they are still available.
Committed prospects who haven't actually signed yet with other schools can flip in February. In 2023, that's how we signed Kendrick Gilbert as a February flip from Purdue. It happens.
For sure, there will be some outbound transfers in the spring. So more scholarships will open up. All of us agree on that. But how many? Not all departures can be foreseen, but most probably can be. So our coaches must anticipate how many more scholarships they will plan to fill.
Once they have a target number of scholarships, those can be addressed through the upcoming transfer portal window or through the February signing date for our 2024 recruiting class. Or a mixture.
I have some thoughts about current Wildcat underclassmen who might consider transferring out during the spring due to the depth chart. But it's speculation, so I won't get into specific names now. Suffice to say, players leave every spring. So if Coach Stoops and Coach Marrow want to take a few more 2024 signees in February, they can. The question is, who is still on our 2024 recruiting board? I can offer several possible names of unsigned prospects-
Reese Baker, OL, Madison, AL
Robert Bourdon, OL, Collierville, TN
Jaylen Brown, WR, Nicogdoches, TX
Terry Bussey, ATH, Timpson, TX
Casey Etienne, DB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Vosky Howard, slotR, Timpson, TX
Jaylin Jones, LB, Beaumont, TX
LaVonte Johnson, ATH, Houston, TX
Luke Masterson, OL, Nashville, TN
Kison Shepard, OL, Germantown, TN
Amaree Williams, LB, North Palm Beach, FL
Dorian Williams, WR, Cincinnati, OH
Some of these names could come into play because Coach Shorts previously attempted to recruit them at UH. To be clear, I am not suggesting any of these unsigned 2024 players will end up at UK. But they are still available.
Committed prospects who haven't actually signed yet with other schools can flip in February. In 2023, that's how we signed Kendrick Gilbert as a February flip from Purdue. It happens.
Suspect another round of transfers come after the bowl. Could happen pretty fast as guys probably want to get to their next school by start of new semester and Spring practice, that's probably by mid to late Jan.
It'll be interesting to see what area Shorts is given to recruit. One would think TX and of course Boulware has a TX recruiting background too. But UK has had very limited TX success, maybe that changes with TX/Oklahoma coming into the SEC. As of now UK is short handed in TN, an area that's vital in the long run. Woodward had that area(he was primary on the just signed LB Steven Soles), Collins/Stewart have GA/North FL, Mike Stoops has South FL. Will UK reconfigure?
There have been rumors that woodyard may be staying on as a special asst. Not sure if he would still recruit. Not sure that is 100% true. They did say UK posted the position so it is possible. I dont think UK will recruit texas hard.
Have heard Woodward might be in line for one of those off the field type jobs, advisor, QC or whatever so maybe that has legs. Those guys don't recruit, at least off campus.
Have no idea what kind of recruiter Shorts is but I'd be content if they stuck him in mid-TN and told him not to come home without ballplayers. Agree, don't see UK putting max recruiting effort in TX.
Maybe woodward and coen still have connections to get him going. Marrow also
Doesn't make any sense for a kid to wait till after bowls late late Dec if they want to move on. Teams spend Dec filling their rosters & spots from the portal & hs signing. Most well run schools are like Kentucky, and after signing day virtually filled up their 85.
Don't think that 85 counts until Fall so it's not that important now. Guys will want to transfer after bowls to get in Spring semester as well as Spring practice. James Madison played their bowl Sat and have already had at least 7(SEVEN!) guys follow their coach to IU.
I think the next rd of transfers will be during and after spring practice. The ones that see they wont be playing etc. Could be wrong but wouldnt anticipate any till then
It will happen quickly, for just that reason.
The issue is that Stoops and Marrow need to have a pretty good idea how many will leave. Our 2024 roster is pretty close to full now. So roster accounting has become more urgent prior to the February signing date and the next transfer portal window.
Yes. It will be interesting. Daikeil Shorts doesn't have a professional background in the southeast. He was born in Clayton, NJ, and grew up in that general area. He played college football at WV. So he probably still has some hs contacts along that area of the east coast, or could develop them quickly. Obviously he just coached at UH and has connections in the state of TX. Because of distance, we don't sign very many players from TX, but there has been an occasional one. If we could get a few more players out of TX, that could help us. He can probably reach over into LA and MS too but that may take a little time.
Chris Collins and Anwar Stewart seem to have the state of GA covered. The coordinators Brad White and Liam Coen have been recruiting in TN along with an occasional appearance there by Vince Marrow. IDK if those areas need more help although Coach Shorts will surely be helping with recruitment of WRs wherever they are.
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It is accounting. It doesn't count until the player enrolls and goes on scholarship. That can be January, June, or August as the case may be.
Still looks like Tim Couch's son Chase from LCA may join our football program as a PWO.
Anyone have any insight into the recruitment of Darius Wiley? Long local athlete that would seem to b worth at least a pwo.. didnt hear much about him during his much anticipated senior season.
Only thing I can find is he was committed to Marshall until about a week ago when he decommitted. Shows a UK offer as well as IU/WVU, other offers are small schools. 5.4 2*.
OK I was wrong on no more big wave of portal entries after bowls.
Looks like there will be a lot more over the next week. The court ruling making multiple transfers legal and the ncaa waiving the white flag is causing a bunch of entrances.
Looks like there will be a lot more over the next week. The court ruling making multiple transfers legal and the ncaa waiving the white flag is causing a bunch of entrances.
Attended a couple of recruiting functions on UK's campus last winter. Has visited Lexington a number of times, but the news trail went cold last spring. By that, I mean no other schools have made very much news with his recruitment either. He has a nice frame and some athleticism. This has the optics of a situation where a kid maybe can't qualify to enroll, but I have no idea if that is actually true. Good luck to him.
Each school can write its own admission rules. Many state schools will already admit any hs graduate in their state. I don't see how any of that changes. If you foresee unsuccessful applicants litigating against a school because they weren't admitted, I suppose that kind of litigation would have greater prospects for success in some states than in others, but I have a hard time imagining it.
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I haven't taken a close look, but it appears to me that the flood gates are opening wider with the portal now. Stoops is fortunate (and certainly to his credit) that UK's football roster hasn't been hit harder. When I look at the ongoing exodus from some Power 5 rosters, it has gotten pretty intense this year. Programs attracting top hs recruiting classes are stacked now with guys who are not willing to wait for playing time. Most want immediate starting roles. And when that happens, older players get displaced and go straight into the portal. I still think it is miraculous that Pop Dumas-Johnson is a Wildcat now.
I think Stoops' recruiting model is turning out to be pretty smart.
Fingers crossed, but in the portal era i guess the only real hurtful exit has been Devonshire. We got an able replacement for Justin Rogers a yr ago.
Nobody who has left has lit it up, causing fans to scream "STOOPS YOU IDIOT WHY DIDN'T YOU PLAYXXX MORE TO KEEP HIM HERE!". Lewis had a nice yr at WR for Troy. Most who left UK weren't going to play here, and didn't play much at their 2nd stop.
I worry about our NIL operations, but I guess they are doing good enough to keep the core most talented guys happy.
Nobody who has left has lit it up, causing fans to scream "STOOPS YOU IDIOT WHY DIDN'T YOU PLAYXXX MORE TO KEEP HIM HERE!". Lewis had a nice yr at WR for Troy. Most who left UK weren't going to play here, and didn't play much at their 2nd stop.
I worry about our NIL operations, but I guess they are doing good enough to keep the core most talented guys happy.
Toledo running back Peny Boone has narrowed down his portal recruitment to Florida State, Louisville and Kentucky, he tells On Three Sports.
It would. I expect more portal guys this week, scholarships shouldn't be a problem.
His Rivals’ profile indicates a one-time verbal commitment to Maryland, but then his full career at Toledo, where he exploded in 2023 for 15 rushing TD’s with 1,400 yards.
Hence, he is a rare solid HS Four Star who ended up in the MAC.
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