In this edition of a new Cats Illustrated series we break down the biggest needs for Kentucky with Signing Day just more than three months away.
Following quarterback Danny Clark's commitment the Cats have 14 pledges altogether, with 20 a good ballpark estimate of how many letters of intent Kentucky will ultimately accept in early February.
Defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh (UK Athletics)
1. DEFENSIVE LINE
No question about it, the defensive line is Kentucky's number one recruiting priority for the Class of 2017 from here on out. Mark Stoops alluded to his desire to land six or seven defensive linemen in this class. He already has three.
That means Stoops would be willing to take three or four more defensive linemen, depending on the quality of the player he could get on board. It might be a stretch to expect Kentucky to land four more defensive linemen, but there's a need up front, no doubt.
Courtney Miggins' eligibility will be exhausted after this season and he's been a key contributor for Kentucky in 2016 so far. Alvonte Bell, Naquez Pringle and Matt Elam each have just one season of eligibility remaining after this year, so the staff needs to start planning to replace those players as well.
There are some younger players still in the program, such as Kengera Daniel, Adrian Middleton and others, but the Cats are replacing a lot of snaps and a fair amount of overall production over the next two years, and you can never have too many quality defensive linemen in the SEC. Building depth on the defensive line is never going to be an easy thing for Kentucky to do, and that's one reason Kentucky has relied so heavily upon junior college talent since Mark Stoops took over. It's not an ideal strategy, but it can be effective, and Pringle, Miggins and Bell are evidence that the program is still leaning on that detour-route approach.
Kentucky has their Jack linebacker/defensive end in Alex King. Phil Hoskins is probably a defensive end and Quinton Bohanna could play defensive tackle or nose guard. The Cats will probably want to add at least one more player who is capable of playing the nose, as well as a couple more players of the defensive end/tackle variety. They have some flexibility in terms of the kind of lineman they might take.
Offensive line coach John Schlarman (UK Athletics)
2. OFFENSIVE TACKLE
For most of this recruiting cycle the assumption has been that Kentucky would strive to finish with three offensive linemen with a heavy (and perhaps exclusive) emphasis on the tackle position.
Only Austin Dotson is on board to date, so it's very likely that Kentucky would take two more tackles if they find a pair the staff feels strongly about. Months ago the assumption was five-star tackle Jedrick Wills would probably snatch up one of those spots, and that would have made it fairly easy to fill the other slot. But with Wills far from a Kentucky lock (and very possibly leaning elsewhere), it gets a bit trickier.
Kentucky has offered junior college tackles, high school tackles, and recently a high school player (Sebastien Dolcine) who is probably a bit of a 'tweener between tackle and guard. All of that helps to underscore that tackle is still the priority, but that the staff is willing to be flexible in terms of the kind of player they bring on board.
The Cats do lose Jon Toth at center after this year, but the forecast for the position in the coming years is still strong with Jervontius Stallings and Drake Jackson. That true freshman Luke Fortner can play any position on the front five gives the staff more long-term flexibility.
Kentucky will be replacing a lot of linemen after the 2017 season. Nick Haynes, Ramsey Meyers, Cole Mosier and Kyle Meadows will all leave the program after next year. George Asafo-Adjei's surge up the tackle depth chart this week bodes well for the edges in 2018 (when he will be a senior, outlasting Mosier and Meadows), but the staff is clearly making tackle a priority, as those players aren't easy to develop and they don't want to be caught behind.
Expect Kentucky to go more heavy into guard recruiting in the 2018 class, but for now two tackles is probably still what Mark Stoops wants.
Defensive backs coach Steven Clinkscale (UK Athletics)
3. DEFENSIVE BACK
Kentucky already has commitments from cornerbacks Cedrick Dort and Michael Nesbitt as well as safety Tyrell Ajian, so the staff has done a good job of addressing what was a big area of emphasis at the start of this class. But it does still seem as though Kentucky would like to add at least one more high quality defensive back.
They're looking at both high school recruits and junior college prospects who could push for an early spot on the depth chart.
Kentucky loses Blake McClain and Marcus McWilson at safety after this year, and of course there are Darius West's recurring injury issues to keep in mind. Given that, it would seem that safety is a bigger priority than cornerback, especially considering the Cats have two very good corner commits and just one safety.
Wide receivers coach Lamar Thomas (UK Athletics)
4. WIDE RECEIVER
It's very likely that Kentucky will add one more wide receiver in the 2017 class. They have plenty of good options ranging from Rivals250 prospect Danny Davis to some players committed elsewhere and others from Florida who might take official visits closer to Signing Day.
Kentucky has a trio of receiver commitments already and it's looking like a stacked group. Rivals250 Ohio prospect JaVonte Richardson is the headliner and he's a fast, physically imposing player who can line up outside and make plays all over the field. Joshua Ali is a versatile receiver who could do pretty much whatever the coaches ask him to do, while Clevan Thomas looks like the program's slot.
It's unlikely that Kentucky would take another slot receiver, although four-star USF commit Bruce Judson is one of the players at the position who will officially visit. Unlikely, but not impossible. More likely? Kentucky will simply look for the best available option.
Kentucky loses Ryan Timmons after this season but the big losses come after the 2017 year when Garrett Johnson, Jeff Badet and Dorian Baker, among others, leave.
Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot (UK Athletics)
5. LINEBACKER
Linebacker didn't seem to be a huge need heading into the 2017 recruiting cycle. Kentucky does have two commitments at the position if you count King here, as the Jack. The only other player the Cats have at linebacker is Jamin Davis of Georgia, who is capable of playing both inside and outside linebacker.
It's undeniable that Kentucky's coaches seem to be considering the possibility of taking another linebacker, but it's not yet clear whether they have made the decision to do that yet. If they do continue recruiting the position the Cats won't take more than one. It seems as though Kentucky has looked at some junior college options at linebacker so the staff might be looking for a player who could step in and play as soon as next season.
Tight ends coach Vince Marrow (UK Athletics)
6. TIGHT END
Tight end isn't a huge need for Kentucky right now even though there are just three scholarship players at the position. For a while it seemed as though Kentucky would take two tight ends from the 2018 class.
More recently it has seemed as though it's possible the Cats could elect to take a 2017 tight end. That probably doesn't have too much to do with Darryl Long's transfer, but given that Greg Hart leaves after 2017 and C.J. Conrad is gone after 2018, it might not be a bad idea to add another young piece to the pipeline to go along with current freshman Justin Rigg. Both Conrad and Hart are seeing a lot of time, so Kentucky's not afraid to put two tight ends on the field with this new offensive coaching staff.
Running backs coach Eddie Gran (UK Athletics)
7. RUNNING BACK
The coaching staff is telling 2017 commit Bryant Koback that he's the only running back they will take in his class. That has to be flattering, especially considering Mikel Horton's decision to transfer, the possibility of Stanley "Boom" Williams leaving after this year and Koback's injury earlier in the fall.
That Koback's health doesn't seem to be a long-term concern reinforces the staff's belief, apparently, that he's pretty much what they need at the position. Of course, anything could happen if there's a transfer and a departure for the NFL, but right now running back ranks behind the other positions in terms of need, although the offseason could be interesting.
Following quarterback Danny Clark's commitment the Cats have 14 pledges altogether, with 20 a good ballpark estimate of how many letters of intent Kentucky will ultimately accept in early February.
Defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh (UK Athletics)
1. DEFENSIVE LINE
No question about it, the defensive line is Kentucky's number one recruiting priority for the Class of 2017 from here on out. Mark Stoops alluded to his desire to land six or seven defensive linemen in this class. He already has three.
That means Stoops would be willing to take three or four more defensive linemen, depending on the quality of the player he could get on board. It might be a stretch to expect Kentucky to land four more defensive linemen, but there's a need up front, no doubt.
Courtney Miggins' eligibility will be exhausted after this season and he's been a key contributor for Kentucky in 2016 so far. Alvonte Bell, Naquez Pringle and Matt Elam each have just one season of eligibility remaining after this year, so the staff needs to start planning to replace those players as well.
There are some younger players still in the program, such as Kengera Daniel, Adrian Middleton and others, but the Cats are replacing a lot of snaps and a fair amount of overall production over the next two years, and you can never have too many quality defensive linemen in the SEC. Building depth on the defensive line is never going to be an easy thing for Kentucky to do, and that's one reason Kentucky has relied so heavily upon junior college talent since Mark Stoops took over. It's not an ideal strategy, but it can be effective, and Pringle, Miggins and Bell are evidence that the program is still leaning on that detour-route approach.
Kentucky has their Jack linebacker/defensive end in Alex King. Phil Hoskins is probably a defensive end and Quinton Bohanna could play defensive tackle or nose guard. The Cats will probably want to add at least one more player who is capable of playing the nose, as well as a couple more players of the defensive end/tackle variety. They have some flexibility in terms of the kind of lineman they might take.
Offensive line coach John Schlarman (UK Athletics)
2. OFFENSIVE TACKLE
For most of this recruiting cycle the assumption has been that Kentucky would strive to finish with three offensive linemen with a heavy (and perhaps exclusive) emphasis on the tackle position.
Only Austin Dotson is on board to date, so it's very likely that Kentucky would take two more tackles if they find a pair the staff feels strongly about. Months ago the assumption was five-star tackle Jedrick Wills would probably snatch up one of those spots, and that would have made it fairly easy to fill the other slot. But with Wills far from a Kentucky lock (and very possibly leaning elsewhere), it gets a bit trickier.
Kentucky has offered junior college tackles, high school tackles, and recently a high school player (Sebastien Dolcine) who is probably a bit of a 'tweener between tackle and guard. All of that helps to underscore that tackle is still the priority, but that the staff is willing to be flexible in terms of the kind of player they bring on board.
The Cats do lose Jon Toth at center after this year, but the forecast for the position in the coming years is still strong with Jervontius Stallings and Drake Jackson. That true freshman Luke Fortner can play any position on the front five gives the staff more long-term flexibility.
Kentucky will be replacing a lot of linemen after the 2017 season. Nick Haynes, Ramsey Meyers, Cole Mosier and Kyle Meadows will all leave the program after next year. George Asafo-Adjei's surge up the tackle depth chart this week bodes well for the edges in 2018 (when he will be a senior, outlasting Mosier and Meadows), but the staff is clearly making tackle a priority, as those players aren't easy to develop and they don't want to be caught behind.
Expect Kentucky to go more heavy into guard recruiting in the 2018 class, but for now two tackles is probably still what Mark Stoops wants.
Defensive backs coach Steven Clinkscale (UK Athletics)
3. DEFENSIVE BACK
Kentucky already has commitments from cornerbacks Cedrick Dort and Michael Nesbitt as well as safety Tyrell Ajian, so the staff has done a good job of addressing what was a big area of emphasis at the start of this class. But it does still seem as though Kentucky would like to add at least one more high quality defensive back.
They're looking at both high school recruits and junior college prospects who could push for an early spot on the depth chart.
Kentucky loses Blake McClain and Marcus McWilson at safety after this year, and of course there are Darius West's recurring injury issues to keep in mind. Given that, it would seem that safety is a bigger priority than cornerback, especially considering the Cats have two very good corner commits and just one safety.
Wide receivers coach Lamar Thomas (UK Athletics)
4. WIDE RECEIVER
It's very likely that Kentucky will add one more wide receiver in the 2017 class. They have plenty of good options ranging from Rivals250 prospect Danny Davis to some players committed elsewhere and others from Florida who might take official visits closer to Signing Day.
Kentucky has a trio of receiver commitments already and it's looking like a stacked group. Rivals250 Ohio prospect JaVonte Richardson is the headliner and he's a fast, physically imposing player who can line up outside and make plays all over the field. Joshua Ali is a versatile receiver who could do pretty much whatever the coaches ask him to do, while Clevan Thomas looks like the program's slot.
It's unlikely that Kentucky would take another slot receiver, although four-star USF commit Bruce Judson is one of the players at the position who will officially visit. Unlikely, but not impossible. More likely? Kentucky will simply look for the best available option.
Kentucky loses Ryan Timmons after this season but the big losses come after the 2017 year when Garrett Johnson, Jeff Badet and Dorian Baker, among others, leave.
Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot (UK Athletics)
5. LINEBACKER
Linebacker didn't seem to be a huge need heading into the 2017 recruiting cycle. Kentucky does have two commitments at the position if you count King here, as the Jack. The only other player the Cats have at linebacker is Jamin Davis of Georgia, who is capable of playing both inside and outside linebacker.
It's undeniable that Kentucky's coaches seem to be considering the possibility of taking another linebacker, but it's not yet clear whether they have made the decision to do that yet. If they do continue recruiting the position the Cats won't take more than one. It seems as though Kentucky has looked at some junior college options at linebacker so the staff might be looking for a player who could step in and play as soon as next season.
Tight ends coach Vince Marrow (UK Athletics)
6. TIGHT END
Tight end isn't a huge need for Kentucky right now even though there are just three scholarship players at the position. For a while it seemed as though Kentucky would take two tight ends from the 2018 class.
More recently it has seemed as though it's possible the Cats could elect to take a 2017 tight end. That probably doesn't have too much to do with Darryl Long's transfer, but given that Greg Hart leaves after 2017 and C.J. Conrad is gone after 2018, it might not be a bad idea to add another young piece to the pipeline to go along with current freshman Justin Rigg. Both Conrad and Hart are seeing a lot of time, so Kentucky's not afraid to put two tight ends on the field with this new offensive coaching staff.
Running backs coach Eddie Gran (UK Athletics)
7. RUNNING BACK
The coaching staff is telling 2017 commit Bryant Koback that he's the only running back they will take in his class. That has to be flattering, especially considering Mikel Horton's decision to transfer, the possibility of Stanley "Boom" Williams leaving after this year and Koback's injury earlier in the fall.
That Koback's health doesn't seem to be a long-term concern reinforces the staff's belief, apparently, that he's pretty much what they need at the position. Of course, anything could happen if there's a transfer and a departure for the NFL, but right now running back ranks behind the other positions in terms of need, although the offseason could be interesting.
