The dynamic improved. Coach Boulware deserves a lot of credit.
UK football and the December transfer portal
- Thread starter Rembrandt90
- Start date
In 2021, UK tried to recruit Nicholson out of MS Gulf Coast CC for our 2022 class. Nicholson played on the offense at MGCCC including some time as their QB, but is a defensive athlete at the SEC level. He publicly committed to UK and then flipped to MS St during the signing week. He is a long, twitchy athlete who can play CB or S and has been a solid, physical CB for MS St. He played well against us earlier this year. Given his prior history with Coach Collins and UK, I feel comfortable saying Nicholson is likely to end up at UK this time although we could get some competition from Ole Miss or FL St.
We don't need to spend a scholarship on Correll. We have Eli Cox and Koby Keenum, not to mention several 2024 commits who could be developed at C. Keenum is being groomed as our future starting C. There are only 85 scholarships. OT, WR, and DB are much greater needs, plus we need another RB and possibly another edge LB.
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Good points. I can see the reasoning.
Seems like for 5 yrs I've read about Tyler Barron committing to UK, or flipping to UK, or transferring to UK. Last chance!
Baron actually developed into an excellent player. I am surprised he is leaving TN. No way to UK. Where is his Dad working now?
We definitely need one more QB. I am far from convinced it has to be Beau Allen though. Beau is from Lexington so this seems like a natural, and it would appeal to local fans. But you were right to bring up the subject of splinters. Beau left UK because he wanted to play. He won't play ahead of Vandagriff, that's for sure. And if Vandagriff gets hurt, do we really want Beau Allen running our SEC offense? Think about it. There happen to be a lot of QBs in the portal right now. If Beau comes back, he has to be willing to sit.
Jordan Dingle just entered the transfer portal. Today there are public reports that Coach Marrow is talking with former SE LA TE Bauer Sharp who is in the portal. Sharp has SEC size and at least two seasons of eligibility remaining. He is a former QB from Dothan, Al, who was lightly recruited as a senior at Dothan hs. This year he caught 29 passes for 288 yards at SE LA.
That is the dilemma when trying to create depth at QB in today's college football world. Anyone who is good enough to make us feel secure in their ability to run an SEC offense isn't going to come here to sit. They are going to be starting somewhere. About the best case scenario most teams can hope for these days is to have a talented starter (with some experience) and an inexperienced but talented freshman back-up and perhaps a third guy, a local kid who just wants to be close to home, whether or not he plays much, to help take up the slack. That is where someone like Allen comes in. And I will say this, I like Allen much better as a back-up QB than Sheron, Wade, and our other recent back-ups at the position. In his limited playing time, he has at least looked serviceable. It isn't an ideal situation, but about the best you can hope for in this day and age.
Ja'Mori Maclin, slotR, NTX in Lexington. Such a huge weekend to potentially transform our wide reciever room. And the additional good news of Porter exiting the portal
Maclin is one I want very badly. We need a quality SL-WR and he definitely looks to be one. I am also rather surprised but excited to learn Porter is withdrawing from the portal. You don't see that too often.
Yeah think I read somewhere that since the portal only 5% of CFB players who put their names in ultimately stayed put
I just saw that. It happens, but it is unusual for a player to put himself in the portal and then withdraw from it. I wonder if Vandagriff has anything to do with Porter's decision to stay put. Probably.
I think we get Cottrell. Not as confident about the others although something could happen with Trayanum.
Could be Vandagriff but I think the new WR coach re-recruited him....or a combination. Glad to get Porter back, good size/speed.
Also a possibility. But this would mean Stoops has hired, or at least come to agreement with, a new WR coach not known to the public. If my memory is working correctly, UK must publicly post a staff opening for a stipulated period of time before filling the position. If someone out there already knows they will be UK's next WR coach and is actively contacting players for Stoops, that would indicate the new coach is not a current member of an NFL staff or a college staff that is invited to a bowl. FWIW. Or perhaps a disciple of the Eric Wolford school of recruiting. LOL.
Putting our football roster back together for 2024 from the portal standpoint. In the lists below, I will omit some good young players who will not be ready to contribute yet in 2024.
QB- Vandagriff, Boley, Hogan? (1-2 more, perhaps Beau will be one of them but he probably can't be our primary backup QB)
RB- DSK, Wilcox, Wright, Patterson (1 more, Trayanum?)
TE- Anderson, Kattus, Lemaster, Rodriguez (maybe 1 more)
WR- BB, Key, ABS, Porter, Gilmore (need 3 more, Cottrell?) (Update - Cottrell committed this morning.)
OL- Eli, Keenum, Burton, Ray, Christman, Rodriguez, Marques, Ford, Wood (need 2-3 more)
NT- Silver, Gilbert
DT- Walker, Saunders, Gadson, Jerod Smith
DE- Oxendine, Rybka, DHY, BRob
JLB- Fearbry, Matthews, Jacob Smith (may need 1 more unless BRob plays here)
MLB- Jackson, Brown, Devin Smith
WLB- Wallace, Rayner, Godfrey
Nickel- Afari, Robinson
CB- Hairston, Hardaway, Addison, Stuart, Nichols (need 1 more, Nicholson?)
S- Lovett, Bryant, Anglin, Dunn, Reed (need 1 more)
You add them up and it looks like Stoops needs at least 12 more out of the portal, which could increase with more portal departures.
QB- Vandagriff, Boley, Hogan? (1-2 more, perhaps Beau will be one of them but he probably can't be our primary backup QB)
RB- DSK, Wilcox, Wright, Patterson (1 more, Trayanum?)
TE- Anderson, Kattus, Lemaster, Rodriguez (maybe 1 more)
WR- BB, Key, ABS, Porter, Gilmore (need 3 more, Cottrell?) (Update - Cottrell committed this morning.)
OL- Eli, Keenum, Burton, Ray, Christman, Rodriguez, Marques, Ford, Wood (need 2-3 more)
NT- Silver, Gilbert
DT- Walker, Saunders, Gadson, Jerod Smith
DE- Oxendine, Rybka, DHY, BRob
JLB- Fearbry, Matthews, Jacob Smith (may need 1 more unless BRob plays here)
MLB- Jackson, Brown, Devin Smith
WLB- Wallace, Rayner, Godfrey
Nickel- Afari, Robinson
CB- Hairston, Hardaway, Addison, Stuart, Nichols (need 1 more, Nicholson?)
S- Lovett, Bryant, Anglin, Dunn, Reed (need 1 more)
You add them up and it looks like Stoops needs at least 12 more out of the portal, which could increase with more portal departures.
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WR Raymond Cottrell has committed to UK out of the portal this morning. Satisfies one large need for our offense.
I have to believe Vandagriff's commitment facilitated this, but I also suspect Cottrell must know who our next WR coach is.
I have to believe Vandagriff's commitment facilitated this, but I also suspect Cottrell must know who our next WR coach is.
Yeah the combination of him committing and Porter returning shows that the wr coach announcement could be imminent
It looks that way. But IIRC, UK has to post an open staff position for 2 weeks before announcing a new hire. Anyway, Porter and Cottrell must know. Maybe McCulley knows, and maybe that is why he reconfirmed his visit this weekend.
Almost certainly Dameyune Craig, Cottrell's recruiter and coach at aTm.
Believe the posting ended Friday.
Craig would be a nice get as WR coach
Craig would be a nice get as WR coach
Just like with Coen last December, I'm sure Stoops is assuring wide recievers who their 2024 coach is gonna be even if he can't yet say so officially
I really don't believe in coincidences and I don't think it's a coincidence that at least 3 WRs are on OV, at least one has committed, the day after the 10-day waiting period thing ends plus Porter announces return. The people who need to know are aware who the new WR coach is, the rest of us will know when Coach Stoops decides to tell us. At any rate, if they can now pull in Maclin, somehow sway McCulley away from Michigan to go with the Cottrell commit and Porter's return.....it'll be a nice few days work.
We need a center bad to upgrade and stabilize the offensive line. Cox is better at guard than center. Jager Burton should be nowhere near the football field in the SEC. I just don’t get the idea that the interior line doesn’t need upgraded along with OT, WR, DB, edge, etc. It’s a need.
Actually, no. Our fans can forget about Cottrell. There isn't even a dialog.
That didn't prove to be the case this year.
LOL. Good call there. That explains how Burton had scholarship offers from AL, TN, Ole Miss, MO, TX, and OK, in addition to OH St, OR, FL St, and Clemson. Burton is a sophomore this year. He has length and athleticism but is still filling out. It takes several seasons for most offensive linemen to develop.
You may have missed where I said I was omitting some good young players who might not be ready yet to contribute in 2024. Such as Nave. IIRC, Darian Kinnard, an All American, was the last UK offensive lineman who saw the field as a true freshman. It is unusual.
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Rumor circulating online this evening that Jordan Dingle may withdraw his name from the portal, like Porter just did. At this point, who knows? But if Dingle wants playing time, he should get that at UK. The injury was the limiting issue this year. If he wants to play with a headliner QB for a former NFL OC, he gets that at UK.
Probably went home after classes and, “his boys” talked to him. The coaches gave him a day or two and talked him through it
With Vandagriff and Cottrell on board now, we still need a couple more receivers. But I am wondering about offensive linemen in the portal because we need a couple of those. The following offensive linemen in the portal have been recently reported as actively talking with UK's coaches-
Drew Azzopardi (SD St)
Montavious Cunningham (GA St)
Jalen Farmer (FL)
Devon Manuel (AR)
Jonathan Mendoza (Yale)
Howard Sampson (NTX)
Carter Smith (IN)
Kevin Wigenton (MI St)
Drew Azzopardi (SD St)
Montavious Cunningham (GA St)
Jalen Farmer (FL)
Devon Manuel (AR)
Jonathan Mendoza (Yale)
Howard Sampson (NTX)
Carter Smith (IN)
Kevin Wigenton (MI St)
Interesting to note Khris Bogle is now back in the transfer portal. Bogle, a product of Cardinal Gibbons hs in Ft. Lauderdale, was recruited by UK as a hs senior but signed with FL. Then UK offered him again as he was transferring to MI St, and it appeared for about a month that UK might get him as a transfer although it didn't work out. Now Mel Tucker has been fired at MI St and Bogle is part of the mass exodus.
Bogle is an undersized edge LB with excellent quickness. He has a frame that could play well in the 3-3-5 as a situational pass rusher. Stoops and White may be looking for one more edge LB following Keaton Wade's departure Elijah Groves' decommitment. Bogle has one more season of eligibility. AFAIK, there are not yet any public reports of UK's coaches contacting Bogle this time. But they have been in contact off and on since Bogle was in hs.
Bogle is an undersized edge LB with excellent quickness. He has a frame that could play well in the 3-3-5 as a situational pass rusher. Stoops and White may be looking for one more edge LB following Keaton Wade's departure Elijah Groves' decommitment. Bogle has one more season of eligibility. AFAIK, there are not yet any public reports of UK's coaches contacting Bogle this time. But they have been in contact off and on since Bogle was in hs.
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