Young finally gets his due
Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst
BALTIMORE -- Landon Young's physical growth is becoming symbolic of how he has grown into a coveted national recruit. But no matter how prestigious the suitor, everyone is playing catch up with Kentucky holding a firm grip on the lead.
Young has been committed to Kentucky for nearly two full years. Even in today's recruiting game it's rare to see a player with a commitment of that longevity open things back up.
Maybe some coaches believe the circumstances are unique. They're at least trying their hand. Ohio State has offered and the Buckeyes recently hosted Young for an unofficial visit while he was attending a local camp. Young's offer list is exploding with Vanderbilt offering him on Thursday, the day before Young and his family arrived in Baltimore for the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Pres. By Under Armour.
Young acts as though the choice to attend the Challenge wasn't even really a choice. It was a no-brainer. The Rivals Camp Series event he attended in St. Louis, Mo., was the driving factor behind his meteoric rise from high three-star tackle to the No. 149 player overall on the Rivals250.
Humble though he is, Young wouldn't mind even more of a rise in the rankings. Who wouldn't?
"My goal is to always be the best that I can be," Young told Cats Illustrated on Media Day at the Five-Star Challenge. "So it's sort of just about myself. I don't worry about how other people are doing. I'm just worried about how I can improve myself."
For many of the nation's top recruits ranking is indeed a matter of prestige. It's a status thing. It may be for Young on some level, but he doesn't put off that vibe. When Young speaks, to the cameras or to the microphones, he comes across as unrehearsed and comfortable in his own skin.
After Young's interview with Cats Illustrated it seemed like a good idea to snag a photo of the 6-foot-7, 295-pound big man next to a blown up picture of him from the St. Louis Rivals Camp, featured prominently in the interview area.
"Oh, they've got one of me?" Young asked.
There were those players that showed up wearing apparel featuring one program's logo, only to return in the afternoon with another program's gear. Young sported a camo baseball cap and made small talk as he leisurely made his way down the buffet around lunchtime. There was no pretense; it wasn't a game and it wasn't for attention. There was gratitude and someone that seemed like he would be perfectly happy and at ease as the obscure three-star little-known outside of the Commonwealth for most of his recruitment.
But when you start asking Young questions about recruiting it's obvious that he knows his stature is growing. It's grown enormously since that first Rivals regional event in St. Louis.
"Auburn's been coming hard," Young said. "Not really a whole lot in the SEC. More like Ohio State. They're coming on strong. Alabama? Not as much as they used to. But those are the three main ones coming on strong."
Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State -- that's enough to make any program worry a bit, especially with this much time before National Signing Day. But even after an unofficial to Ohio State recently, Young seems to shrug it off.
Young has been committed to Kentucky for almost two years.
"It's nice," Young said of Columbus and Urban Meyer's defending national champions. "But I'm still calling Kentucky home right now."
Before anyone jumps on the last two words there -- the dreaded "right now," that is almost legal-speak from well-versed recruits and coaches during silly season -- Young's elaboration reiterates what he said.
"I have been going on visits, just to go see everything. But Kentucky's still my home," Young said. "I haven't seen anywhere better. It's a hometown thing for me. This (commitment) unites me with my state. It's not a four-year commitment. It's a 40-year commitment."
Young unofficially visited Kentucky on Tuesday. Drake Jackson and Jedrick Wills, fellow participants at the Five-Star Challenge and fellow Kentuckians - were there as well. All three received plenty of attention from the coaches that were there. Those coaches were eager to show off the renovation progress they have been talking about in the abstract for so long.
"We got to see the new turf in the stadium and the new things they're going to have there," Young said. "We got to talk to the president of UK and we talked to Mitch Barnhart just to get some more stuff we hadn't gotten before."
Maybe the most promising sign for UK right now? Young's schedule for the rest of the summer.
"I haven't got anything set in stone right now. I haven't got anything planned. So right now, no, I don't have any visits planned besides UK," Young said. "I think I'll probably restrict my visits to this summer."
Without formally ruling out official visits to other schools, that statement is the next closest thing to doing that. And taking things one step further, Young is taking an active role in serving as a recruiter for the Wildcats - especially at the Challenge.
"Me, Drake and Jed are real close," Young said. "We're trying to work on Jed. Of course, he goes to the same school as me. He's on the other side of the line and we've always had that connection. Me and Drake (will be) side by side and we've known each other for a while now."
Young's meteoric rise in the rankings comes in spite of relatively limited exposure thus far. There's nothing limited about the exposure at the Five-Star Challenge. If Young deserves a higher ranking, he'll get one. He's no longer a little-known diamond in the rough from Kentucky. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Kentucky is still where he seems to be at home.
Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst
BALTIMORE -- Landon Young's physical growth is becoming symbolic of how he has grown into a coveted national recruit. But no matter how prestigious the suitor, everyone is playing catch up with Kentucky holding a firm grip on the lead.
Young has been committed to Kentucky for nearly two full years. Even in today's recruiting game it's rare to see a player with a commitment of that longevity open things back up.
Maybe some coaches believe the circumstances are unique. They're at least trying their hand. Ohio State has offered and the Buckeyes recently hosted Young for an unofficial visit while he was attending a local camp. Young's offer list is exploding with Vanderbilt offering him on Thursday, the day before Young and his family arrived in Baltimore for the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Pres. By Under Armour.
Young acts as though the choice to attend the Challenge wasn't even really a choice. It was a no-brainer. The Rivals Camp Series event he attended in St. Louis, Mo., was the driving factor behind his meteoric rise from high three-star tackle to the No. 149 player overall on the Rivals250.
Humble though he is, Young wouldn't mind even more of a rise in the rankings. Who wouldn't?
"My goal is to always be the best that I can be," Young told Cats Illustrated on Media Day at the Five-Star Challenge. "So it's sort of just about myself. I don't worry about how other people are doing. I'm just worried about how I can improve myself."
For many of the nation's top recruits ranking is indeed a matter of prestige. It's a status thing. It may be for Young on some level, but he doesn't put off that vibe. When Young speaks, to the cameras or to the microphones, he comes across as unrehearsed and comfortable in his own skin.
After Young's interview with Cats Illustrated it seemed like a good idea to snag a photo of the 6-foot-7, 295-pound big man next to a blown up picture of him from the St. Louis Rivals Camp, featured prominently in the interview area.
"Oh, they've got one of me?" Young asked.
There were those players that showed up wearing apparel featuring one program's logo, only to return in the afternoon with another program's gear. Young sported a camo baseball cap and made small talk as he leisurely made his way down the buffet around lunchtime. There was no pretense; it wasn't a game and it wasn't for attention. There was gratitude and someone that seemed like he would be perfectly happy and at ease as the obscure three-star little-known outside of the Commonwealth for most of his recruitment.
But when you start asking Young questions about recruiting it's obvious that he knows his stature is growing. It's grown enormously since that first Rivals regional event in St. Louis.
"Auburn's been coming hard," Young said. "Not really a whole lot in the SEC. More like Ohio State. They're coming on strong. Alabama? Not as much as they used to. But those are the three main ones coming on strong."
Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State -- that's enough to make any program worry a bit, especially with this much time before National Signing Day. But even after an unofficial to Ohio State recently, Young seems to shrug it off.
Young has been committed to Kentucky for almost two years.
"It's nice," Young said of Columbus and Urban Meyer's defending national champions. "But I'm still calling Kentucky home right now."
Before anyone jumps on the last two words there -- the dreaded "right now," that is almost legal-speak from well-versed recruits and coaches during silly season -- Young's elaboration reiterates what he said.
"I have been going on visits, just to go see everything. But Kentucky's still my home," Young said. "I haven't seen anywhere better. It's a hometown thing for me. This (commitment) unites me with my state. It's not a four-year commitment. It's a 40-year commitment."
Young unofficially visited Kentucky on Tuesday. Drake Jackson and Jedrick Wills, fellow participants at the Five-Star Challenge and fellow Kentuckians - were there as well. All three received plenty of attention from the coaches that were there. Those coaches were eager to show off the renovation progress they have been talking about in the abstract for so long.
"We got to see the new turf in the stadium and the new things they're going to have there," Young said. "We got to talk to the president of UK and we talked to Mitch Barnhart just to get some more stuff we hadn't gotten before."
Maybe the most promising sign for UK right now? Young's schedule for the rest of the summer.
"I haven't got anything set in stone right now. I haven't got anything planned. So right now, no, I don't have any visits planned besides UK," Young said. "I think I'll probably restrict my visits to this summer."
Without formally ruling out official visits to other schools, that statement is the next closest thing to doing that. And taking things one step further, Young is taking an active role in serving as a recruiter for the Wildcats - especially at the Challenge.
"Me, Drake and Jed are real close," Young said. "We're trying to work on Jed. Of course, he goes to the same school as me. He's on the other side of the line and we've always had that connection. Me and Drake (will be) side by side and we've known each other for a while now."
Young's meteoric rise in the rankings comes in spite of relatively limited exposure thus far. There's nothing limited about the exposure at the Five-Star Challenge. If Young deserves a higher ranking, he'll get one. He's no longer a little-known diamond in the rough from Kentucky. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Kentucky is still where he seems to be at home.
