Kentucky, Tennessee, & Auburn Recruiting

[CDBHawg]

Appears they signed 22 last year.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/tennessee/football/recruiting/commitments/2013/Tennessee-71

In 2012, they signed 22 as well.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/tennessee/football/recruiting/commitments/2012/Tennessee-71

If three early enrolled back in January, they could count towards 2012. Meaning 19 would have only counted towards 2013.

Leaving six available spots. So, 31 may be the number.

I don't know if it works this way or not, but it's the only way I can see them signing 30.

[McHogLovin]

Houston is biting his fingernails worried his modern record may be broken.

[56Hog]

He would break Hootie's 2009 record of 37...

http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2009/olemiss-77

[jbcarol]

Four-star cornerback Montrell Custis committed to Kentucky over Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, and others. The 6-0, 180 Hampton Lovejoy DB is UK's first pledge in the 2015 class.

[hokettHOG]

What in the heck are they doing??? Wow

http://rivals.yahoo.com/kentucky/football/recruiting/commitments/2014/Kentucky-69

[jacobp]

Lexington is very close to Ohio, and they pull a lot of talent from there. The Cincinnati area in particular.

[SemperFi]

They're promising that the UK basketball team will share their conference and national titles with them.

I agree and can't figure out what Mark Stoops is selling at UK, because they look ugly and have no tradition to fall back on.

[thefisher]

It really is amazing that Kentucky has never developed a good Ohio pipeline in the past. The state puts out lots of talent geographically close to UK.

Just did a quick count and found this surprising.  Of Kentucky's 25 commits-

10 are from Ohio. Only 2 are from Kentucky!

[scruf]

What in the heck are they doing??? Wow

http://rivals.yahoo.com/kentucky/football/recruiting/commitments/2014/Kentucky-69

Cool Wildcat envy bro.

[regi]

Looks like UT and UK offered about 300 plus kids and pressed for commits, UK said they could still visit other schools

[Music City Hog]

Looks like UT and UK offered about 300 plus kids and pressed for commits, UK said they could still visit other schools

Tennessee will have 34 commits by the end of the week with several more studs leaning to Tennessee. They can only take 30.  They are literally having to choose and cut multiple studs.  Must be nice.

[regi]

Tennessee will have 34 commits by the end of the week with several more studs leaning to Tennessee. They can only take 30.  They are literally having to choose and cut multiple studs.  Must be nice.

Really? VOLS, last five recruiting rankings per rivals, #21, #17, #13, #9, #10 (reverse order) they have gone, 5-7, 7-6, 6-7, 4-8, 5-7, and currently 4-6, best SEC record in that span is 3-5, 2-6 is their average. When they win, than I will give a crap about UT recruiting rankings.

[Redhogs]

Really? VOLS, last five recruiting rankings per rivals, #21, #17, #13, #9, #10 (reverse order) they have gone, 5-7, 7-6, 6-7, 4-8, 5-7, and currently 4-6, best SEC record in that span is 3-5, 2-6 is their average. When they win, than I will give a crap about UT recruiting rankings.

New staff and coach making evaluations...4 coaches in the last 6 years..Tn. will be back with Jones.

[regi]

New staff and coach making evaluations...4 coaches in the last 6 years..Tn. will be back with Jones.

Maybe, he is now 54-32 over all, and both CMU, and Cincy dipped when he took over for Brian Kelly at both places. Never to get to the level Kelly had them at. If we had hired Jones people would lose their mind.....oh, maybe not, he does run a spread offense. Nevermind

[Dropkick]

Maybe, he is now 54-32 over all, and both CMU, and Cincy dipped when he took over for Brian Kelly at both places. Never to get to the level Kelly had them at. If we had hired Jones people would lose their mind.....oh, maybe not, he does run a spread offense. Nevermind

He runs a spread? Oh well, he would be at least 7-3 here now then........

[BoynamedWooPigSooie]

The new coaches in the SEC all hit the ground running and focused on recruiting above everything else.  Our guy is a little more laissez-faire, wont take a commit until they come meet him or he's able to do his in home.  Everyone else is trying to get commits in April, we're waiting until Dec/Feb. or until they've been dropped by their #1 choice.


I can't say our recruiting is lighting the road just yet.

[FearTheTusk91]

Well Stoops is FROM Ohio so he has pretty strong ties to recruiting there.

And yes, they do use the success of the basketball team to highlight the university.  Often they'll have the football recruits meet with Coach Cal.

[beebefootballfan]

T.V. Williams   
WR
McKinney, TX
McKinney
5'9"
143

How long will it take for that kid to get killed?

[redeye]

The new coaches in the SEC all hit the ground running and focused on recruiting above everything else.  Our guy is a little more laissez-faire, wont take a commit until they come meet him or he's able to do his in home.  Everyone else is trying to get commits in April, we're waiting until Dec/Feb. or until they've been dropped by their #1 choice.


I can't say our recruiting is lighting the road just yet.

I disagree with your comments on our staff. We had a lot of early commits and already have several for next year. Things haven't gone well lately, but I think it's a good thing that they're not too eager.

I do agree about other SEC coaches, though. When people first began commenting that the SEC was closer to the NFL then other conferences, I thought it was a silly comment, but not anymore. Recruiting has exploded for all SEC teams, with the partial exception of Arkansas, unfortunately. That includes Alabama, which is probably recruiting better then any team in the history of college football. It all makes me think there's going to be some big changes down the road, because the SEC looks to be improving on it's dominance, rather then faltering any time soon.

[Wildhog]

T.V. Williams   
WR
McKinney, TX
McKinney
5'9"
143

How long will it take for that kid to get killed?

Now he'll probably win the heisman.

[Kicking Wing]

T.V. Williams   
WR
McKinney, TX
McKinney
5'9"
143

How long will it take for that kid to get killed?

I remember when MD Jennings signed with ASU he was 5'11" and about 155 lbs. but could run.  He is a starting safety for the Packers now.

[ICEman]

It looks like they may have a few Key and Peele all-name All-Americans committed.

[rolyat_2008]

1 of the 10 ohio players committed shows an ohio state offer

looks like their strategy was to go after every 4-star or high 3-star in ohio without a buckeye offer and just have to beat the cincinnati, michigan state, illinois and indiana types

[trphog]

T.V. Williams   
WR
McKinney, TX
McKinney
5'9"
143

How long will it take for that kid to get killed?

Remember Trindon Holliday? Didn't exactly get "killed" did he?

[the_kosher_pig]

Remember Trindon Holliday? Didn't exactly get "killed" did he?

I swear Holliday was at LSU for at least 11 years.  Some players just always seem to be on the team.  I've felt that way about Mosley at Alabama.  And Percy Hardin seemed to be at Florida the same amount of time. 

[jbcarol]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/74489/mizzou-uk-try-to-keep-recruiting-momentum

While Missouri and Kentucky continue to zoom in opposite directions on the playing field, both appear to be having relative success off the field.

In the realm of recruiting, where futures are made -- and crushed -- Missouri and Kentucky are succeeding at an exciting pace, and for very different reasons.

At Kentucky, there is a new staff in town. In Mark Stoops' first year as Kentucky's head coach, he's seen he share of recruiting success without the wins. With only a couple of months to work with, Stoops snagged ESPN 300 members Jason Hatcher and Ryan Timmons -- along with junior college standouts Za'Darius Smith and Javess Blue -- in his first class. Smith leads Kentucky with 5.5 sacks, while Blue and Timmons are one and two, respectively, in catches and receiving yards.

But despite a 2-7 (0-5 SEC) season and no bowl game for the third straight season, the Wildcats are 17th in ESPN's class rankings with 25 commitments, five of which are ESPN 300 members.



UK has two verbals since the season began.

[jbcarol]

Cole Cubelic ‏@colecubelic 14 Nov
"I do know that we have some of the best fans in college football & there is not a better place to play than right out there," -Gus Malzahn
Retweeted by Kenzie Malzahn

[Steef]

Cole Cubelic ‏@colecubelic 14 Nov
"I do know that we have some of the best fans in college football & there is not a better place to play than right out there," -Gus Malzahn
Retweeted by Kenzie Malzahn

Apparently, Gus hasn't met our trolls.

[jbcarol]

Opelika four-star cornerback Stephen Roberts has flipped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn, according to Opelika head coach Brian Blackmon.

"Stephen has changed his commitment from Alabama to Auburn," Blackmon said. "He decided this morning."

Roberts, a 6-foot, 177-pound prospect had been committed to Alabama since April 24 but has visited Auburn frequently this season. Roberts' Opelika teammate, tight end/linebacker Jakell Mitchell, is also committed to Auburn. Blackmon said Roberts first began discussing flipping his commitment when he arrived at school on Monday.

"First I got wind of it was Monday. He and I talked about it and I asked him where this was coming from and if he was sure this was the decision he wanted to make. He said he thought he had a chance to play early, it was close to home, and he had built a relationship with Coach Harbison and some of the other Auburn coaches..."

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/11/opelika_cornerback_stephen_rob_1.html

The 5.8-rated CB is top ten at his position.

[JansterZ71]

Opelika four-star cornerback Stephen Roberts has flipped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn, according to Opelika head coach Brian Blackmon.

"Stephen has changed his commitment from Alabama to Auburn," Blackmon said. "He decided this morning."

Roberts, a 6-foot, 177-pound prospect had been committed to Alabama since April 24 but has visited Auburn frequently this season. Roberts' Opelika teammate, tight end/linebacker Jakell Mitchell, is also committed to Auburn. Blackmon said Roberts first began discussing flipping his commitment when he arrived at school on Monday.

"First I got wind of it was Monday. He and I talked about it and I asked him where this was coming from and if he was sure this was the decision he wanted to make. He said he thought he had a chance to play early, it was close to home, and he had built a relationship with Coach Harbison and some of the other Auburn coaches..."

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/11/opelika_cornerback_stephen_rob_1.html

The 5.8-rated CB is top ten at his position.

And the rich get richer.  This is what happens when you win. 

[jbcarol]

Is Lovejoy WR Preston Williams the best in our nation?

In his 37 years of coaching, Lovejoy coach Hughes has seen his share of spectacular players and all-star performers.

But the performance that current wide receiver Preston Williams had in last week's thrilling 27-23 win over Marietta was one that impressed even Hughes, as well as the stunned crowd at Twelve Oaks Stadium.

The four-touchdown performance, which included a breath-taking 47-yard reception for the game-winner on the game's final play, has made its rounds on the Internet as a highlight tape.

"That (catch) is on my list of 'Wow' type highlights," Hughes said. "It is close to the top of my list."

Williams, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior, has already committed to Tennessee. But after last week, his phone has been ringing consistently from college coaches and recruiting service analysts. He has 54 receptions for 1,234 yards and 13 touchdowns.

"I know I'm the best," he said...

Williams states he is still committed to the Vols.

[jbcarol]

I Am T.V. Williams‏@Trey1Williams
It's official!! Big blue Nation here we come!! #WeAreUK #SeeBlue http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=530957474&mt=8 ... pic.twitter.com/KkoWooL0tX

Dorian Hendrix@D_Hendrix14
Im in it till its over. Officially a Wildcat #BBN #WeAreUK pic.twitter.com/8DK77RluBX


Tweeting pics of their signed financial aid agreements.

TV is a 5.5-rated 5-9 WR from McKinney.
Hendrix is a 5.7-rated LB from Stoops' Ohio pipeline (Huber Hts. Wayne)

[jbcarol]

Two recruits on officials visits to Knoxville this weekend committed to Tennessee on Sunday.

Jakob Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebacker from Jacksonville's Ribault High School, is a four-star prospect according to 247sports.com. He had scholarship offers from UCF, Wisconsin and others. Originally from Germany, Johnson is the sixth linebacker prospect for the Vols' 2014 class.

Butler (Kan.) Community College defensive tackle Owen Williams also pledged to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, a month after the 6-foot-2, 283-pounder committed to Texas Tech. The Macon (Ga.) Westside High School product is a three-star prospect according to 247sports.com and Rivals.com and the seventh defensive lineman commitment for the class.

In 10 games this season, Williams finished with 39 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks for the Grizzlies.

The Vols -- who can sign 30 and are expecting close to a dozen January enrollees -- now have 33 commitments for the 2014 class.

Coach Jones getting some new blood in Knoxville.

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker ‏@wesrucker247 15h
Vols LB commit Jakob Johnson from Germany couldn't look any more European if he tried: pic.twitter.com/XkmnOT5nln

[jbcarol]

BamaDynasty ‏@Bama_Dynasty 16h
The #Vols added 2 more commits today for a total of 33. @RecruitingAJC ..They are cutting 1/3 of current team! LOL

[jbcarol]

A look at Tennessee's recruiting class after finally adding its 32nd and 33rd members

How does Butch Jones plan to squeeze still more players into this signing class?

List of commits and ratings v. Vol needs at the link.

[jbcarol]

Vols are already up to 33 commitments.  And they're still out recruiting.  Jones offered up this tease to a booster group yesterday:

"If I can find a way to sign 35 guys, I'm gonna sign 'em.  There is a plan in place.  It's very strategic but it's all gonna work out.  I promise you."

Jones is looking to upgrade.

[jbcarol]

Brent, Clay & Blaine ‏@3HL1045 14h
TN football Coach Butch Jones said this on #3HL about Station Camp WR Josh Malone, "He's a program changer."


Malone signed a financial aid agreement with UGa but is not bound to UGa until he takes a "class, hot, or a cot".

[MJ2]

Has the big win already resulted in new commitments to Auburn?    They will "make hay" so to speak out of this successful year.

[Never To Yield]

One of Tennessee's 4-star commits opened his recruitment back up after attending the game.  Almost everyone thinks he's going to commit to Auburn in the next week or two.

The bammers seem to think we're about to flip 4-star CB Kalvarez Bessent away from them as well.

I'm sure there will be some positive fallout over the coming couple of weeks.

[NoNC4Tubs]

I'm sure there will be some positive fallout over the coming couple of weeks.

Trading a four-star in for a five-star ain't a bad deal! 

[jbcarol]

Running backs Roc Thomas, an Auburn commitment at Oxford High School, and Bo Scarbrough, an Alabama commitment who's at IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.), each earned a fifth star in Rivals' new rankings. Scarbrough moved up to No. 13 in the Rivals 100 ranking of the nation's top prospects and Thomas moved up to No. 12.

Thomas had a monster year at Oxford...

Increases the number of five-star commits for both schools to three based on this rating system.

[JansterZ71]

Running backs Roc Thomas, an Auburn commitment at Oxford High School, and Bo Scarbrough, an Alabama commitment who's at IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.), each earned a fifth star in Rivals' new rankings. Scarbrough moved up to No. 13 in the Rivals 100 ranking of the nation's top prospects and Thomas moved up to No. 12.

Thomas had a monster year at Oxford...

Increases the number of five-star commits for both schools to three based on this rating system.

Auburn has 3 five stars in one class?  How many has Arkansas had in the last 10 years?

[SouthSide Johnny]

Auburn has 3 five stars in one class?  How many has Arkansas had in the last 10 years?

And Bama too and just this year alone

[jbcarol]

Three-star Florida offensive lineman Derrick Kelly, who has been committed to the University of Kentucky since receiving a scholarship offer at a June camp, has reopened his recruitment and is now considering UK, Florida, Florida State, South Carolina and South Florida, one of his coaches said.

Harrison Smith, an assistant coach at Kelly's East Gadsden High, said the 6-foot-5, 289-pound player continues...

Plans visits to all the aforementioned schools including UK in December.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC 13h
I don't know about Josh Malone announcing exclusively to one recruiting website. Not a good trend imho

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC 40m
Josh Malone is most highly-touted Tennessee WR since ... NFLer Marlon Brown, who got off to slow start at #UGA because level of HS comp

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC 36m
After Josh Malone, Tennessee now has 32 commits & could add a few more. Where are #Vols going to fit them all? #TooManyBricks

[jbcarol]

Gambling is illegal at Bushwood, sir and I never Slice^TM. Fresca^TM?

Last time I checked, this ain't Bushwood.

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 18h Smoke 'em if you got 'em RT @HistoryInPix: Former Chiefs QB Len Dawson in locker room during Super Bowl I pic.twitter.com/bOxb6Bbl0E

https://twitter.com/HistoryInPix/status/408032167386951680/photo/1

Looks like Len Dawson was enjoying a Fresca during Super Bowl I.

[jbcarol]

Clay Travis ‏@ClayTravisBGID 2h
5 star wide receiver Josh Malone picks Tennessee, Vols now with 18 4 and 5 star commits. Extraordinary class.

[jbcarol]

MrSEC Commitment Comparator: Looks at quantity, quality, and number of high caliber picks

Vols have 18 4 or 5-stars among 33 verbals.  Bama has 17 of 24 commits.

[jbcarol]

Evan Woodbery: Signees and scholarships (i.e., initial counters) are two different things.

At the end of the day, the Vols — like any other team — can give no more than 25 initial counters in any year and have no more than 85 scholarship players overall.

Vols could sign 35 players, but they would still have to cross the scholarship hurdle. (I outlined gray-shirting and blue-shirting as possibilities).

However, under this hypothetical scheme, coaches would have all summer to figure this out. They have the luxury of time to see who qualifies, who's ready to play, who isn't, etc. The best signees go on scholarship immediately. The rest can be gray-shirted...

Butch Jones: "If we can find a way to sign 35, we'll sign 35," from the Knoxville QB Club meeting and reported by Evan's Eleven

As Tennessee's list of verbal commitments continues to grow (it should be up to 34 if lineman Charles Mosley commits on Friday as expected), the Vols are contending with two limits.

One is the NCAA-imposed limit on scholarships. The other is the conference-imposed limit on signees.

There's no loophole on NCAA scholarship limits. Teams can have only 85 total scholarship players, of whom no more than 25 can be "initial counters" in any given year. [The numbers will work out. They always do.]

13.9.1 Letter of Intent – Limitation. Each SEC member institution is limited to signing 25 football prospective student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent, Conference financial aid agreement and/or institutional offer of athletics financial aid from December 1 through May 31st of each year. [Adopted 5/29/09; effective immediately; revised 6/3/11; effective August 1, 2011]

the SEC bylaw collides with a new NCAA rules interpretation that impacted this recruiting cycle. Academically eligible student-athletes who plan to enroll early (in January) are now allowed to sign aid agreements with universities as early as Aug. 1.

Tennessee had a flood of players sign aid agreements last month — perhaps a half-dozen players or more. Why is this significant? By the letter of the law, those players wouldn't count against the SEC's signing limit. They're freebies, if you will.

ones has said he wants to welcome 14 mid-year enrollees in January. If the Vols were able take 10 of those players "off the books" for the purposes of the SEC signing rule, they could sign another 21 players to traditional Letters of Intent in February.

Grand total? 35.

Now the next challenge would be squeezing those 21 February signees into the remaining scholarship slots. But Tennessee would have all summer to worry about that, which is valuable time to work out details of who will qualify, who won't, who will gray-shirt and who can contribute immediately.

Gray-shirting: A grayshirt agrees to delay his enrollment for at least one semester to count against the following year's class.

In this case, a prospect would agree to push back enrollment from the summer of 2014 to January 2015. Grayshirting can be a great solution for a player who is rehabilitating a serious injury or who needs time to mature physically. But the player must be self-motivated, working out on his own and paying his own way to take classes for a semester.

Blue-shirting: This scheme was originated by New Mexico State [Hal Mumme Error] but has not been practiced widely around the nation. Here's how it works: Officially, a player arrives in the summer as a walk-on. Once football practice begins, he's awarded a scholarship. The school is allowed to count the scholarship forward — against the 2015 class — but the player can play immediately.

There's a big catch: The student-athlete may not have been recruited, as defined by NCAA bylaws. That means no official visit to campus, no in-home visits from coaches, no signed National Letter of Intent or athletic aid.


Tyler Bray was most comfortable completing passes on this practice field.