Kentucky, Tennessee, & Auburn Recruiting

[JansterZ71]

Let the bidding war$ begin.........

An 85%er talking about bidding wars....oh what Irony

[NoNC4Tubs]

An 85%er talking about bidding wars....oh what Irony

No clue what you are talking about........

[jbcarol]

Four-star offensive lineman Luke Hiers announced Monday morning that he is no longer committed to Kentucky.

Hiers — a 6-foot-3, 290-pound prospect from Lake Wales, Fla. — is considered the No. 3 center and No. 247 overall prospect in the class of 2015 by Rivals.com.

Recruits in the class of 2015 started receiving written scholarship offers from colleges earlier this month, but Hiers has not yet received one from Kentucky. The written offers can be sent out Aug. 1 and are considered "official" offers. Hiers told the Herald-Leader that he has received written scholarship offers from Louisville and South Florida. He said he has no favorites right now and didn't eliminate UK from consideration going forward.

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  7h
UK already has 2 wide receiver commits for 2015. UK WRs coach told me last week that Cats would likely take total of 3-4 WRs.

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones @KySportsRadio  ·  1h
Damien Harris named the #1 Running Back in the country and says UK still recruiting him the hardest http://kentuckysportsradio.com/main/damien-harris-is-still-rivals-1-running-back-says-uk-is-recruiting-him-the-hardest/ ...

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  7h
NEW: Eli Brown is listed in Rivals national rankings, tells local paper he plans to redshirt next year at UK http://bit.ly/1w5hqxI

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  7h
Linebacker Eli Brown is the only UK commitment in the new Rivals 250. Brown is considered the No. 136 prospect in the class.

[jbcarol]

Wesley Sinor @WesleySinor  ·  51m

UCLA joins tight race for #Auburn linebacker target @Holland_Jeffery http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/08/ucla_joins_race_for_auburn_lin.html ...

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  13m

#Auburn OL commit Tyler Carr (@TCarr75) confirms he has mononucleosis http://ow.ly/ACr6h

Beefy offensive lineman Tyler Carr, who committed to Auburn this summer, was absent during his team's 42-21 loss to Oxford due to mononucleosis. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound left tackle's throat was too sore for an interview Friday morning, but he confirmed the diagnosis with AL.com.

"My throat is soar I can barely talk," Carr said via text message. "Not sure how long (I'll be out.)"

[jbcarol]

John Talty @JTalty  ·  3h

Kentucky utilizes an aggressive approach and a staff with ties to the state to recruit Alabama: http://ow.ly/ACtY0

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson@Ben_Fred
This is now a penalty in high school football... (h/t @keithredding) https://vine.co/v/MLpu5ZwjWF3

(short video at link)

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  10h
High school kid on ESPNU just got penalized for hurdling a defensive back on his way to a TD. Since when is being awesome a penalty?

http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/apparently-they-dont-have-water-in-alabama-1625867010

[jbcarol]

Venzell Boulware @Venzell55  ·  Aug 23
Blessed to be able to announce that I am now committed to the UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE. 🍊 #VolNation #GoVols #DreamTeam15 #DOITFORDEUCE

Danny Parker @TheDannyParker  ·  Aug 23
Venzell Boulware's (@Venzell55) commitment gives #Vols 3 members of 2013 GHSA Class AAAAA championship team w/@aSuperManDoe, Elliott Berry.

4-star OG is a top 20 '15 player from the state of Georgia.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  8h

Tennessee attempts to sway elite football prospect by photoshopping him next to @Beyonce http://ow.ly/AIuB1



Shy Tuttle is ranked as the nation's No. 6 defensive tackle prospect by the 247Sports Composite. He is currently considered a Tennessee lean.

[jbcarol]

With 14 players enrolled and 19 more committed in the class of 2014, it would seem that Tennessee might simply be in maintenance mode at this point of the recruiting cycle.

But even having more players currently committed (33) than UT can sign in February (30) hasn't stopped the Vols from being active players in recruiting over the past month. Yes, Tennessee is battling to keep as many of the 19 committed players in the fold as possible, but the law of recruiting averages says that some will move on before Feb. 5.

"It is part of the process," coach Butch Jones said at his postseason press conference in December. "That is why I don't talk about numbers – because it is always in flux. Recruiting changes minute by minute, hour by hour. It changes. That is the nature of recruiting. In this conference nothing is set until they sign.

"I understand that, it has always been that way, the way we recruit. I am excited with the way things are going but nothing has caught my staff off guard."

And while 30 is the number of scholarship additions he can make in this class per NCAA rules, Jones might find a way to be creative with the numbers...

http://www.nooga.com/164991/recruiting-reset-vols-still-very-active-despite-numbers-crunch

Gray-shirting, blue-shirting, ...

Dustin Dopirak @TennesseeBeat  ·  9h
Jones on SEC call: Vols will play 28-30 true freshmen http://dlvr.it/6kx3Dh

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  29s
And @Damien_D1Harris tweets that he's on his way to Lexington for UK's home opener. No. 1 running back in the country.

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  8m
The @RichmondRsports has a rundown of Damien Harris' second game of the season last night http://www.richmondregister.com/sports/article_8eaea3ba-3003-11e4-8176-0019bb2963f4.html ...

Harris has now played 3 halves of football this season: 20 carries, 380 yards, 4 touchdowns.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_CJ  ·  19h
Recruit's family BBQ joint feeds UK after games. "Kind of funny to say, 'Hey, Coach Stoops, you want some ribs?'" http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/recruiting/2014/08/29/uk-u-l-football-teams-bones-pick-recruit-drake-jackson/14814999/ ...

Four-star Woodford County High School offensive lineman Drake Jackson's size and blocking ability figure to have college recruiters salivating on Friday nights this season.

The same is true off the field when he serves up ribs, chicken and vegetables for his family's barbecue catering business, which has the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville football teams among its clients.

Even if Jackson, rated the nation's No. 1 offensive guard in the 2016 class by ESPN.com, doesn't attend UK's season opener against Tennessee-Martin on Saturday as one of Mark Stoops' recruiting visitors, he's likely to be at Commonwealth Stadium anyway. He'd be on the job, helping prep and serve the Wildcats' postgame meal from Smokin' Jax Grill, run by his mom and dad.

"It's kind of funny to say, 'Hey, Coach Stoops, you want some ribs?'" said Jackson, whose family has been serving UK's team since he was in middle school and well before he became a prominent recruit...

[jbcarol]

Damien Harris @Damien_D1Harris  ·  5h
no doubt! "@kbrew31: Wonder if @Damien_D1Harris is liking the way UK's offense is looking?  #WhyNot"

Damien Harris @Damien_D1Harris  ·  7h
At the game and just look over and see @DrewRoc5 and @AaronICE2 😨

#1 '15 RB recruit sees the Harrison twins

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell @Carvell_AJC  ·  9h

Marietta kicker Ian Shannon commits to Auburn http://on-ajc.com/1nxDV5q

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  1h
5-star running back Damien Harris announces his final 5: Alabama, Florida, UK, Ohio State, Texas A&M. ... Remember, no decision until Dec. 13.

Matt Jones @KySportsRadio  ·  9h

Glad Damien Harris decided to visit Ohio State tonight

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  Sep 6

Three-star cornerback Jeremiah Dinson has committed to Kentucky.

[jbcarol]

Joel A. Erickson @JoelAEricksonAU  ·  2h
Auburn's 2014 recruiting class slowly establishing presence for Tigers http://s.al.com/EYfRqvb

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  16h

Beyonce recrutiing for the Vols. UK using 30 for 30 images. Meet the people behind creative recruiting pitches http://es.pn/ZhaFu6

[jbcarol]

 Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  Sep 20

Jason Strowbridge picked UK over Miami, UofL, UNC, NC State & Tennessee. He still plans to take all 5 official visits http://bit.ly/ZxbI9v

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  8m

B-ball links: Antonio Blakeney's first visit http://bit.ly/ILFf7c 
Football links: Top UK commitment ready to flip? http://bit.ly/1cnCG99

Darius Fullwood: A 'strong possibility' he flips from UK to Virginia Tech?

[jbcarol]

Dee Fullwood @realdeewood

I've officially decided to decommit from The University of Kentucky. This was the hardest choice in life but I got to do whats right for me.
8:37 PM - 23 Sep 2014

[jbcarol]

The withdrawn recruiting pledge Tuesday night of four-star defensive end Darius Fullwood has no effect on the UK commitment of his friend and fellow Washington D.C.-area prospect Jabari Greenwood, the father of the well-regarded wide receiver said.

"I want to let BBN fans know that Jabari is still committed to the Kentucky Wildcats," Ronald Greenwood wrote in a text message. "Jabari's commitment was solely based on what we as a family believe is best for him. He is looking forward to being a member of #StoopsTroops."

Greenwood, who attends Gonzaga College High School in Washington, committed to UK on the same day in June at the same gathering as Fullwood, who plays for Our Lady of Good Counsel High in Olney, Md.

[jbcarol]

In depth intro to an ESPN Insider post: Youth a recruiting pitch for Vols, Cats

Either Tennessee hit a home run with its 2014 recruiting class or the Volunteers are playing with fire. Either way, the Volunteers are taking a big gamble with their freshmen.

Head coach Butch Jones has played 71 percent (22 of 29) of his true freshmen — an incredible stat that some coaches might be scared to advertise for fear that future opponents might try to take advantage of inexperienced players. Jones, however, has taken the opposite approach and is using the fact as a recruiting tool.

Tennessee Football @Vol_Football
21 true freshman played in the #Vols opener ... Count 'em up 21!
9:20 PM - 2 Sep 2014

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman @BruceFeldmanCFB  ·  40m

Huge get for #Vols landing 5-star DT Shy Tuttle from NC. 315-pounder could probably help them right now.

[jbcarol]

Dustin Dopirak @TennesseeBeat  ·  17h
Watching college football coach's Twitter accounts on the days they get big commitments from recruits continues to be more entertaining.

It's like a contest to see how close you can come to saying "Shy Tuttle committed" without actually saying "Shy Tuttle committed."

Butch Jones @UTCoachJones  ·  19h
#BrickByBrick or #BucketHatByBucketHat just added another big brick to the foundation!!! #DreamTeam2015

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker @wesrucker247  ·  10h
Def true. RT @jcshurburtt: #Vols head coach @UTCoachJones and staff have revived UT recruiting in North Carolina. That's huge. @wesrucker247

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker @wesrucker247  ·  13h
#Vols move into top-5 in the updated in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings: http://bit.ly/Mu1ZKC

[jbcarol]

Damien Harris @Damien_D1Harris  ·  1h
Gameday in the Bluegrass, on my way to Lexington to catch this game #BBN #StoopsTroops 🐱🔵


Nation's top ranked RB has about a 20 mile commute for this one.

[jbcarol]

Keith Niebuhr @Keith247Sports  ·  4h 4 hours ago
We have a 5-star #Uga commit Trent Thompson sighting at #Auburn today ...

[jbcarol]

Patrick Loney @PatrickLoney  ·  6 hours ago
New 2016 #Kentucky commit Jordan Griffin @3sport_Athlete: I've never been a trending topic before. Truly is a blessing. #BBN

Steve Jones @SteveJones_CJ  ·  7 hours ago
If you go just by ESPN ratings, Jordan Griffin (No. 77 in 2016) is the highest-ranked commit of Stoops era.  http://cjky.it/1vGgf5B

[jbcarol]

Andrew (4-star running back) and David Dowell (four-star safety/wide receiver) have committed to the University of Kentucky via Twitter.

[NoNC4Tubs]

Keith Niebuhr @Keith247Sports  ·  4h 4 hours ago
We have a 5-star #Uga commit Trent Thompson sighting at #Auburn today ...

Let the bidding begin....

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  2 hours ago

Auburn rolls out Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Pat Dye during coveted linebacker's official visit http://ow.ly/CoJDu

[jbcarol]

Ryan Callahan @RyanCallahan247  ·  7 hours ago

Top247 OT, #OleMiss commit Drew Richmond (@TheDream_75) to visit #Tennessee #Vols again (FREE READ): http://bit.ly/1uWVLXc

[jbcarol]

Nashville Hillsboro 3-star all-purpose back, Vincent Perry has given a verbal to Tennessee.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell @Carvell_AJC  ·  56 minutes ago

Micah Abernathy: Tennessee edges UGA for 4-star DB http://on-ajc.com/10ZXezI

Michael Carvell @Carvell_AJC  ·  41 minutes ago
What about speculation that #Vols offered Micah Abernathy's brother as part of "package deal"?

[jbcarol]

UK got a commitment from Henry Clay standout Davonte Robinson, who is considered one of the state's top prospects in the class of 2016.

Robinson — a 6-foot-2, 171-pound cornerback — is UK's fourth commitment for the class of 2016 and the third junior from Kentucky to pick the Cats.

"I just felt like it was home, and I was more comfortable over there when I visited..."

[NoNC4Tubs]

Michael Carvell @Carvell_AJC  ·  56 minutes ago

Micah Abernathy: Tennessee edges UGA for 4-star DB http://on-ajc.com/10ZXezI

Michael Carvell @Carvell_AJC  ·  41 minutes ago
What about speculation that #Vols offered Micah Abernathy's brother as part of "package deal"?

Ironic!

Carvell accusing another school of offering a package deal........

[scruf]

Kentucky football as represented by an animated GIF:

[jbcarol]

Four-star Wide Receiver out of Lakewood, Ohio,  Alex Stump, just announced he has changed his commitment from the University of Kentucky to Ohio State.

Alex Stump @ShowTime_Stump
I am flipping my commitment from Kentucky to THE Ohio State University. It has always been my dream to stay home and play for the Buckeyes 🅾
1:06 PM - 12 Oct 2014

[jbcarol]

C-J Sports staff @sports_cj  ·  21 hours ago

Top analyst predicts UK for Damien Harris http://cjky.it/1EYGRmD  @kyletucker_cj

#1 RB in 2015 class

[jbcarol]

cj conrad @cjconrad1  ·  21 hours ago
I am officially a Kentucky Wildcat and will enroll next semester to further my education and athletic career 🔵⚪️🔵⚪️



4-star TE from Ohio

[jbcarol]

GoVolsXtra @GoVolsXtra  ·  2h 2 hours ago
John Adams: Don't worry, UT's current offense not offensive to recruits http://ow.ly/D04I5

Tennessee coach Butch Jones keeps assuring fans the program is improving. He's half right.

By the end of Jones' second season, UT's defense should not only be superior to last season, it could be as good as any in the SEC East.

However, the offense is headed in the wrong direction and is the biggest reason why the Vols are 3-4 and in danger of a fifth consecutive seven-loss season.

That was evident again Saturday night in a 34-3 loss to Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium when UT quarterback Justin Worley was sacked seven times, and the Vols had zero net yards rushing. That likely will be evident again this Saturday at Neyland Stadium against Alabama...

The solution, as Jones tells us repeatedly, is recruiting. And no one could fault how he and his staff are recruiting. They're headed for back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes.

But as you watched UT's feeble attempts to move the ball against unbeaten Ole Miss, you might have wondered at what point will its overmatched offense impact recruiting.

There's no reason to think Tennessee will have a good offensive line next season, either. So why would a running back with an aversion to beating his helmet against a defensive wall or a quarterback who prefers to remain upright sign with Tennessee?

Here's the good news for the Vols: Recruits don't think about stuff like that.

They think about getting to the NFL. They think about how much they like a coach or his assistants. They think about playing time. They think about the overall atmosphere surrounding the program.

UT has plenty of atmosphere, enhanced by a stadium few programs can match. It also has coaches who can sell that atmosphere to high school seniors.

Tennessee already has two quarterback commitments and three running back commitments for 2015. They obviously believe in where the program is headed and have not been dissuaded by the current state of affairs.

But if they want to feel even better about their decision, they should be selective in their video viewing. Better to watch UT's four committed recruits in the offensive line and not the replay of Tennessee vs. Ole Miss.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown @patrickbrownTFP  ·  2 hours ago
Butch on in-state recruits going out-of-state: "We wish them well, but they're gonna watch us win a lot of football games down the road."

Butch on the recruiting billboards in Nashville: "The mid-state area is a very strong recruiting base for us."

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  37m 37 minutes ago
NEW: Defensive end Kengera Daniel commits to Kentucky; Cats move to 20th in Rivals rankings http://bit.ly/12ekomA

New UK commitment Kengera Daniel is listed at 6-6, 250 pounds. I saw him on the field before the UK-South Carolina game. He looks the part.

Among the schools UK passed in the Rivals 2015 rankings with Daniel's commitment: Oregon, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech.

[jbcarol]

Roland Walder @Roland_9x
I am officially committed to play football at the University of Kentucky #BBN #Whynot #StoopsTroops
8:04 PM - 25 Oct 2014

'16 3-star ILT from Ohio

[jbcarol]

SchoolboyQ @Qbaker5  ·  19h 19 hours ago
I'm blessed to say I'm committed to the University of Kentucky. 🔵⚪️ #BBN #whynot #Yahtzee


'16 RB Quinton Baker