Receivers Need to Step It UP

Most folks will tell you that a football team with a Big-Armed QB and a couple of good receivers can beat you on any given day…Such was the luxury that the UK Wildcats enjoyed when they had the arm of Andre Woodson, throwing to the arms of receivers such as Keenan Burton, Dicky Lyons and Stevie Johnson.

Given that UK has two big arms coming in the fall, there is a possibility that could happen again, given the circumstances. I don’t think circumstances will present themselves until the Florida game. Let’s face it, Florida is the favorite to win the National Title this year, notwithstanding the SEC. They return their Entire Defense, not to mention terrible Tim Tebow. Mike Hartline should perform well enough to have us at 2-0 going into that game, but this is the one where I think we see Rich Brooks making some moves…

If the Florida defense is swamping Hartline, Rich Brooks will want to put in someone who can move in the pocket, AND see over it…That would be Morgan Newton. Regardless of how he plays, I think this will be a pivotal moment for UK football next season. UK will not play an opponent better than Florida all year and this game time experience will do wonders for Morgan’s confidence. Nothing against Mike Hartline, but I think that Brooks wants to have both Morgan and Randall in the same backfield before the season plays out. Mike Hartline is entering his second year as starter and has a wealth of experience. That will win games, but his arm is not strong enough to stretch SEC defenses.

In order for any QB to excel, one of the following needs to join Randall Cobb and catch some passes: Aaron Boyd, Eric Adeyemi, Gene McCaskill, Kyrus Lanxter, Matt Roark, E.J. Fields. If they don’t I expect these 2, along with Cobb, to be our receivers in the fall.

Nick Mellilo, a walk-on, has already shown he can be a force during the spring game and remember, it only takes a couple of good ones to make a difference. His play was not an anomaly, he had a great spring.

Chris Matthews, at 6’5” and a recent 4.4 forty under his belt, is impossible to cover man-to-man according to his JUCO coach. He can step right off the JUCO fields, where Rivals has him a 4-Star WR, and onto the one at Commonwealth, given his skill set, and the state of our receiving corp….UK coaches are more that excited about the incoming junior college wideout, given he is rated in the 9^th best JUCO out of the top 100!

That makes three receivers, Cobb, Mellilo and Matthews, and these are my picks to catch the football this fall. What are yours?

JUCO RECRUITS PROJECT AS STARTERS

It is a rare thing when Juco come into a major college program such as UK’s and compete right away. You could ask Stevie Johnson, now a Pro, about the “learning curve” for SEC football. Knowing the difficulty adjusting to the level of play of a league like the SEC, most experts suggest that the Jucos don’t usually contribute until their Senior Year, hence the penchant of most schools to skip the Juco ranks. UK, however, is in a position of great need at the DT and WR spots and just happened to land two of the finest JUCO’s in the land

As it turns out, two of the last recruits that Rich Brooks and Co. Landed turned out to be the two highest rated kids in the entire UK recruiting class according to Rivals. They each land 4 Stars as does Ryan Mossakowski, AND with ratings of 5.9 to Ryan’s 5.8 are actually rated higher…but both rating falls into a range that includes the top 300 players in the country, with only the 5 star “franchise player” rating being higher….

The ratings are configured thusly using only twenty –five, 5 Star players around the country and 300-4 star prospects:

RATINGS 5.8 – 6.0

“All-American Candidate; high-major prospect; considered one of the nation’s top 300 prospects; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team”

Who are these young Juco lads that we signed and why are they so highly rated?

Dequin Evans (6-2, 275) is rated the No. 15 junior college prospect in the nation by Rivals.com and is a teammate of UK’s other 4 Star Recruit, Wide Out Chris Matthews 6’5” 210 4.5 Forty. Here is a tumbnail on both players:

DE DeQuin Evans- 6’2, 260, 4.6 40-

Evans is a talented Junior College defensive end, who if he manages to grasp the defense, should start opposite Jeremy Jarmon to open the season. At 6’2, 270 pounds and running a 4.6 40, Evans has all the pieces to be a force opposite Jarmon and DT Corey Peters who will both demand full focus from opposing offensive lines. His game is solid, the one concern is he is a JUCO who wasn’t able to enroll in January. That is a huge hindrance to the long and short term success of most junior college transfers. DeQuin looks to be a can’t miss prospect, but B.J. Parsons and Ernie Pelayo where also can’t miss prospects for the ‘Cats in the trenches. When you enroll late and miss that first spring practice of your playing career, sometimes that’s a mistake a JUCO player never gets over. With freshmen, it might slow them down, they might not fully understand the system, or the speed and effort needed every single snap in the SEC to be successful until late in their redshirt freshmen or true sophomore year. The same learning curve with a JUCO player would lead them to not understanding what it takes to win until they’ve already spent their eligibility. Evans has the tools, if he can come in and learn quickly, he could be a very productive member of what looks to be a stout defense in 2009. He should start his first year on campus, and should be considered the leader for the position ahead of Collins Ukwu and Donte Rumph.

Evans ended up deciding between Kentucky and Louisville. He also had scholarship offers from major Pac-10 and Big 12 schools, turning down offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington State, Oregon State, Kansas and Kansas State.*

^*kyink.com

Scout- 4* Rivals- 4*

WR Chris Matthews- 6’5, 210, 4.5 40-

Matthews is a big, physical WR that can catch in traffic, as well as posing a threat down the field. He also possesses very good speed. As a JUCO, he has shown he can run good routes and has good technique. With the well-documented struggles of UK’s WR corps in 2008, the ‘Cats need an impact guy. Can Matthews break the JUCO jinx and be that guy? In two years at junior college, he had 124 receptions for 1,935 yards and 19 touchdowns. As fans, we should remain cautiously optimistic with Chris. Had he been able to enroll in January, his chances of breaking out in his first year would have increased.

Signs with UK over offers from Washington and Oregon.

ESPN- Doesn’t Rank JUCO’s

Scout- 3*

Rivals- 4*

^kyink.com

I expect these two Juco lads will be counted on extensively next season as UK unfolds it’s Pro-Style Offense with Morgan Newton**, at the QB spot ( SEC games), throwing to Randall Cobb, the aforementioned Chris Matthews, Cyrus Lanxter, Aaron Boyd, Maurice Grinter, Terrell Mitchell and many more…

**Morgan is rated a 4 Star by Scout and a 3 by Rivals.

Football numbers Up…Offers Fly Out…

When it comes to the numbers, this year’s group of 3 & 4 star designated recruits UK has signed to LOI’s far exceeds any in recent years. It is obvious to me that our 3 consecutive bowl trips have led to some improved numbers in the recruiting arena, on paper. We can always count on Rich Brooks, Joker and Co. to deliver that little known recruit that turns out to be a star and I expect this year will be no exception…

Comparing UK’s recruiting this year, verses year’s past, reveals the discrepancy in the numbers this year, and that is The Good News. Consider that we only had 1-4 star player last year, Aaron Boyd, and 8-3 star players…This year, even with Morgan Newton not getting that 4th star, we have 3-4 star players and 16-3 star players….That is double the 3 star players and 3 times the 4-star….Definately our finest recruiting in decades!

It is hard to tell how good some of these 3-star players will be, especially Morgan Newton. In 2006, considered by many to be a great year – including the recruitment of Micah Johnson as a 4-Star, along with Corey Peters – We had 9-3 star recruits, so again, not in recent memory have we had a class such as this!

Now it appears that Brooks and Joker are keeping the proverbial pedal to the metal, and offering kids early once again…Miles Simpson, he of 6’2” grace and speed, of 6A Power Simon Kenton High, is on everyone’s wish list…Only a junior, he will have America in his back door before he is done. Maybe we need to get Micah to start recruiting him early, along with Chris Collinsworth’s son from the Northern Area of the Commonwealth. We let Shawn Alexander get away from there, and Miles is in that M-O-L-D…

UK is beginning to attract kids nationally with the program, and its unique position in the SEC as the northern-most school don’t hurt when recruiting in Indiana and Ohio where we are South of them, yet still in the SEC! Morgan Newton’s father mentioned location as being a “big factor” in his son’s attending UK as well as the chance to play QB in the SEC!

Indeed, the very thing we complain about – how tough the SEC IS – is our greatest benefactor in many cases…Kids see that the SEC is the toughest conference around, producing multiple consecutive champions, and they have a shot to be on national TV and play early.

Rich Brooks & Joker grabbed Two – Four star players from the juco ranks the last week of recruiting… These kids usually go elsewhere to play…Not any more…!