Armchair Quarterback

By Steve Tressler – Stephen.tressler@us.army.mil

Kentucky football’s 2013 recruiting class,  and new head coach Mark Stoops’ first as a Kentucky Wildcat, was without a doubt a big success. Especially with what little time he and his new staff had to recruit. I’m not just a writer/blogger/radio host, I’m also a fan, so here’s hoping Coach Stoops can win here, and win BIG!

The Cats signed 22 players and ESPN, as well as  many others, rank it among the best in school history.

The waves this recruiting class made in Lexington were big enough to reach us, all the way here in Africa, where for a brief moment in time, Kentucky football trumped the talk about Kentucky basketball. Which is completely unheard of…..in February.

Of course on paper it looks fantastic, no argument here. I’m excited as everyone else when I see the names. Starting with all-world defensive end Jason Hatcher from Trinity to RB Jojo Kemp of DeLand, Fla., to Jaleel Hytchye out of Cincinnati and safety Marcus McWilson out of Youngstown, Ohio, to superstar Ryan Timmons. Players that normally wouldn’t be included on the Wildcat roster.

But for all of the attention and hype this new class has garnered, it’s still the 36th best college football recruiting class in ESPN’s class rankings, which is to say it’s still considered by Recruiting Nation as the 11th best in the SEC, near the bottom. And sadly, that’s par for the course, for the gridiron Cats.

Let’s hope for UK fans its new roster on paper translates to wins on the field as well.

For now, I’ll have to cheer from 7000 miles away.

Like our Kentucky National Guard Soldiers here in Africa on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TaskForceLongrifles?ref=hl

Here is a list of Kentucky’s signees:

 Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (HS)

 Jeff Badet  WR 6-0 170 Orlando, Fla. (Freedom HS)

 Alvonte Bell  DE 6-5 255 Miramar, Fla. (Everglades)

 Javess Blue  WR 6-0 190 Babson Park, Fla. (Lake Wales/Butler CC)

 Steven Borden  TE 6-3 250 Waxahachie, Texas (Waxahachie/Kilgore College)

 Justin Day  OT 6-8 305 Aiken, S.C. (South Aiken)

 Jason Hatcher  DE 6-3 250 Louisville, Ky. (Trinity)

Nick Haynes  OL 6-3 305 Niceville, Fla. (Niceville HS)

 Jacob Hyde  DL 6-2 330 Manchester, Ky. (Clay County)

 Jaleel Hytchye CB 5-10 175 Cincinnati, Ohio (La Salle)

Jojo Kemp Highlights RB 5-10 190 DeLand, Fla. (DeLand)

 Austin MacGinnis  K 5-10 175 Prattville, Ala. (Prattville)

Blake McClain DB 5-11 190 Winter Park, Fla. (Winter Park)

 Marcus McWilson S 6-0 210 Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney)

Kyle Meadows  OL 6-5 270 West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West)

 Regie Meant  DL 6-4 275 Cape Coral, Fla. (Baker)

 Ramsey Meyers OL 6-4 290 Orange Park, Fla. (Ridgeview)

 Alex Montgomery  WR 6-2 210 Weston, Fla. (Cypress Bay)

Reese Phillips  QB 6-2 225 Signal Mountain, Tenn. (Signal Mountain)

 Za’Darius Smith DE 6-6 250 Greenville, Ala. (Greenville/East Mississippi CC)

 Khalid Thomas  RB 5-10 170 Tallahassee, Fla. (Godby)

Ryan Timmons ATH 5-10 185 Frankfort, Ky. (Franklin County)

 Nate Willis  DB 6-0 180 Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee/Arizona Western College)