Kentucky's 2010 Football Recruiting Class

Mychal Bailey DB 6'0 185 LaGrange, Ga. (JUCO)
Bailey continues the LaGrange pipeline Kentucky has built. He will come in as a junior out of JUCO with three years of eligibility to play two. Bailey looks to fit in as a Cornerback or Safety at Kentucky and while he weighs in at less than 200 pounds, he packs quite a punch. Kentucky is unlikely to use a redshirt on him, and he has the tools to provide the most “instant impact” play-making ability of anyone UK will bring into this class. With more teams switching to multiple receiver sets, you cannot have enough good defensive backs. I think he eventually ends up at Strong Safety.


Tyler Brause ATH 6'4 220 Sycamore, Ohio
Brause is an intriguing athlete that has the body and athletic ability to do a lot of different things for Kentucky. His size would lend itself to playing Tight End or Linebacker nicely, and his speed would serve him well at either position. If he lines up at Tight End, he will provide the QB with a good size target on intermediate crossing routes and a big red-zone target. Brause could also remain at Quarterback, but he would need quite a bit of polishing before he would be ready to contribute under center. Brause is likely to redshirt regardless of the position he’s placed at. I think he eventually ends up at Tight End/H-Back.

Alvin Davis DL 6'4 228 Jesup, Ga.
Davis was one of the more un-heralded recruits on Kentucky’s board this year. He plays for a smaller level school than his Stephenson classmates, and any athlete in his shoes would be hard to find and evaluate. I’ll admit that the film I watched on him is actually him in a basketball game and the short video Greg’s provided on here on KSN, but you can tell he has athleticism. Davis played some Tight End in high school, but he will likely find himself at Defensive End (his more natural position) at Kentucky. He has great speed and moves his feet well, but will need to develop some SEC caliber pass rush moves and Coach Turner is just the guy to help. He will probably redshirt his freshman season while he acclimates to the high level SEC game. I think he eventually ends up playing Strong-side Defensive End.

Nermin Delic DL 6'5 259 Dalton, Ga.
Delic is an impressive athlete that might have the highest ceiling of any player on this class. Originally from Bosnia, Delic has only been playing football for a few years and he’ll have a steep slope to climb learning the intricacies of the SEC. He has played Tight End and Defensive End in high school and projects as a DE in college. The two things Delic brings to the table that you cannot teach or coach are size and tenacity. He’ll be labeled as a “high-motor kid.” but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the speed or athleticism to be a factor. I will probably follow his development more closely than most of the other commitments, and honestly, I believe he will be an NFL caliber defensive linemen when his UK career is over. He will probably redshirt to build strength, bulk up, and refine his technique. I think he eventually ends up at Strong-side Defensive End or Defensive Tackle, depending on how much weight he adds to his considerably large frame.
*His last name is correctly pronounced “DEH-leech,” not “Del-ic” as indicated by UK. Most Bosnians accept the incorrect pronunciation anyway though.

Teven Eatmon TE 6'7 280 Bucyrus, Ohio
Eatmon is listed as a Tight End by the UK athletics website, but who are we kidding here? I don’t think even Eatmon expects to play anything other than Offensive Tackle standing at 6-7 and 280 pounds as a high school senior. Quick feet and an extra long reach will be Eatmon’s strongest assets and his ability to run routes and catch the ball will open up Kentucky’s goal line packages and give defenses one more thing to worry about. He will almost certainly redshirt to add bulk, add strength and learn a new position. Eatmon may start out as a TE, but I would be shocked if he isn’t listed as an OT by the end of fall camp.

Mike Evans-Douglas DE 6'4 225 Clearwater, Fla.
Douglas offers the type of game breaking speed Kentucky has not had at Defensive End in decades, and will provide a pass rush that UK so desperately needed this past season. He’s going to need to put on some weight to hold up against the massive Tackles in the SEC, but he’s already got the speed to beat them to the edge, and the explosiveness to get the jump off of the ball. I would imagine Douglas will play as a true freshman and contribute heavily on third downs and obvious passing situations. He may get a look at Outside Linebacker early, but I think he eventually ends up at Weak-side Defensive End.

Brandon Gainer RB 5'11 200 Miami, Fla.
Gainer was the “shocker” Joker pulled this year, and while most of us where enamored with DJ Howard, he snuck in the back door. Gainer has the size to be a powerful down-hill runner between the tackles and also posses the speed and agility to bounce runs outside and break the long touchdown. Like most young Running Backs, he’ll need some work with blitz pickup and route running, but he has all the tools to be a big time contributor out of the backfield. He should see some action as a true freshman. I think he starts and ends up a Running Back.

Josh Gibbs DB 5'10 190 Long Beach, Calif.
Gibbs was one of the two players to enroll in January and will attend spring practice and off-season conditioning with Rock Oliver. The defensive backfield will need some revamping after losing Trevard Lindley, Ashton Cobb, and Calvin Harrison to graduation. Gibbs could conceivably play either one of the Safety positions or at Cornerback depending on where he feels most comfortable and where the most need lies for UK. As a JUCO Player he is unlikely to redshirt, and like Bailey, he also has three years of eligibility to play two. I think he eventually ends up at Free Safety or Strong Safety, but playing a lot in the nickel packages.

Justin Henderson DL 6'3 231 Bamberg, S.C.
Henderson enrolled in January and will partake in spring practice and strength and conditioning along with Gibbs. Justin comes in as a freshman with good size and strength and experience playing against some of the top competition in South Carolina. Henderson will need to work on his speed and explosiveness if he wants to develop into a pass rushing threat, but he is already at an acceptable level for someone at his age. Working this spring and summer with the team might be the boost he needs to break into the Defensive End rotation in the upcoming season. He is unlikely to redshirt barring injury and assuming he makes strides in his extra time with the team. I think he eventually ends up at one of the Defensive End spots, which one will depend on the level of athleticism he can maintain as he puts on weight.

Farrington Huguenin LB 6'4 235 Columbia, S.C.
Huguenin was a surprise addition to the class that took many people, myself included, by surprise. He has SEC size right now and can bench press over 300 pounds despite his school not having a weight lifting program. Natural strength is something you can’t teach and he certainly has it, but his speed and quickness is what sets him apart. Consider that he had better shuttle times that Athlete Jerrell Priester at the SPARQ combine in South Carolina, and it puts what he can do into perspective. He drew interest from some of the Country’s top programs, but his grades scared several of the away. If he can get his scores to an acceptable level, Kentucky may have gotten a major steal here, but a year of Prep school might not hurt his development either. If he is not placed in a prep school or JUCO, he almost definitely redshirts. He could play anything from Middle Linebacker to Defensive Tackle depending on his ability to put on weight and maintain his athleticism. I think he eventually ends up at Weakside Defensive End.

Jabari Johnson LB 6'2 220 Stone Mountain, Ga.
Jabari offers Kentucky one of the most versatile linebacker prospects we’ve had since Braxton Kelley played. Johnson can play anyone of the three linebacker positions in the 4-3 defense and based on his strength and explosiveness, probably all four of the linebacker positions in the 3-4 defensive scheme too. Speed is the name of his game and he appears to have the ability to stretch to the sidelines and funnel plays back inside or to track down the ball-carrier in the open field. There is speculation that he may eventually develop into a Defensive End, but I worry that his reach might not be long enough to fight off 6-6 and 6-7 Offensive Tackles. Jabari has the skills to contribute as a true freshman, but may redshirt due to numbers. I think he eventually ends up at Weak-side Linebacker (Will).

Brice Laughlin DL 6'3 280 Summerville, S.C.
Laughlin is a big player with big ability. He comes to UK with impressive strength and a surprising burst from an athlete his size. His first step allows him to create havoc in the backfield on running plays and collapse the pocket on passing plays. He could start out as a Strong-side Defensive End, but will slide down to Defensive Tackle on obvious passing downs and provide a push up the middle. He has a low center of gravity that will allow him to gain leverage against taller offensive linemen. He appears to use the bull rush tactics heavily at the high school level, but Coach Turner should have a hand in helping him to develop a more diverse arsenal. With his footwork, he could eventually develop into a vicious Offensive Guard, but I haven’t heard an offensive future mentioned for Laughlin. He will probably redshirt. I think he eventually ends up at Defensive Tackle.

Joe Mansour K/P 6'2 181 LaGrange, Ga.
Kickers don’t typically receive scholarship offers, so Mansour’s early offer is a testament to what he can do. If you follow Kentucky’s recruiting, you’ve probably heard about the booming punts and field goals that he can boot, and I’ve been told he can knock down a 60-yard field goal (although I’d have to see it to believe it). Anytime you have a prospect who can win the field position game for your team single handedly, you do whatever you have to do to get him. The closest comparison I could find to the strength of Mansour’s leg was none other than Sebastian Janikowski as a freshman at Florida State, and that’s a pretty big leg. There is almost no chance Mansour redshirts, and could win the kicking duties by the first week of fall camp. He’s a Kicker, so that’s probably where he’ll play.

Tim McAdoo DL 6'1 310 Murfreesboro, Tenn.
McAdoo is a sizeable lineman for Kentucky that should flourish in the two-technique Defensive Tackle Role. His size and low center of gravity will make him hard to move and he should be ready to clog the running lanes the second he arrives on campus. McAdoo shows a nice ability to play down the line of scrimmage and create confusion in the offensive backfield. He shows a nice explosion on passing plays and will also need to develop a better array of techniques as he relies on the bull rush a little too much. There is some potential there for a future at Offensive Guard as well. The biggest concern might be his grades as there was some speculation that he would not qualify to be included in the 2010 class. He could easily break into a thin Defensive Tackle Rotation as a true freshman. I think he ends up at Defensive Tackle.

Malcolm McDuffen LB 6'3 205 Hopkinsville, Ky.
McDuffen comes in as a multipurpose linebacker prospect much like Jabari Johnson. He has good height and natural size, but is a tad wiry weighing in at only 205 pounds. An off-season in the strength and conditioning program would have done wonders for his chances of playing early, but he does have outstanding athletic ability lining up at Quarteback, Defensive End, Running Back, and even playing basketball while in high school. McDuffen shows a keen eye for the ball and doesn’t lose sight of the ball-carrier in the backfield often. His block shedding is impressive for someone his size and he doesn’t seem to struggle fighting through bigger offensive linemen when in pursuit. He projects well as an Outside Linebacker and could contribute with the Nickel packages as well. He will probably redshirt. I think he eventually ends up at Strong-Side Linebacker (Sam).

Tim Patterson LB 6'4 220 Louisville, Ky.
Patterson was one of the most sought after recruits from Kentucky this year and was a highly touted member of the ESPN 150 watch-list before his injury. His signing keeps the Louisville Central pipeline open and gives Joker his first head-to-head win against Louisville’s Charlie Strong. Patterson is an athlete that could line up at Middle Linebacker or Strong-side Linebacker, or even at Defensive End. He seems to have every run-stuffing instinct you look for in a front seven player, but his pass coverage will need some work. There is quite a bit of speculation that Patterson may not be able to make qualifying grades, and could be placed in prep school or JUCO until he can qualify academically. I think he redshirts if he isn’t placed somewhere. I have no idea what position he ends up playing, but I would bet on Defensive End or Middle Linebacker.


Jerrell Priester ATH 5'9 170 Ulmer, S.C.
Priester is the very definition of an “Athlete.” His skill set could lend itself to him lining up at Running Back, Wide Receiver, or Cornerback, and he has a realistic chance of succeeding at any one of those positions. His game is all about straight-line speed and e can reportedly run a 4.3 40-yard dash into the wind (like it REALLY matters). Nabbing Priester away from Vandy helps to ease the pain of their theft of Earl Bennett, and if nothing else, keeps an explosive playmaker away from one of our conference rivals. Perhaps most importantly, Priester is a young man who has his head on straight and he factored the weight of his future degree into his decision, which is pretty rare today. It looks like Priester is one player we won’t have to worry about getting into trouble or staying eligible. He could redshirt, or he could play as a freshman, it will largely depend on his ability to adapt to the position the coaching staff sticks him into. I think he ends up at Cornerback, but I wouldn’t rule out seeing him in the offensive backfield at times too.

Tyler Robinson TE 6'4 260 Alcoa, Tenn.
Robinson scared several of the UK faithful when his LOI didn’t show up until the eleventh hour. Robinson will be able to show his abilities on both sides of the ball, and they’re considerable. He has great hands and is one of the few high school Tight Ends that consistently extends his arms and catches the ball with his hands, and brings it back into his body with a quick snapping motion. On Defense, he regularly relocates the line of scrimmage into the offensive backfield and shows above average pass rushing ability at Defensive End. Realistically though, his highest upside is in the interior line where his quick feet, long arms, and athleticism could make him an exceptional Center or Guard. He will likely redshirt while the coaching staff figures out where to place him. I think he eventually ends up at Offensive Guard.

Donte Rumph DL 6'2 265 St. Matthews, S.C.
Anyone else getting déjà vu here? Rumph signed with Kentucky for the third time and appears to have finally gotten his academics in order. If everything works out and he finds himself eligible this fall, adding him to this class softens the blow of losing Peters to graduation and losing out on Michael Thorton. Rump is a dominating run stuffer at Defensive End or Defensive Tackle, but his greatest value may come on third down where he can line up inside and collapse the pocket on the Quarterback. Based on his video from high school and Hargrave, he has some work to do in pass-rushing, but he shows flashes of absolute brilliance and could be the most important member of this class come August. He is highly unlikely to redshirt and should be as physically ready to play as any freshman Kentucky has brought in in a long time. I think he eventually ends up at Defensive Tackle, but he may start out at Defensive End.

Raymond Sanders RB 5'8 175 Stone Mountain, Ga.
Underrated is a word used frequently when scouts talk about Raymond Sanders. After breaking out on national television, I’m still shocked that rivals has him listed as a 3* caliber player. Regardless, Sanders has great vision and elite lateral movement. He is exceptional at locating cutback lanes and shows a surprising ability to break through the line between the tackles. Sanders biggest upside is probably as a receiver out of the backfield and as a kick/punt returner. He has the type of athleticism that will allow him to flourish in the type of role Reggie Bush has with the Saints, and while he’s unlikely to be a feature back in Kentucky’s pro-style offense, he can be an integral part of the offensive game plan. He will probably redshirt to spend some extra time in the strength and conditioning program, but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him playing as a true freshman. I think he will eventually be a major factor in UK’s game-plan at Running Back and a game changing kick returner.

Ronnie Shields ATH 6'5 220 Stone Mountain, Ga.
Shields is listed at 220 pounds, but he looks a lot closer to 200 pounds to me. He has good, but not great speed for the Tight End position. Where he stands out is in his ability to stretch out for poorly thrown balls and his ability to reposition himself to make the catch. Shields has a lot of work to do to become an effective inline blocker, but he doesn’t need to be a road grader, he just needs to be able to seal the defensive end on sweeps and get to the second level on linebackers and safeties. Shields will almost certainly need a redshirt year to prepare himself physically. I think he eventually fills an H-Back role for Kentucky.

Eric Simmons DB 6'0 185 Atlanta, Ga.
Kentucky figured out that Simmons was an elite Cornerback this fall. Espn’s recruiting services figured it out this month. Simmons went from an unrated prospect to the #25 Corner in the country overnight. Simmons has great height and size, and more than adequate speed. He got lots of practice defending the pass as teams avoided his high school teammate Darius Robinson, and this experience will help him to make an impact earlier at Kentucky. To play early in his career he will have to show he is willing to come up in run support, but with size and strength like he has, it should be a part of his game he gets comfortable with quickly. He does have the size and range to play at Free Safety as well as Cornerback. Simmons will probably redshirt while he acclimates to the college game, but this is another player that could play himself into the rotation as a freshman. I think he eventually ends up at Cornerback.

Miles Simpson RB 6'2 210 Independence, Ky.
Reports varied as to where Simpson would end up all the way until the moment he signed with Kentucky. In the end, UK gets another “Athlete” commitment that could be a bruising Running Back on offense or a Strong Safety/Outside Linebacker commitment on defense. Simpson currently stands at 6-2 and 210 pounds, but his frame looks like it could handle another 10 to 15 pounds of muscle that would make him the first true power back at Kentucky since Artose Pinner. He likely redshirts while he’s getting his position figured out. I think he ends up at Strong Safety.

Alex Smith TE 6'5 255 Cincinnati, Ohio
Smith’s recruitment has been like an episode of “Lost.” You know it’s going somewhere, you know it’s going to eventually end, the dramatic twists keep you interested, but in the end you really have no idea what’s going on. Regardless, Kentucky gets a true Tight End that will be able to provide a big receiver and a serviceable blocker. With the current unproven depth at Tight End on the roster, I would not expect Smith to Redshirt. I think he stays at Tight End throughout his career.

Dale Trimble DB 5'10 175 Gadsden, Ala.
Reports surfaced that Trimble was having second thought about his commitment to Kentucky, but those reports turned out to be false. Trimble might be the best overall player in this class, and should be one of the first to contribute as a true freshman. He has adequate size for a Corner, but his ball skills are exceptional. Trimble has elite man-to-man cover skills that will serve him well at Kentucky and allow D-Coordinator Steve Brown more freedom to blitz. He started to win award after award when his season came to a close and teams started to take notice. This was a huge pickup for Kentucky out of Alabama on a day when another Alabama DB picked one of the in-state schools after being a “solid” Kentucky commitment. I highly doubt Trimble will redshirt. I think he remains at Cornerback throughout his career at Kentucky.

Avery Williamson LB 6'1 220 Milan, Tenn.
Williamson is a great addition to the linebacking corps for Kentucky. He is one of the most “ready to play” prospect the staff has brought in for quite some time, and he should be in the mix to take over for Micah Johnson at the Middle Linebacker position. He has good range, exceptional strength, and is another LB who excels at locating the ball and taking great lines of pursuit to the ballcarrier. He is unlikely to redshirt, unless he is clearly beaten out for the Middle Linebacker position. I think he eventually lands at Middle Linebacker (Mike), but he could see some time at the two Outside Linebacker (Will/Sam) positions as well.