First Down Kentucky: Another Ass Kicker
The Kentucky football coaching staff has directed its attention to 2025 recruits. There’s a big one that’s been in the works for years.
Zach Yenser, Vince Marrow and Brad White were in the greater Cincinnati area Wednesday morning to chat with a familiar face, Tucker Kattus. A three-star talent, this 6-foot-5, 300-pound interior offensive lineman from St. X has generated significant recruiting buzz that will pick up even more steam this spring and summer. Wisconsin, Arkansas and Michigan State are in the mix, but the team to watch is Michigan.
Recruiting against the defending National Champs is not an enviable task. The Wolverines also have a reputation for developing talented offensive linemen, winners of the Joe Moore Award in two of the last three seasons. They also have something no other school has: Kattus’ father played football at Michigan.
The good news for Kentucky? It’s been a long time since Eric Kattus strapped em up at The Big House. Tucker’s older brother, Josh, will likely be a team captain for Kentucky next fall. Another older brother, Justin Kattus, will walk-on at Kentucky next fall. This is a recruitment Kentucky needs to win. Adding an Ass Kicker in the spring would provide a solid jumping off point for the Wildcats’ 2025 recruiting efforts.
Kentucky Coaches Make Another Cincinnati Stop
After stopping into St. X, Vince Marrow and Brad White made their way over to Winton Woods High School to visit with two of Kentucky’s top 2025 targets. The Wildcats are one of Raphael Greene‘s top five schools, but they have some work to do to land Justin Hill, a top 200 EDGE that recently received an Ohio State offer. Vince Marrow reminded them of their school’s pension for sending players to Kentucky by posing for a picture in front of the jerseys of Mike Edwards and Chris Oats.
Where in the World is Cameron Calhoun?
Speaking of Winton Woods, while contemplating potential cornerbacks that could join the Kentucky football roster, I recalled an old name from the Cincinnati school. Cameron Calhoun entered the portal during peak transfer portal madness and his final destination got lost in the shuffle.
Calhoun had a dramatic high school recruitment. He committed to West Virginia, then Cincinnati and then Kentucky before ultimately landing at Michigan. After one season he found greener pastures out west and transferred to Utah.
His last two years have been eventful, but it’s not unusual for teenagers to change their minds. Here’s one thing that does feel a bit off: Calhoun committed to Utah the day before Michigan won a National Championship. I understand the need to quickly find a new school if you need to make a move, but wouldn’t you want to stick around and be on the sideline to for a National Championship? Will he still get a ring even though he left the team before they capped off an undefeated season?
The portal has created some oddities across college football and this behavior is the strangest yet. I’d happily take a title before taking my talents elsewhere, but that makes too much sense in a sport where silliness reigns supreme.
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More Alabama Stars go Portaling
Kalen DeBoer isn’t inheriting a loaded Alabama roster. WR Isaiah Bond transferred to Texas and cornerback Dezz Ricks is bound for Texas A&M. That’s just the beginning of the post-Nick Saban exodus.
Kadyn Proctor, the former five-star that started every game at left tackle for the Crimson Tide, is taking his talents elsewhere. DB Caleb Downs might be the best player in college football. Alabama was going to build around both players, and now they’re gone. The latter appears to be moving on to Georgia. Cornerback Trey Amos is another name we’re monitoring. Even at Alabama, the transfer portal can be unforgiving.
Kentucky is still dealing with Tyler Baron
Tyler Baron just won’t go away. One of the highest-profile high school recruiting battles back in 2020, Tennessee outlasted the Cats for the Knoxville native whose father was on the Vols’ staff at the time. The productive edge-setter flirted with the portal a year ago, and Kentucky appeared to be a possibility, but nothing ever materialized.
Baron finally did the transfer portal tango this offseason and he danced with multiple teams. At one point it looked like he would land at Ole Miss. Instead, he’s making the move to Louisville. Teaming up with Ashton Gillotte, the Cards will have a couple of future NFL Draft picks rushing passers next fall.
One Thing to Consider about Pro Football Focus
PFF is a resourceful tool, particularly for the college football audience. They provide stats you can’t always readily receive elsewhere, like snap counts, pressures and drops. However, PFF Grades should not be considered Gospel. Mark Stoops made that point during the season. JJ Watt shared his distaste fro the website’s grading system and why it is often inaccurate.
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