The House of Blue

The latest word is that Syracuse University is making a late run for Bo Brooks.

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. :p

Not according to the UK offerings to the Class of 2012 in Rivals.com.

UK has offered all-purpose backs Brian Kimbrow 5'9"/165 Memphis, TN and Anthony Wales 5'9"/170 Louisville. Running backs with offers from UK include Mike Davis 5'9"/192 Stone Mtn, GA who has verbally committed to Florida and Miles Jones 5'9"/190 Acworth, GA.

I would take a "waterbug" running back like Maurice Jones-Drew (5'7/210) or Ray Rice (5'8"/205) any day of the week. The kid at Henry Clay has a great upside and big-time D-I ability.

Not a friend of his or a family member.

His father Randy Brooks was a fine running back for Fran Curci's Cats. I saw this kid in parks and rec and thought we would be seeing great things from him in the future. I know Henry Clay has had some really good skilled talent in the last five or so years and he just didn't get many touches because of that.....thus, limited publicity. I see him as having more upside than several running backs UK has recruited in the past few years.

You can click the YouTube link on post #1 and make your own evaluation

By the way, what was the reason John Conner did not have scholarship offers out of high school, but became a four year letterman at UK and an NFL draft pick?

Brandon Gainer 5'11" 203, Jonathan George 5-10 205, Raymond Sanders 5-8 198 pounds. Say what you want about Sanders only being 5'8, but the kid weighs about 200 pounds, so he doesn't really qualify as a "waterbug" running back. He's capable of running you over. The two kids we have coming in, Caffey is 6' 191, and Clemons is 5-10 202...So we're starting to stray away from recruiting waterbugs, scat backs... smaller running backs, if you will. You'll take a guy like that as a change of pace guy, but you can tell the staff is trying to become a traditional style offense with massive offensive linemen and RBs who can run between the tackles. Also, we have THREE walk-on RBs coming in next year, so that's a total of 5 RBs in one class, on top of the 4 who are already on the roster. The walk-ons are: Brandon Ford 5-10 195 4.4 40, Derek Bishop is 5-9 185, and Terrence Timmons 5-8 180 4.4 40. Having 9 running backs is probably a good reason why Kentucky didn't recruit the kid.

It is hard to know why he doesn't have more offers but it may be due to his production on the field or his participation in camps. Balance, vision, quickness, academics are all issues which are hard to express in a quick post but may push him down the list. I can understand UK overlooking a Lexington kid, although this new staff is pretty through, but the fact that no instate schools have offered him makes me think there is something rational holding him back. I remember his dad who was an outstanding running back. I wish his son the best.

I will let you in on a secret in UK recruiting of Kentucky and especially Lexington kids.

UK does not offer local and in the state of Kentucky kids until they have scholarship offers from other schools. At that point, they usually pull the trigger.

The best example I can give of this is Winston Guy. He prepped at Lexington Catholic and was not even on UK's board and was not even getting letters from UK. He was getting some attention from other schools, but not Division I teams. Winston then went to a Nike camp in May of his junior year. He was measured and had great size, speed, and was named the camp's defensive back MVP. He was immediately offered by Arkansas and Minnesota that very day. I kid you not, Chuck Smith was at Lexington Catholic within two days to offer WInston a scholarship to UK.

My question is....why was UK not on this kid from the start?

I think the Bo Brooks situation is very similar. The difference is that Bo Brooks did not go to a Nike Camp. If you made a check list of desires in a running back, he is a "check" plus in every category. Also, it says on the YouTube highlight reel that he holds a 3.5 GPA so academics are not in question as they are for many of these kids. John Conner was obviously in a similar situation. Great intangibles, great kid. Just no bright spotllight shining on him.

I can not speak for the abilities of UK recruits Caffey and Clemmons because I have not seen these kids play. I have seen Bo Brooks play football and run track and fellas, he is a great prospect who UK should have been all over from the start.

I don't know specifically about Bo Brooks and his situation. Maybe another John Cole. But, what this poster is saying about UKs recruiting in Lexington does hold some water. Guy and Zach West and too great examples. Kyle Bolin may be another.

Until this staff loses a Dawson (dermonti), a Couch, a Pinner, or a Peters out of Lexington I'm not going to sweat it.

John Conner was a DL or LB in HS I think.

I have no info on Brooks other than I saw a 100m time of 11.53 and he finished around 7th. Fast time, but not Derrick Locke fast. I'm sure Brooks is a solid person and player, but UK bases a lot of their offers on kids in camp and coaching connections. That is exactly what every other SEC school does too. As a season ticket holder, I could give a "...." less where they get the players. I just want them to get'em.

After Clemmons & Caffey signed last Feb., there was a lot of people in Ga. ticked that the Dawgs didn't offer either one. A lot of people had seen both play and said it was a crap shoot who was better, either one of them or Crowell. When you're talking at a minimum of getting the 2nd & 3rd best backs in the state of Ga in the same class, I don't think I would be troubled because Brooks didn't get an offer.

You used Winston Guy as an example, and yes, I agree with what happened in that situation. However, there are many, many more players on the roster where UK was the very first big time offer for them. Larry Warford is a perfect example. He committed early, never went to any other camps and will be playing on Sundays.