The Highest Ranked Player Ever At Kentucky
Over the last seven years Mark Stoops and his staff have hit Ohio hard for recruiting. Now they’ve moved even farther north and cast their lot into Michigan. Already it’s paid big dividends over the last year and now even more as Kentucky signs five star Justin Rogers.
Recruiting With The Big Dogs
According to the latest Rivals rankings Rogers is the 15th best player in America. In addition he’s the second highest rated defensive tackle behind Bryan Bresee, who’s going to Clemson. The six foot four 314 pound Rogers chose the Cats over Alabama, Georgia, LSU and home state Michigan.
When he committed to Kentucky back on May 20th he was listed as an offensive guard. However during his senior season he played on both the offensive and defensive lines. In fact the Cats now list him on the defense. If he does play tackle he’ll be lining up along side former high school teammate Marquan McCall. He’s been projected as a second round draft pick before ever stepping foot on campus. What can the Big Blue Nation expect from Rogers? Check out his highlight video.
Check out my highlight – https://t.co/VtLPwno6Vx
— Justin Rogers (@AllAmerican52JR) December 9, 2019
Rogers marks only the second five-star player to choose Kentucky since Rivals started their rankings in 2002. The other is offensive tackle and current Wildcat Landon Young. He rated 29th overall in the 2016 class.
Again, the magnitude of this commitment on the program can’t be stated enough. Over the last couple of years Kentucky has proven it can compete with the elite in the SEC on the field. Rogers’ pledge shows they are now ready to compete in recruiting. Currently the Kentucky recruiting class sits 26th in the nation according to Rivals and 10th in the conference. That list doesn’t include LSU transfer Kelvin Joseph and new quarterback Joey Gatewood formerly of Auburn.
Hitting The North Hard
As mentioned earlier, Kentucky has really increased their recruiting efforts in the state of Michigan. It certainly is paying big dividends. In addition to McCall and Rogers linebacker DeAndre Square all hail from Michigan. As a freshman Square played in 12 games recording 35 tackles. However this past season with of course one game still to play Square had 68 tackles, a sack and an interception. What do all three have in common? One they were all recruited by defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale and these guys are instant impact players.
Again Kentucky signs five star defensive tackle Justin Rogers who is now the highest ranked player ever at the school. Keep checking out Last Word On College Football throughout the day for more player updates.
