What's the story on him? He looks great on video. Heard Freddie Maggard on the radio say yesterday that he's a player who has flown below the radar due to not attending camps. Dotson looks to be the type of lineman Coach Schlarman has done a great job developing. Future RT?
Austin Dotson
- Thread starter C.W.1
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Redshirt for this big man, teach him pass blocking he'll be a good one. I like his upside :beer:
I saw him play 3 times this season (versus Tates creek, Pikeville and Johnson Central) - HE HAS the "IT" thing we want. He has a mean streak (not dirty) but MEAN. Against JC he talked to the DL and LB group so much after just destroying them - they looked soooooo defeated. He has "Great Arm length" , a body that can the staff build on to become ATHLETICALLY HUGE, and his feet are quite quick.
He will definitely need RS to learn pass blocking......but he will be a starter in his RS Junior year and all SEC his Senior year.
A PRIZE - I liked him much more than the Bentley kid that is going to UofSmell (his upside isn't as expanse as Dotson - but he's still good too).
He will definitely need RS to learn pass blocking......but he will be a starter in his RS Junior year and all SEC his Senior year.
A PRIZE - I liked him much more than the Bentley kid that is going to UofSmell (his upside isn't as expanse as Dotson - but he's still good too).
Did you see Rowland's remark on Twitter re Dotson? To paraphrase..."he has a huge upper body with prison muscles." Guess that's good.
He has attended camps and he's not performed well, but that was to be expected. He's probably blocked 100 passing plays in his entire varsity life. I don't expect anything from him as OL until RS So year, but when he gets comfortable with pass protection, he has all the tools.
Personally, I would have chosen the OL that committed to UL, but I certainly will defer to Coach Stoops and Freddy Maggard over my choice!!!
From what I heard on the Leach Report, Maggard likes Bentley and Dotson. May have missed it but I don't think Maggard voiced a preference regarding Dotson vs. Bentley but, instead, he liked both.
Saw Bentley and Dotson play against Knox Catholic and Bentley was the better player that night as Dotson had a hard time with Catholics rotating DL of which 3 were underclassman (one actually a jr but his age) who are Div ! 1 OL prospects and the other a commit to a BCS school. Bentley lined up at TE and was a force blocking downfield, was very agile and quick for a guy his size.
Dotson is already rated 3 stars on 247sports. These star ratings differ between websites and are very rough indicators of talent. Normally I just look at the player's offer sheet. In Dotson's case, he committed early and didn't attend regional combines, so his star rating and offer sheet are probably deceptive. Dotson has attended position camps at UK, so Kentucky's coaches know him well. They offered him over Bentley because Dotson has a tackle's frame. Like almost all offensive linemen, Dotson will need a redshirt. His size and competitiveness can't be taught. Give Dotson a couple of years in our program and we will have another solid tackle.
I was referring to Rivals, whom this site uses as it's rating system. I also believe the offer sheets are a good indicator of talent, I have seen 3* athletes have 15 offers and 4 * athletes with 3 or 4 offers.
Just a correction...
He has attended ONE camp, not camp(s).
Dotson wanted nothing to do with the recruiting process and I can say with 100% certainty Alabama was openly trying to recruit him and implored him to hold off on his commitment until he could come visit. He turned down an invite to their Spring Game. Part of that is his entire family are UK fans through and through, the other part is he just did not want to have to do the recruiting dance.
He will definitely be a Redshirt kid as you mentioned. He does not know how to pass block aside from using his raw athleticism.
The second he steps foot at UK he will be one of the best run blockers in the program and the worst pass blocker LOL. Kid though has a great work ethic and will take coaching in like a sponge. One of the most freakish athletes UK has ever signed on the line. I think it will be his sophomore year after his Redshirt, but if he can learn pass blocking this may be a future NFL'er. Guys as big and mobile as him do not come along often.
UK Baseball also still wants him to consider playing two sports if that tells you anything. A 6'7 325 Pitcher!
Maybe, maybe not. Bentley was not a UK fan... he wanted a UK Offer and liked UK...but Bentley was always going to choose either the highest profile offer or the offer that best gave him a chance to succeed and further his career. If I had to say, I would have put money that he would have chose UL even with the UK Offer.
Also for those wondering, the initial thought on Dotson is a RT and not a LT.
The UK Staff really liked Bentley but he is a Guard. The UK staff LOVED Dotson as a Tackle project.
Bentley is the more polished linemen right now. He has been doing camp circuits and competing at combines since he was in 8th Grade. Bentley is the much better pass blocker right now. Bentley is also the more fundamentally sound run blocker. Dotson though just has that "wow" factor where he can blow up two or three guys on a single play or blow up a guy 40 yards down the field while still in front of the HB. Dotson is the more athletic and fluid of the two and has the higher ceiling. he also has the lower floor if he can't adjust to pass blocking.
UK will kick themselves for not offering Bentley, Dotson, and most importantly Horton. Horton was the best Defensive Player in KY and the best run stopping DLinemen I have seen from the Bluegrass State in a long time.
In the Knox Catholic game I attended, Horton was the best defensive player period and that is strong considering the talent Catholic has. Only drawback I could see for him is height but young man has a motor and was extremely quick and fast for a player of that size.
Crazy thing is that was probably his worst Defensive Performance of the year.
Catholic's scheme gave Horton fits with the way Belfry runs a 3-4. He was having to deal with a double team from their All-American Cade Mays and the big kid with the LSU offer and wasn't creating nearly as much push as he is accustomed to. He still made some plays and Mays couldn't block him when Catholic was running the ball, but Catholic actually did a great job taking Horton out of that game.
I am telling you all.. Horton is the biggest swing and miss by our staff in State in a long time.
He is taller & longer than CB. Makes sense for the long run. I thought he moved well in the game I saw him. Bentley is quick & strong though. Probably will make a good pulling OG.
If you're right, I'd say it's a called strike instead of a whiff since we apparently haven't taken our bat off our shoulder. :sunglasses:
Yes, in fact Western is where I would say he was most likely going to end up, not sure now after the coaching change though how it has effected him.
No chance. Why would a kid take a Walk-On over a Full Scholarship to multiple FBS schools?
UK is after a different Belfry linemen as a PFO in Jordan Scott. Wouldn't be surprised to see that happen as Scott only has NAIA "Offers" and a FCS offer to Tennessee Tech.
Thanks for the video, that is one good looking high school football team. I bet Bearmeat would have loved to have had them back in the day. Belfry must have one hell of a weight training program.
Kid has good footwork and uses his hands well. Not satisfied with one block either. Will take a guy out of a play and immediately look for another defender to take out. Also comes off the ball quick enough to line up as an extra tackle in the TE position in jumbo packages. I think he'll be a player by his RS Soph or Jr season.
Looks like a man getting a chance to play Pop Warner. Not many opportunities for him to play against big opponents.
quite a few of those were against Johnson Central 4 A Champs with Running Clock - and Knoxville Catholic with 9 D1 Schollys - Heck Knoxville Cath has a Sophmore who DOESN'T START and has given verbal to LSU -
Tates Creek= 6A School
Cabell Midland= Largest School in WV, 6A in KY
Knoxville Catholic= One of the best teams in all of TN
Louisville Central= Had great size and a traditionally strong program
Johnson Central= 4A State Champs
Newport Catholic= 2A Powerhouse and had nice size
Harlan County= Not a great 5A School but great size for a High School team
Russell= Great size, quality 3A School
Corbin= Not great size but a great 3A team
Warrensville Heights, OH= Team from Cleveland, OH, great size, just poorly coached.
Say what you want about KY Football...Belfry plays as tough as a schedule as you will find outside of teams like Trinity and St. Xavier and Dotson thrived. This isn't a kid playing a bunch of bad football teams. Obviously he isn't playing for Miami Central taking on all these South Florida powerhouses, but the level of competition and size he was facing is well above average for a lot of these recruits you see.
No running clock on Johnson Central this year. That game was a war with Belfry winning on the road by a TD...
I much prefer a 3 star from a high school in Kentucky, especially a lineman, then a 3 star from another state. A Kentucky kid has family and friends watching him, everyone in his hometown knows he's going to UK, especially if he's from Eastern Kentucky, and the last thing he wants is to let his family and friends down. The weight of his hometown is on his shoulders. Think about it, if you did something that not many from your hometown had done, would you want to fail. I know I didn't. Failure when I went to pilot training in the Air Force was not an option, but it was for 42% of my class. I think it's the same with kids from a small town in Kentucky.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
no I didn't mean that- I was there for it - I meant running clock in State Championship game FOR JC
While what you say may be true regarding Kentucky pride - there is little doubt a Kentucky 3 star would only be a 2 star or less in states like Georgia and Florida. The competition is just that stark in difference.
Offer sheets are normally the best indicator of talent. But Austin Dotson is in a different situation for 2 reasons. He committed to us last March, and he hasn't attended any regional combines. For both of those reasons, his offer sheet is not an indicator of his talent, and his stars might not be either.