Jones flipping shouldn't surprise Cats fans

[UKErik]

In a thread a couple of weeks ago, a few of you wore me out for saying that I'd be surprised if Jones ends up at Kentucky. I have no idea why people thought he'd actually make it.

I don't think it necessarily reflects badly on Mark Stoops either. Beating out Alabama for football players is tough to do, ESPECIALLY if the kid isn't from Kentucky. Hell, beating out Alabama AT ALL is difficult. Saban pretty much "selects" his football team.

Bigger picture, this is why I pay recruiting almost zero attention until mid-January. These early verbals essentially worthless.

GBB!!!

 

[BigBlueTuckian]

Surpised, no. Just utterly disappointed. Things need to change for this program.

 

[MountainDoc]

Shutting it down and getting married to stoops means... Bama commit? Football recruiting is so ridiculous compared to basketball. There's no commitment to a commit.

 

[akaukswoosh]

I hate it. Only positive I can see is that at least he didn't wait till much later to do this.

 

[Dallas-Wild]

It just bothers me how recruits lie to coaches.

No doubt coaches will lie to recruits just a nasty game that has no honor.

 

[sluggercatfan]

In a thread a couple of weeks ago, a few of you wore me out for saying that I'd be surprised if Jones ends up at Kentucky. I have no idea why people thought he'd actually make it.

I don't think it necessarily reflects badly on Mark Stoops either. Beating out Alabama for football players is tough to do, ESPECIALLY if the kid isn't from Kentucky. Hell, beating out Alabama AT ALL is difficult. Saban pretty much "selects" his football team.

Bigger picture, this is why I pay recruiting almost zero attention until mid-January. These early verbals essentially worthless.

GBB!!!

Erik...saw somewhere today that in the 8-9 years that NS has been at Bama they have signed 13 qbs...TWO of them have been starters making this a big gamble for Jones

 

[TBCat]

Erik...saw somewhere today that in the 8-9 years that NS has been at Bama they have signed 13 qbs...TWO of them have been starters making this a big gamble for Jones

Yep. That's why people should stop bashing the kid. It's never over until the ink dries. Jones was a big get for us but Bama will probably have recruited over him by the weekend.

 

[lex cath]

Don't know if the pressure from the other guys from the elite 11 had anything to do with it but when you're in that type company and everyone is saying why you going there ? Just a thought

 

[willievic]

He's not the only QB out there. I'm sure Stoops has other QB's in mind that he is recruiting. The sky is not falling, and we will get a good QB, possibly one that is as good or better then him.
Let's wait and see what he does at Bama.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[TheBigBlueSpectacle]

Personal opinion, but isn't it more critical to get a Qb of this caliber in about two years than now?

 

[BigBlueTuckian]

He's not the only QB out there. I'm sure Stoops has other QB's in mind that he is recruiting. The sky is not falling, and we will get a good QB, possibly one that is as good or better then him.
Let's wait and see what he does at Bama.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

I know we as UK fans like to think our players are the very best, but this statement is nothing but sunshine pumping. Objectively speaking, in order to get a player as good or better than Jones, we need another Elite 11 QB. None of this "he's a diamond in the rough, just wait and see" nonsense. Sorry, but don't see that happening. Would be extremely difficult to land another Elite 11 QB in 2017.

 

[Kooky Kats_anon]

...and Alabama is QB U with all the NFL QBs they have selected in the er uh first roun... Uh.

Stabler, Namath and a box of rocks.

 

[Kooky Kats_anon]

I know the classy thing is to wish him luck and all. But, eff him.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Erik...saw somewhere today that in the 8-9 years that NS has been at Bama they have signed 13 qbs...TWO of them have been starters making this a big gamble for Jones

I was actually looking at the signing classes for Alabama a while back and noticed that they signed a good number of them. 7 of those guys were 4 star kids. They have 4 QBs on their roster right now and all 4 of them are 4 star players. I don't believe any of them have started a game. 3 of 4 were top 10 at their position.

 

[KumarCat]

I think we're kidding ourselves if we say this doesn't negatively reflect on Stoops. The only thing he's done so far is recruit well. Losing the best kids and football games will not get it done. If he's not making bowl games he better be steadily improving talent. If the talent stays where it's at, which is better than it was, then Stoops is a 5-7 to 6-6 coach. That won't fill the stadium for long.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Personal opinion, but isn't it more critical to get a Qb of this caliber in about two years than now?

I don't think so. You want a quarterback every year, and if you can take the best one every year you will do it because it seems to be one of the hardest positions to recruit. Barker will be a redshirt sophomore this year (2016). The perfect thing about this timing would be that you could redshirt Jones during Barker's redshirt junior year (2017) and then you could have redshirt freshman Jones be Barker's backup in 2018 in order to get some experience. Then he'd have three full seasons as the starter. That is the most ideal situation. If you wait two years then you can't redshirt the quarterback and they would have no experience.

 

[TheBigBlueSpectacle]

I don't think so. You want a quarterback every year, and if you can take the best one every year you will do it because it seems to be one of the hardest positions to recruit. Barker will be a redshirt sophomore this year (2016). The perfect thing about this timing would be that you could redshirt Jones during Barker's redshirt junior year (2017) and then you could have redshirt freshman Jones be Barker's backup in 2018 in order to get some experience. Then he'd have three full seasons as the starter. That is the most ideal situation. If you wait two years then you can't redshirt the quarterback and they would have no experience.

But we also have Hoak

 

[lex cath]

I wonder if Dawson talked with him ......

 

[sluggercatfan]

I wonder if Dawson talked with him ......

First thing I thought about

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

I wonder if Dawson talked with him ......

Jones said that he still talks with him all the time for advice and such.

 

[ulismyman]

I guess we are just gonna assume this kid is great??? Let the cake bake

 

[mebeblue2]

once he started lighting up the camps, it was only a matter of time before he flipped somewhere
as the OP stated, this should not come as a surprise

 

[DaBossIsBack]

Personal opinion, but isn't it more critical to get a Qb of this caliber in about two years than now?

 

[jauk11]

Has he even made the Elite 22 already, let alone the Elite 11. I haven't heard about the competition, it was a big deal with Towles, didn't Towles just miss the Elite 11, i think I read where he was 12th? Didn't he have all the tools to be a big star? Don't we have a higher ranked QB than him starting for us this year, a 5.9 to his 5.8, at least for now, and didn't Hoak look very good in the spring game? He is still only about 180# isn't he, didn't Hartline have an awful time gaining weight, and he was 6' 6", who knows how long he will last as far as that goes.

There are still plenty of fish in the sea, a lot of emerging talent, and we aren't hurting right now, win a few games with our emerging talent and next time we will hold on to our coaches early find. I expect a very good offense this year,10 of 11 starters plus almost all of the backups returning, more redshirt talent, with a new 5.9 and 6.1 to fill the one hole.

 

[seccats04]

Screw his skinny ***. Bama has already recruited over him as they have another 4 star QB committed that is the 3rd ranked Dual QB.

 

[Oldtrainer_rivals]

No surprise for me but yes disappointed. What I know, His recruitment was ex coach Danson! Most all high school player particular Southern players are flattered to get Bama offers.
I was impressed with Gunner Hoak spring game and barring injuries to others qbs. he will be red-shirted! Course I'm partial to lineman hope we beat out Bama for Jedrick!

 

[vhcat70]

I have no idea why people thought he'd actually make it.....

GBB!!!

I only believed it because he said he was married to Stoops. Guess I should stop believing what people say.

 

[Blue Decade]

In a thread a couple of weeks ago, a few of you wore me out for saying that I'd be surprised if Jones ends up at Kentucky. I have no idea why people thought he'd actually make it.

I don't think it necessarily reflects badly on Mark Stoops either. Beating out Alabama for football players is tough to do, ESPECIALLY if the kid isn't from Kentucky. Hell, beating out Alabama AT ALL is difficult. Saban pretty much "selects" his football team.

Bigger picture, this is why I pay recruiting almost zero attention until mid-January. These early verbals essentially worthless.

GBB!!!

Lots to discuss there. Kentucky beats Alabama for football players more often than you think. Kengera Daniel, Kendall Randolph, Tate Leavitt, Matt Elam, Drake Jackson, Landon Young had Alabama scholarship offers. Daniel, Randolph, Leavitt are not from Kentucky. Early commitments are obviously not worthless. Boom Williams, Drew Barker, CJ Conrad, Benny Snell, Jordan Griffin, Davonte Robinson, Roland Walder were early commitments. Nobody should be surprised when college recruits decommit. Every program has decommitments, almost every year. Decommitments happen with early commitments like Mac Jones, and also happen with late commitments like Tyrone Riley and Jason Strowbridge. People change their minds. That's human nature. That's why this shouldn't reflect badly on Mark Stoops. But it presents Stoops with the biggest challenge of his time in Lexington. Eddie Gran's prostyle offense needs a productive quarterback. If you count Walker Wood, Kentucky has 4 quarterbacks left. To me, Wood looks like a safety. I don't believe he is an SEC quarterback. Steve Johnson will graduate in 2017, then Drew Barker in 2018. Gunnar Hoak is a decent player. But for Stoops and Gran to be successful, they must sign a quarterback as good or better than Hoak in every recruiting class. It doesn't have to be Mac Jones, but it must be a quarterback who can move the chains in Gran's offense against good SEC defenses. If not for Mac Jones, I doubt Javonte Richardson would have committed to Kentucky. This has to affect Richardson's thinking, so I am concerned about losing Richardson now. Also worried how Jones' decommitment will affect Jedrick Wills' thinking. Now Stoops needs another legitimate SEC quarterback commitment in this class. This is where Coach Hinshaw earns his money. Without Hinshaw here to evaluate options and convince an uncommitted quarterback, this would be worse. Now we will see what he can do with 8 months to work a major recruiting problem. Big test for our staff.

 

[Comebakatz3]

But we also have Hoak

Yes and that is great. Ideally the two of them would compete for the starting spot once Barker graduated. However, you don't want to rely on just one. You need others there for injuries and because quarterback is a position where kids often don't live up to their billing. It's great we have Hoak and he may be the next Couch, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying to get quarterbacks for the future.

 

[JHB4UK]

Erik...saw somewhere today that in the 8-9 years that NS has been at Bama they have signed 13 qbs...TWO of them have been starters making this a big gamble for Jones

Not a gamble if his priority is to sit back & watch a bunch of winning football games while wearing a crisp clean never dirtied in game action jersey. If he doesnt want the tough climbing that is playing football at UK or some other lesser program where he would be expected to perform then he took the absolute safest pick possible.

Don't know if the pressure from the other guys from the elite 11 had anything to do with it but when you're in that type company and everyone is saying why you going there ? Just a thought

Bama has a QB commit in the same class who vastly outperformed Jones just this past weekend. What, did Tua Tagovailoa convince him to come be his coffee holder?

I know we as UK fans like to think our players are the very best, but this statement is nothing but sunshine pumping. Objectively speaking, in order to get a player as good or better than Jones, we need another Elite 11 QB. None of this "he's a diamond in the rough, just wait and see" nonsense. Sorry, but don't see that happening. Would be extremely difficult to land another Elite 11 QB in 2017.

Look up the top drafted quarterbacks the last few years & see how many were Elite 11 finalists

Oh, wait, we already have a QB on our roster who finished higher in the Elite 11 competition than Jones did. His name is Drew Barker. Probably news to you ain't it, basketball-only fan?

 

[fromthe25ydline]

Quite possibly, in another few years, there will be texts sent to Berea and Jacksonville stating," I can't get enough reps in practice to prove myself and win a starting position". Signing with Alabama may be glorious, but the pressure to perform will be immense. Saban hosts the very best HS football produces every year and he signs them to play, not hold a clipboard.

 

[CatsFanGG24]

Our offensive staff offered Walker Wood while at UC, so he is someone they really like. He is the type of guy who usually give our defenses trouble...maybe he can flip that around and do it for us in a few years.

 

[Blue Decade]

But we also have Hoak

Gunnar Hoak has a real chance. Big frame, accurate, leadership skills. As an SEC team, we need a quarterback as good or better than Hoak in every recruiting class. Every year, Stoops must sign a potential future starting quarterback. It doesn't have to be Mac Jones, but it must be a skilled quarterback who can move the chains against good SEC defenses. Right now, some people are acting like crybabies because Jones decommitted. They forget that Kentucky had Babe Parilli, Bill Ransdell, Tim Couch, Jared Lorenzen, Andre Woodson. Developing good quarterbacks is not new for Kentucky, and Coach Hinshaw should be a big advantage in that department. But Hinshaw has his work cut out for him because most of the better quarterbacks in the 2017 class are already committed now.

 

[Mr Schwump]

I've always maintained that re football UK's in a classic Catch-22 situation...got to get good players to win, got to win to get good players.

 

[BigBlueTuckian]

Not a gamble if his priority is to sit back & watch a bunch of winning football games while wearing a crisp clean never dirtied in game action jersey. If he doesnt want the tough climbing that is playing football at UK or some other lesser program where he would be expected to perform then he took the absolute safest pick possible.


Bama has a QB commit in the same class who vastly outperformed Jones just this past weekend. What, did Tua Tagovailoa convince him to come be his coffee holder?


Look up the top drafted quarterbacks the last few years & see how many were Elite 11 finalists

Oh, wait, we already have a QB on our roster who finished higher in the Elite 11 competition than Jones did. His name is Drew Barker. Probably news to you ain't it, basketball-only fan?

How does having Barker on the roster fill the need to land a top QB in THIS class? If Barker is so good why was he behind Towles? A good QB is needed in each and every signing class.

 

[Blue Decade]

Our offensive staff offered Walker Wood while at UC, so he is someone they really like. He is the type of guy who usually give our defenses trouble...maybe he can flip that around and do it for us in a few years.

I have seen Walker Wood play, and he has some good athletic tools. He runs pretty well, and has a strong, durable body. Wood was offered by Kentucky as an athlete, not as a quarterback. Wood will be redshirted, and might run the scout team offense in 2017. But Wood does not have an SEC arm. To me, he looks like a safety and a special teams player. He has the heart and mental toughness of a defensive player.

 

[CatsFanGG24]

I have seen Walker Wood play, and he has some good athletic tools. He runs pretty well, and has a strong, durable body. Wood was offered by Kentucky as an athlete, not as a quarterback. Wood will be redshirted, and might run the scout team offense in 2017. But Wood does not have an SEC arm. To me, he looks like a safety and a special teams player. He has the heart and mental toughness of a defensive player.

I said the offensive staff offered him at UC as a QB. Gran + Hinshaw.

He was offered by UK as an athlete who will get the chance to play QB to start.

 

[Blue Decade]

How does having Barker on the roster fill the need to land a top QB in THIS class?

It doesn't. Barker will graduate in 2018. A quarterback who signs in this class will be a redshirt freshman in 2018. Stoops and Gran must sign an SEC level quarterback in each and every class.

 

[Blue Decade]

I said the offensive staff offered him at UC as a QB. Gran + Hinshaw.

He was offered by UK as an athlete who will get the chance to play QB to start.

Like many players signed by Stoops, Wood will receive a brief chance to play the position of his dreams, He might even quarterback the scout team in 2017, if another quarterback isn't signed. But Wood is not an SEC quarterback. When Gran was recruiting Wood at Cincinnati, he was not recruiting SEC players, and we don't know what Tuberville's real intensions were for Wood. Wood does not have an SEC arm, but he does have some real athletic talent. Let's just see where Wood ends up playing.

 

[cantmissprospect]

Trust in Stoops- he has a plan B and C I'm sure.