Camp Report: Arvell Reese highlights Sunday Showcase
After a big-time official visit recruiting weekend, the Kentucky football staff quickly turned around and got ready for a huge recruiting camp on Sunday. With hundreds of high school athletes in attendance, there was a lot to unpack at Kroger Field as the Wildcats work on future roster-building while creating relationships in the summer.
KSR was on the scene again and is here again to provide a full report for the June event that saw some promising 2023 recruits competing along with some good-looking future talent.
Arvell Reese was a top priority
After hosting a bunch of kids from the Orlando area and Tennessee over the last couple of campus, the Wildcats had a new big group arrive on Sunday. Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville rolled onto the University of Kentucky campus, and their star 2023 linebacker got the red carpet treatment.
Arvell Reese is the No. 352 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Long considered an Ohio State lean, this recruitment appears to be wide open.
Kentucky attempted to make a big impression on Sunday.
Arvell Reese was spotted riding in a golf cart speaking with both head coach Mark Stoops and recruiting ace Vince Marrow. Later on, defensive coordinator Brad White was spotted coaching up the talented four-star prospect during one-on-one drills.
The top-10 player in Ohio also worked with linebackers coach Mike Stoops and showed off his pass-rushing arsenal as an edge rusher. Reese flashed quickness off the line teamed with the ability to cross the face of tackles with suddenness. There is real twitchiness here to go with some bend and a frame to grow into.
Arvell Reese is a big-time prospect who could play multiple defensive positions at the next level. The linebacker is a target for Ohio State and recently heard from Alabama. Kentucky is hoping to have made a move on Sunday as the program hosted the talented prospect for an unofficial visit for the third time since March.
There is work to be done, but Kentucky is putting itself in a good place to get an official visit from Reese down the road.
Two prominent QB targets do not camp
As of now, it looks like Kentucky will not add a quarterback to the 2023 recruiting class. With Rich Scangarello taking over late, expect the Wildcats to address the position in the transfer portal after the season. Now all eyes are on finding a quarterback in the class of 2024.
Both Danny O’Neil and Dante Reno have emerged as premium targets for Kentucky. Both were expected on campus this weekend. Neither was there on Sunday.
O’Neil swung by Kentucky for the second time this offseason over the weekend but did a double-dip visit taking in both Louisville and Kentucky before heading out of town on Saturday night. Reno was scheduled to appear, but that did not happen.
O’Neil still feels like a major target for Kentucky, and we should expect Kentucky to continue its heavy pursuit of the Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral quarterback. However, all buzz for Reno seems to be trending to South Carolina. After not making it to Kentucky in the spring or summer, I will be putting an RPM pick on Reno for the Gamecocks as Shane Beamer’s program seems to have all of the buzz.
For the second summer in a row, Kentucky hosted Pleasant Grove (Ala.) high quarterback Eric Handley for a visit. However, sources tell KSR that the rising junior does not have a committable scholarship offer at this time from the Wildcats.
There is still a lot of work to be done for Scangarello as the summer progresses. Kentucky appears to be close to all-in on O’Neil, but some other targets will need to start to emerge. Expect that to begin to happen soon.
Top in-state prospect camps
William “Woo” Spencer is currently the top-ranked Kentucky player in the class of 2023. The Louisville (Ky.) Male offensive line prospect is the No. 350 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. The four-star recruit was a full go at camp.
Spencer got reps at both guard and tackle flashing a great punch on pass reps to go with a strong competitive spirit as the prospect was willing to play multiple positions and face off against the best pass rushers at camp.
The line of scrimmage prospect will be a major target to watch as this recruiting class develops.
Another Couch is on the loose
A familiar face was present at Kentucky on Sunday, but legendary quarterback Tim Couch was not seen watching quarterbacks. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft and Heisman Trophy finalist could be found watching his son work against offensive tackles as an edge rusher.
Chase Couch is a class of 2024 prospect at Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy who currently has an offer from EKU. The edge prospect appears to have a good frame between 6-3 and 6-4 that should be able to hold some good weight.
In drills, Couch flashed a speed rush arsenal that was highlighted by an inside spin that allowed him to record a few pass rush wins. Keep him on your radar as the legacy recruit could blow up as there appear to perhaps be some real traits there.
Kaden Moorman has an elite jersey game
Frankfort (Ky.) Franklin County tailback Kaden Moorman camped at Kentucky last summer and that led to the 2023 prospect earning an offer from the Wildcats. Shortly after, Moorman committed to the program and has been steadfast with that verbal pledge ever since.
While not camping, Moorman showed up at camp on Sunday and was seen chatting with numerous coaches and sporting an all-time great NBA throwback jersey.
The outspoken commit on social media is often seen supporting the program and that was evident again on Sunday at Kroger Field.
Luckett’s Scouting Notebook
- There was another quarterback in attendance that is worth mentioning. Piedmont (S.C.) Wren quarterback Gavin Owens is a class of 2025 prospect who currently owns a Virginia Tech offer with recent visits to Florida State and Louisville since April. The left-handed passer is a smooth-looking player that stands around 6-foot-4. Cutter Boley is another player of note in 2025, but Owens is another prospect to monitor.
- Fairfield (Ala.) Preparatory School lineman Adrian Griffin camped at Kentucky last summer and immediately earned an offer. Since then, Griffin took an unofficial visit to Lexington for a game in the fall and again in April. The class of 2023 prospect was back again and worked out at both center and guard for offensive line coach Zach Yenser. It is unclear if Griffin is a take for the Wildcats yet, but the three-star prospect is certainly on the radar.
- Kylan Fox is a top-200 prospect in the class of 2024, and the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson product was in Lexington but did not participate in the camp. However, Fox was seen chatting with both Brad White and Arvell Reese as it seems Kentucky likes him on the edge. This will be a national recruit, but Kentucky is working on building an early relationship.
- With a camp with this many attendees, some smaller schools in the area will come to scout prospects. EKU head coach Walt Wells and multiple staffers were in attendance along with UT Martin and Georgetown (Ky.) College. Kentucky was not the only program recruiting on Sunday.
That’s all I’ve got for that. KSR will be back at the football facility on Monday to cover yet another recruiting camp. Stay tuned for coverage.
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