KSR Today: One Week till the Early Signing Period

Seven more days of recruiting. It’s going to be a sprint to the finish line for the Kentucky football program as the Wildcats prepare prospects to sign on the dotted line when the Early Signing Period begins Dec. 21. Mark Stoops was on the road Tuesday — or in the air, I should say — to meet with recruits as Kentucky enters the homestretch.

The transfer portal has taken up much of the oxygen during a time typically reserved for high school football recruiting. While adding players from the portal is an important temporary fix, programs are built by exceptional signing classes. Kentucky’s 15-man 2023 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 33 in the On3 Consensus. Today KSR will shine a light on who may join the fold in the final days of the recruiting period to potentially move the Cats up the pecking order. It’s a sprint to the finish line. Buckle up, BBN.

Earlier than the Early Signing Period

This year’s calendar forced a few players to call audibles. Most school’s are not in session next week. In order to still have a traditional signing day ceremony at their high school, a couple of Kentucky kids “signed” early. Boyle County held a ceremony for DL Tommy Ziesmer on Tuesday. Ty Bryant will have a similar ceremony at Frederick Douglass this afternoon. Symbolic gestures, Kentucky will not be able to officially comment until the faxes are sent next Wednesday to finalize their UK commitment.

A day in the spotlight for @tommy_ziesmer and @BCRebelFootball pic.twitter.com/m6MEFCs1za

— Big Rebel Nation (@BRNNews2223) December 13, 2022

CJ Blocker Commits to Utah

Scratch one off the Big Board. CJ Blocker officially visited Kentucky over the weekend. Upon returning home, the four-star cornerback received some clarity. The Top 300 athlete from Houston decided to re-commit to Utah, spurning late advances from Kentucky, TCU and Oklahoma, his father’s alma mater. The late effort was worth it for the Wildcats, even if it did not pay any dividends.

Transfer Portal Happenings

Kentucky’s next quarterback may be on campus as we speak. N.C. State’s Devin Leary is in town, taking his first visit while in the transfer portal. If all goes well between the Wildcats and the top-ranked transfer portal quarterback, maybe we’ll hear some good news before the weekend. Now the waiting game begins.

Meanwhile, another new target emerged. Ohio State defensive back Jantzen Dunn entered the transfer portal. A top 200 player in America in the 2021 recruiting class, the Bowling Green native was the second-ranked player from the state of Kentucky. After dealing with injuries in Columbus, a fresh start in his home state might be just what the doctor ordered.

In-Home Visits Ahead of Early Signing Period

Kentucky’s coaching staff is making the most of their final few days on the road. Tuesday night Mark Stoops was joined by Scott Woodward and Vince Marrow in Springfield, Oh. to meet with wide receiver commit Anthony Brown. The shifty slot posted some crazy numbers in 2022.

BBN!! @vincemarrow @UKCoachStoops @CoachWoody7 pic.twitter.com/iuT9NzmLlB

— Anthony Brown (@anthonybrownn_) December 14, 2022

Will Levis on Pin It Deep

Kentucky’s QB1 hung out with Max Duffy and Miles Butler Tuesday night on KSR’s YouTube Channel. Will Levis reminisced on his past and looks ahead to the future as Kentucky prepares for life with a new offensive coordinator and quarterback under center.

Coming Soon to the KSR YouTube Channel

Tuesday night Drew Franklin, Adam Luckett and I put our heads together to preview Bowl Season. That’s right, bowl games begin Friday morning with the Bahamas Bowl, followed by Jon Sumrall’s Troy team against C-USA Champs UTSA. Its arrival is being embraced with arms wide open as we prepare you with 30 minutes of picks, games to watch and much, much more. In addition to today’s Bowl Season preview, 11 Personnel will have you covered on the latest from the recruiting and transfer portal wire.

Not feeling in a football mood? Jack Pilgrim and Zack Geoghegan delivered some more basketball discussion on Tuesday night’s edition of Sources Say.

Alabama Squeaks by Memphis

Fresh off a win over No. 1 Houston, Nate Oats’ squad faced a tough test at home. The Crimson Tide had to grind out a physical contest in a 91-88 win. Both teams looked impressive in the tightly contested early season battle. If you’re looking for more quality college basketball action, you will not find it at the Yum! Center. Tonight Louisville could lose its second home game to an instate foe when they host Western Kentucky at 9 pm EST on ESPN2. You can also scout Kentucky’s next opponent. No. 16 UCLA plays at No. 20 Maryland at 9 pm EST on FS1.

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