Previewing Kentucky's 2019 Football Recruiting Season Finale

The weekend before signing day has traditionally been the Kentucky football program’s marquee recruiting event.  As the rules changed, so has the event, but there are still plenty of talented recruits in Lexington for official visits.

This weekend KSR expects about ten 2019 recruits to be on campus.  Before the early signing period was adopted in 2017, at least ten commitments would wait to take their official visit on the final weekend of the recruiting calendar year.  Since signing day has moved up, the official visits have as well.

“We have more kids on campus for in-season games and that’s always good and bad,” Mark Stoops said last week.  “It’s nice to be able to fly parents in and the prospects in and spend time with them and see the game day atmosphere and be around here. That’s good, but it’s tough on us coaches also because our attention is on winning that game until the game is over.”

Even though the majority of the 2019 class already elected to officially visit for a game day, Stoops will still see quite a few commitments this weekend.

Three committed players from the state of Florida will be in Lexington for official visits — offensive tackle Jake Pope, wide receiver DeMarcus Harris and quarterback Nik Scalzo.  Before hopping on a flight to Lexington, the rehabbing quarterback hosted his coaches for an in-home visit earlier this week.

Great home visit on Tuesday! OV this weekend! Look out for a couple key commits this weekend👀🔵⚪️🔵⚪️ #BBN pic.twitter.com/kmy4EnbC67

— Nik Scalzo (@NikScalzo) December 14, 2018

Scalzo will not be the only quarterback in town.  Fresh off a six-touchdown state championship performance, Amani Gilmore will officially visit UK with his four-star teammate, Devonta Lee.  A Top 100 wide receiver, Kentucky will use an early playing time pitch to try to persuade him from leaving his home state.  LSU is the perceived favorite for Lee.  He’ll officially visit Baton Rouge in January before signing in February.

Lee is one of three uncommitted prospects expected to officially visit this weekend.  The other two are cornerbacks, Jammie Robinson and Taj Dodson.  Dodson is a three-star prospect from Georgia with offers from Baylor, Iowa State, Ole Miss and others.  Robinson is the four-star target who wore UK gloves during his state championship victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.  South Carolina is UK’s top competition; Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and Michigan are also in the mix.

Vince Marrow’s top task at hand is keeping Cavon Butler in the fold.  The Toledo defensive tackle has been committed to Kentucky since August, but Ohio State has tried to change that.  Butler visited Columbus a few times, including an official visit for the blowout of Michigan.  However, the talented interior defensive lineman has remained loyal.  Kentucky can seal the deal this weekend before he puts pen to paper in a signing ceremony on Wednesday.

Two other UK commits from Georgia, Travis Tisdale and KD McDaniel, could also make the trip for an official visit.  As of now that remains unclear.  It is clear that this weekend could take Kentucky’s class to another level.  We’ll find out shortly if Stoops, Marrow and Co. can create last-minute momentum before December 19.

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