Players like Barion Brown who can make plays excite UK coaches when they are looking for recruits. (UK Athletics Photo)
How important are measurable when it comes to football recruiting? What if a player doesn’t have the size UK thinks is necessary to play in the SEC but yet is a terrific player?
“We definitely have a checklist. Defensively we have ideal linemen we are looking for,” UK defensive line coach Anwar Stewart said. “We are looking for a guy who is 6-4, tall, athletic and has a certain wingspan. You don’t want to have short armed 6-2 guys that are not very explosive and powerful. That does not spell success in the SEC.
“Offensively I am sure they have what they are looking for. It’s not about the recruiting stars (in a player’s ranking), but how they look on film. Do they play with passion, finish blocks,? Are they driving off guys?”
Stewart says not every five-star player fits what Kentucky wants in a player.
“We don’t get excited about five stars. We get excited about guys who can make plays for us,” Stewart said.
There are exceptions, though. Stewart says former UK defensive standout Josh Paschal was about 6-2 3/4 and didn’t have a long wingspan.
“But he was very powerful and had a great twitch. Those guys are the exception,” Stewart said. “If a guy does not meet certain criteria, he’s got to have an exceptional skills set. You want to have those types of guys but they have got to pop on film and Josh did and also had an exceptional work ethic. He didn’t meet all the measurables but his work ethic and passion made up for a lot of things and he was also a great leader.”
