Mikkel Skinner Believes in Vince Marrow

Mikkel Skinner with Vince Marrow. (UK Athletics Photo)

Mikkel Skinner saw and heard the speculation about new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick pursuing Kentucky associate coach Vince Marrow. While the recent UK football signee admits he “got a little worried,” he never stressed out

“I knew Coach (Marrow) would tell me before I signed if he was going to do that,” Skinner said. “I would have gone where he went. That’s why I knew he would tell me if he was leaving.”

The 6-4, 220-pound Skinner was ranked as the No. player in South Carolina by 247Sports and No. 11 tight end in the country. Marrow said Skinner is the best tight end prospect he’s ever signed.

Skinner was originally committed to Cincinnati because he always played running back until his sophomore year.

“I could always run and had great hands. I was smaller and kind of heavy wet when I was younger. As I got taller and bigger, the coaches moved me around,” Skinner said.

He played running back, receiver, quarterback and defensive end at Riverside High School.

“There were certain situations where I played quarterback. I can throw the ball but it was mainly as a power runner,” he said. “I was committed to Cincinnati and then was looking at West Virginia. Somebody told me about Kentucky.

“South Carolina kind of pushed me the wrong way when they didn’t offer me earlier. I was a running back so Vince didn’t know a lot about me. When I switched positions and he saw my film, he offered. I visited Kentucky as a running back and really was not feeling it.When I visited again, Vince really got on me.”

The consensus four-star recruit caught 44 passes for 651 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior and also ran for 588 yards and five scores on 68 carries — an average 9f 8.6 yards per run. AS a senior, he caught 44 passes for 819 yards and 12 scores and ran 31 times for 321 yards — almost 10 yards per try — and six scores. He also had 12 tackles and five sacks in 2024.

In one playoff game this year, he ran for 137 yards and four scores and had three quarterback hurries and two sacks in limited defensive play.

“I feel great. I am ready to get there and get to work,” Skinner,  who picked UK over Georgia, Ohio State and South Carolina, said. “I know I need to transform my body but more than anything I just want to get to my new home.

“I want to see what Big Blue Nation is all about. Coach Marrow is a big part of why I am going there but I also love the city, the coaching staff and my teammates.”

What is there about Marrow that Skinner likes so much?

“Just his plan and how he sees people. He speaks and believes in my talent and thinks a lot of me,” the UK signee said. “I am versatile and can help the team in a lot of ways. He likes that. He also likes that I stand up for what I want and we both believe I can come in and help the team next year.”

Unlike most recent UK signees, Skinner will wait until June before he arrives at basketball. Not only is he a track standout — he ran the 200-meter dash in 23.7 seconds last season — but he’s also a basketball player. He helped his team reach the South Carolina AAAA state title game in 2023 and had 11 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks in the state semifinals.

“I am a smaller big but I am aggressive and have the mindset of a guard,” Skinner said. “Playing basketball does help me work on my footwork and helps my speed for football.”