Yes. Played at Evarts. Went to Lees-McRae out of HS and later to Union.

Scott Russell was a Mr. Football that had the mountain folk wondering why UK didn't offer him.

 

Yes! When they ignored him, I was very upset. They needed a good RB at that time.... I believe Fugate would fit very well with the Cats. Oh well....

Scott Russell was a Mr. Football that had the mountain folk wondering why UK didn't offer him.

 

How big was Russell?

 

He wasn't 6'2 or 6'3 and 220+.

 

That's why UK (or any other major college) didn't take Russell and people who know a lot about college football knew that.

 

As for a guy like Montrell Jones...it happens. Sometimes elite talents don't pan out for whatever reason...that doesn't mean you don't recruit them.

UK never got in period, or else he would've signed with the Cats. I'm pretty sure that is where he wanted to go.

 

I don't know if Fugate would have chose UK or not, but they'd have had a shot at him if they'd shown some interest. That's what irks me.

 

Sometimes great in-state players simply choose someone else over UK. I can live with that. But, for a guy from EKY to get a scholly at UT and hardly receive interest from UK is crazy.

 

As for his position, he's an athlete with size...UK could have used him somewhere.

 

In any case, glad to see him heading to a school like Tennessee. I hope he does well there. If he keeps the right attitude and work ethic, I think he'll be a good one for them. I hope so anyway.

How big was Russell?

 

He wasn't 6'2 or 6'3 and 220+.

That's why UK (or any other major college) didn't take Russell and people who know a lot about college football knew that.

 

As for a guy like Montrell Jones...it happens. Sometimes elite talents don't pan out for whatever reason...that doesn't mean you don't recruit them.

 

True. Probably 5'10" 190ish, but pound for pound the toughest HS RB I have ever seen!

 

He may not have been a RB with UK, but could have made a contribution. Same thing with Mr. Fugate. It just kills me that UK will not pay attention to the in-state phenoms.

The difference in Fugate and Russell is Fugate had a few other BCS division 1 offers. Russell's best offer was Lee's McCray?

 

Hard to fault UK for not offering when nobody else is offering Russell.

 

Now Fugate is a different story. He had D1 offers from schools with higher football pedigree's than UK yet UK doesn't offer. It isn't the first time this scenario has happend to an in-state player.

I'm not knocking Russell. He was a great, great high school football player. But, people have to realize that to play at the D-1 level (which includes UK), you have to have the size to compete. If you're undersized, then you typically need insane speed to draw intersest, and even that is no guarantee.

 

That's all I'm getting at with Fugate. Often the best high school players in KY (and particularly EKY) don't have the size to be serious prospects for major colleges. At 6'2 or 3 and 220 pounds (no stretching on those numbers), Fugate had the size. Its inexcusable, IMO, for the University of Kentucky not to make a better effort at a kid like that in their back yard.

 

If they recruit him and he chooses to go elsewhere, I'm fine with that. But, not seriously recruiting him is a bad decision.

 

Maybe Fugate will never see the field in the SEC and UK will get vindicated on this one...but, its not just this one guy. I think UK could improve their football program by keeping the top players in the state. KY isn't a hotbed for football recruits, but they do produce some good ones and UK needs to get those players. Louisville's recent tremendous run was heavily fueled by landing some in-state, and in their case in-city, studs. How good would U of L have been had Brohm and Bush gone elsewhere?

 

Anyway, its over and done with now. I hope Fugate does well at UT. I never thought I'd see a Breathitt County football player get a full ride to a school like Tennessee.

I'm not knocking Russell. He was a great, great high school football player. But, people have to realize that to play at the D-1 level (which includes UK), you have to have the size to compete. If you're undersized, then you typically need insane speed to draw intersest, and even that is no guarantee.

 

That's all I'm getting at with Fugate. Often the best high school players in KY (and particularly EKY) don't have the size to be serious prospects for major colleges. At 6'2 or 3 and 220 pounds (no stretching on those numbers), Fugate had the size. Its inexcusable, IMO, for the University of Kentucky not to make a better effort at a kid like that in their back yard.

 

If they recruit him and he chooses to go elsewhere, I'm fine with that. But, not seriously recruiting him is a bad decision.

 

Maybe Fugate will never see the field in the SEC and UK will get vindicated on this one...but, its not just this one guy. I think UK could improve their football program by keeping the top players in the state. KY isn't a hotbed for football recruits, but they do produce some good ones and UK needs to get those players. Louisville's recent tremendous run was heavily fueled by landing some in-state, and in their case in-city, studs. How good would U of L have been had Brohm and Bush gone elsewhere?

 

Anyway, its over and done with now. I hope Fugate does well at UT. I never thought I'd see a Breathitt County football player get a full ride to a school like Tennessee.

I'm not knocking Fugate but Bush and Brohm were both on the national radar as far as recruiting goes and play on Sundays now. I think Fugate is more in the Beaumont and Heyman class.

 

I can understand where fans are coming from as far as recruiting EKY goes. Other than David Jones, who was recruited for defense, UK doesn't go after many EKY skill kids. Couch, Jones. Anyone else?

 

The bottom line is this. We don't know what the recruiting war room looks like at UK, UL, or anywhere else. We dont know what the coaches feel are strong needs. We dont know how many silent verbals they have from other juniors. In recent years, UK has gobbled up recruits early and had very little wiggle room later in the season when other players either back out of a committment or someone decides to transfer. This year, UK appears to be taking a more back-ended approach and waiting longer in the process. You havent heard much about their 2010 recruiting class.

 

We just don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes when it comes to big-time college recruiting

.................We just don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes when it comes to big-time college recruiting

I understand what you are saying, and I am realistic, I know that UK is not going to have 80 Kentucky players on there roster, that is why it is so important to get all they can. You have to agree that it looks real bad when Kentucky produces 10 D1 players a year, and 8 of them go to other states to play. Figurative numbers, not real, but you get the point.

 

How bad did UK look when Loften didn't get an offer and went to UT and put big number up against UK, after UK said he wasn't big enough or good enough to play in the SEC?

 

How bad is UK going to look if Fugate goes to UT and puts big numbers up against UK, when UK didn't even make an offer?

 

Bottom line: the state of Kentucky doesn't produce that many D1 players, but when it does, UK should be on them like PETA on Micheal Vick.

I understand what you are saying, and I am realistic, I know that UK is not going to have 80 Kentucky players on there roster, that is why it is so important to get all they can. You have to agree that it looks real bad when Kentucky produces 10 D1 players a year, and 8 of them go to other states to play. Figurative numbers, not real, but you get the point.

 

I think Kentucky has done a much better job of keeping D-1 players in state than in recent years. Mister Cobble, Jordan Aumiller, LaRod King, etc. The really, really good players are going to go to top tier programs such as tOSU, Florida, Michigan, etc. Not every in-state player dreams of playing football for Kentucky.

 

How bad did UK look when Loften didn't get an offer and went to UT and put big number up against UK, after UK said he wasn't big enough or good enough to play in the SEC?

I'm not sure why this horse continues to be beat. They had one scholarship. It went to Rondo, who by the way, was from Louisville. Apples and Oranges in this convo.

 

How bad is UK going to look if Fugate goes to UT and puts big numbers up against UK, when UK didn't even make an offer?

 

It depends on the other circumstances. If Fugate is playing linebacker and UK's linebackers are bad, then it will look real bad. If Fugate plays RB and Kentucky's RBs are bad, then it will look bad. But if Fugate rushes for 220 yards against Kentucky, and Kentucky beats Tennessee, I dont think the UK fans will mind too much.

 

I was impressed watching him at the state finals. I wish him nothing but the best. But I would like to see UK's final recruiting class on paper and see the players they chose over Fugate before I nail them to the wall for not going after him harder.

I think Kentucky has done a much better job of keeping D-1 players in state than in recent years. Mister Cobble, Jordan Aumiller, LaRod King, etc. The really, really good players are going to go to top tier programs such as tOSU, Florida, Michigan, etc. Not every in-state player dreams of playing football for Kentucky.

I agree they have done better then 5-10 years ago, I and don't mean to beat them to death for it, it's just frustrating, and my only real problem with UK.

I'm not sure why this horse continues to be beat. They had one scholarship. It went to Rondo, who by the way, was from Louisville. Apples and Oranges in this convo.

May be Apples and Oranges, but it looked bad, no just through my eyes, but by a lot of loyal UK fans, more loyal fans than me.

It depends on the other circumstances. If Fugate is playing linebacker and UK's linebackers are bad, then it will look real bad. If Fugate plays RB and Kentucky's RBs are bad, then it will look bad. But if Fugate rushes for 220 yards against Kentucky, and Kentucky beats Tennessee, I don't think the UK fans will mind too much.

I don't think UK is going to beat UT any of the four years that Fugate will be involved, nor anytime in the near future. Last year was their best chance in the foreseeable future. But, if Fugate plays any part of an UT victory, I think it looks bad, just my opinion.

I was impressed watching him at the state finals. I wish him nothing but the best. But I would like to see UK's final recruiting class on paper and see the players they chose over Fugate before I nail them to the wall for not going after him harder.

Unless they have a RB that is just off the chart, I think they made a bad decision, if Fugate and another RB are a draw, they should have at least offered Fugate.

 

But, that is my opinion, I will let others state theirs.

Schools recruit for team needs and maybe UK already has a player like a Fugate in their program!

As for Fugate and the Vols.This is a big time player going to a big time program.Put it this way if you are basketball player and you sign with UK but Western Kentucky dosen't offer you would think so what.Tenn is a much better football program than UK and football is king in Tenn as basketball is in Kentucky!

May be Apples and Oranges, but it looked bad, no just through my eyes, but by a lot of loyal UK fans, more loyal fans than me.

I figured this debate was finally behind us ...

 

Kentucky signed Rondo, Bradley and Crawford when Lofton was a senior. Any coach in the country, given the choice of three of those four guards, would have made the same choice that Kentucky did.

Unless they have a RB that is just off the chart, I think they made a bad decision, if Fugate and another RB are a draw, they should have at least offered Fugate.

 

But, that is my opinion, I will let others state theirs.

Maybe Kentucky just doesn't see Fugate as a good fit, for whatever reason.

 

Like Scribe, I think we need to wait and see who UK actually signs before rendering judgment.

Hey, I'm a Vols fan, I'm all for it.

 

Imagine the stink I would be raising if I was a UK fan.:lol:

All good points. :popcorn: