Aug 30, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats cheerleaders perform during the cat walk before the game against the UT Martin Skyhawks at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
While many programs are focused on assembling their 2016 recruiting class, the Kentucky Wildcats have been busy building toward their 2017 class as Mark Stoops and staff amazingly land three 2017 four-star recruits in one day.
The first commit of the day was legacy recruit Russ Yeast, son of former Wildcat star receiver Craig Yeast. Russ also projects as a receiver for the Wildcats but he'll have to work extremely hard to match the number his father's put up in Lexington: 208 receptions, 2899 receiving yards and 28 receiving touchdowns from 1995 to 1998.
The second Wildcat commit of the day was running back Michael Warren. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Warren had been receiving attention from Ohio State and Louisville before his commitment to Kentucky.
The third and final commit came from defensive end James Hudson. Hudson is projected to be one of the top ranked prospects in the talent-rich state of Ohio for 2017 and currently holds offers from Iowa and West Virginia.
Kentucky has had an unprecedented recruiting run under Stoops and despite his inability to get the team to a bowl game his first two seasons, the recruiting results for the traditionally weak SEC program have got to buy Stoops and his staff some goodwill in Lexington.
With all three of these commits coming from the state of Ohio, commitments will certainly be tested once Ohio State inevitably starts recruiting these players, but give Kentucky credit for identifying and landing these commitments in an area of the country they focus extensively on.
If the Wildcats continue to win these battles off the field, the results are destined to change on the field before long.
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