Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Kentucky hosted the nation’s top ranked dual-threat quarterback recruit this weekend when Asiantii Woulard (Winter Park, Fl/Winter Park) visited the Lexington campus.
This is a rarity for the football program to host recruits the caliber of Woulard (6-3, 204) who ranks inside the ESPN150, and would represent the crown jewel in the first recruiting class for first-year head coach Mark Stoops who is attempting to change the losing culture at Kentucky.
The men’s basketball program is used to reeling in blue-chip recruits with coach John Calipari bringing in the top hoops players on a yearly basis, but a commitment from Woulard could represent a shift in how the school is perceived from high school recruits and have other top recruits follow in his footsteps.
The Wildcats face competition from two schools in his home state for the services of Woulard who could see the field as a true freshman in certain formations. Woulard once committed to South Florida and new head coach Willie Taggert could regain his commitment after establishing a relationship with the recruit over the past month.
However, the top competition is Florida who has an open scholarship after the transfer of quarterback Jacoby Brissett, but has yet to officially offer him a scholarship.
With Jacoby Brissett transferring, it looks like #UF has renewed interest in Asiantii Woulard. #Gators could be team to beat if they offer.
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) January 6, 2013
A darkhorse in this race is North Carolina State where he has a scholarship offer on the table and first-year head coach Dave Doeren can sell the recruit on his ability to develop dual-threat quarterbacks as he did with Jordan Lynch at Northern Illinois.
Kentucky finished last season with rising junior Maxwell Smith and rising sophomores Patrick Towles and Jalen Whitlow at the quarterback position after the graduation of Morgan Newton, but Woulard could bypass them on the depth chart and start as a true freshman.
Stoops is hoping he can sell Woulard on playing early in the nation’s best conference and being the catalyst in the rebirth of the Kentucky football program.
Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt
Patrick is the host of “The Wake-up Call,” on Sportstownchicago.com airing Wednesday mornings from 8-10. View his show’s website here.
