Sophomore Surge: Kentucky’s 2029 Defensive Recruits

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're heading over to the 2029 class today to highlight a group of talented recruits on the defensive side of the ball who are quickly surging and making impacts for their teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2421722"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6abbf1119cc23"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ishmael is a young recruit who flies all over the field and plays with good instincts. He's got good vision and does a good job trusting what he sees and getting to the ball. He has good tackling mechanics and does a good job making tackles in open space. He put up 19 tackles last week and continues to play with confidence. I like the way he trusts his instincts and plays downhill, and that confidence is starting to show up in the production.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2115949"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6abbf1119ccac"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Summers is an intriguing recruit in year 2 who was a good varsity back last year and is now finding success on defense. He's clearly capable on both sides of the ball and has good speed to cover sideline to sideline. He can play man coverage and has success there too. He had 14 tackles, 2 TFLs, and a PBU last week. I like the way he's transitioned to defense and shown that he can be relied on in a different role, and that versatility could carry a lot of value long-term.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1648917"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6abbf1119cd04"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Haskins is a 2nd-year starter who has built on year 1 and continues to improve. He's a good athlete who can move around and has good closing speed when the ball is in the air. He's got good timing to get to the ball for picks and good hands when he gets there. I like the way he's continued to develop and become a more reliable player in the secondary. He's a good player who looks like he's only getting better with more experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1794020"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6abbf1119cd52"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Howard is a good athlete with a good frame who seems to understand schemes and what's asked of him. He takes good angles, is light on his feet, and can change direction quickly when the play breaks down. He also has a good feel for creating turnovers and can rip the ball out when he gets a chance. I like the way he plays with awareness and doesn't seem to get out of position very often. The step from year 1 to year 2 is clear, and he's starting to look like a much more complete player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->