Mac Jones flips to Bama

[UKtimefor9]

Ouch, that's a huge blow to UK

[KYCATS01]

Unfortunately it was to be expected, have not had a good feeling regarding Jone's commitment for the past month.

[bigblue4life]

Feeling kind of butt-hurt right about now, but I'll get over it soon. If his flipping had to happen, better now than late Jan 2017.

The take-away lesson is that verbal commitments (at least in FB recruiting) don't mean squat anymore. Basketball, on the other hand for whatever reason, doesn't seem to have the same problem.

[Matt Dillon]

No surprise, to me, at all. Until UK has more to offer (ie: a winning program) than a recruiting pitch, we won't be able to hold off the Bamas of the world when they come calling.

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...e82383622.html

[TrueblueCATfan]

Me either Matt......I suspected this would happen when he started getting all those offers

[SBCatMan]

For many reasons, this flip is not as painful as one would think it might be, or should be. It was relatively early in the process, it was kind of expected, and, it IS Alabama. If you are going to lose a recruit, there is little shame in losing them to the best program in the land right now.

Another thing that mitigates the pain just a bit is that the real blow may be to our recruiting prestige more than to our actual performance on the field 3 years down the road. In short, whose to say we will not find another capable QB, or that someone like Hoak may develop into a top notch player in his own right.

I guess the only thing that is a bit disappointing is that Jones professed to be so very FIRM in his commitment. But then, as I said, it IS Alabama ...

Still, this de-commitment continues a disturbing trend. The DE from Ohio, the RB from Ohio, failure to land the JUCO DT, and now Jones. And, the South Bend Tribune this morning is all giddy over Wills visiting notre dame this week. There may be valid reasons for these issues, but at some point Stoops & Co must stop the bleeding. Wills would be a GREAT place to start.

[Los Gatos]

No surprise, to me, at all. Until UK has more to offer (ie: a winning program) than a recruiting pitch, we won't be able to hold off the Bamas of the world when they come calling.

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...e82383622.html

Have to agree with Matt. You can sell "we will become a winning program" for only so long. Frankly, I'm surprised, they are continuing to do so well recruiting given the losses during the second half of the last two seasons.

[Brasslock]

I would have been much more disappointed if we were talking about losing a talented defensive tackle. Jones might have been looking at our QB situation. Would he be able to beat out Barker in two years? Gunner Hoak impressed me this Spring and he will just improve. Alabama runs the ball ... and then runs the ball some more. If I want to throw the ball Alabama would be on down the list for me.

[Catsrock]

Surprise or not it disappoints the crap out of me. Need a good QB in every class and nobody doubts this is a good one.

[Matt Dillon]

As an aside, I read on Twitter where some of the Bama fans are disappointed that Jones flipped.

[Matt Dillon]

Mike Farrell's take on Jones' flip:

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/colle...e82527687.html

[Spiritof96]

Just win baby and this will be a distant memory. Just win.

[Old School]

I would have been much more disappointed if we were talking about losing a talented defensive tackle. Jones might have been looking at our QB situation. Would he be able to beat out Barker in two years? Gunner Hoak impressed me this Spring and he will just improve. Alabama runs the ball ... and then runs the ball some more. If I want to throw the ball Alabama would be on down the list for me.

I think if Jones was concerned about competition, he wouldn't flip to an Alabama class that already has a 4 star QB who is more highly rated than Jones, and another 4 star QB in last year's class, and another 4 star QB in the class before that, and, yes, another 4 star QB in the class prior to that one. That's more competition than Barker and Hoak would give him.

I'd say Jones went to Alabama for the same reason basketball players come to Kentucky: a chance to excel in front of the biggest, widest audience possible, a chance to play for a perennial national championship contender, and a prime place to aim for the pros.

Losing Jones is a big deal. An outstanding QB, one as good as he's made out to be, can make a big difference in the W/L column over four years or in a single year. He could've been a major boost for the program. Losing three good recruits in short order is not the kind of momentum the program needs right now.

Hinshaw's Twitter response to Jones was just stupid and ill-considered. Having ESPN report on UK losing a major recruit was bad. Even worse was having ESPN report on the recruit, and Lane Kiffin, mocking a UK coach for his foolish tweet in the midst of it.

Gotta win some games this fall.

[Spiritof96]

I think if Jones was concerned about competition, he wouldn't flip to an Alabama class that already has a 4 star QB who is more highly rated than Jones, and another 4 star QB in last year's class, and another 4 star QB in the class before that, and, yes, another 4 star QB in the class prior to that one. That's more competition than Barker and Hoak would give him.

I'd say Jones went to Alabama for the same reason basketball players come to Kentucky: a chance to excel in front of the biggest, widest audience possible, a chance to play for a perennial national championship contender, and a prime place to aim for the pros.

Losing Jones is a big deal. An outstanding QB, one as good as he's made out to be, can make a big difference in the W/L column over four years or in a single year. He could've been a major boost for the program. Losing three good recruits in short order is not the kind of momentum the program needs right now.

Hinshaw's Twitter response to Jones was just stupid and ill-considered. Having ESPN report on UK losing a major recruit was bad. Even worse was having ESPN report on the recruit, and Lane Kiffin, mocking a UK coach for his foolish tweet in the midst of it.

Gotta win some games this fall.

It's like otherwise intelligent people get jobs coaching football at Kentucky and get some form of itis where they simply MUST shoot themselves in the foot.

I don't know if this kind of stuff happens elsewhere and because they win it is forgotten or never costs them... sheesh. Is it too much to ask that our staff and players simply not be inept for one calendar year?

I can take getting beat by better teams; but CANNOT STAND the kind of self harm that is associated with this program. FOR DECADES.

If your going to discover and recruit truly great players, EXPECT every good program in the country to find them too and take them away from you. Especially Bama.

I wasn't going to post about the tweet; but your assessment set me off. /rantoff

[40bill]

The more the program goes after high ranked recruits, the more we will see this. Until the program wins. That's going to be the tipping point.
Gotta find a way to win. Then the respect comes.