Who has had the most hype of any incoming UK football player and ended up being a bust ?

[Smeegs]

Yes! Wasn’t Newton from Indy? I remember we had an Indy QB who was highly ranked that was crap and couldn’t remember his name.

Yeah, he was from the Indy area and was really high ranked. He started most of his UK career but, unfortunately for him, those were the Joker Phillips years …so, needless to say, it did not go well.

In his defense, I’m not sure any QB could’ve looked good on those dysfunctional Joker teams.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Yeah, he was from the Indy area and was really high ranked. He started most of his UK career but, unfortunately for him, those were the Joker Phillips years …so, needless to say, it did not go well.

In his defense, I’m not sure any QB could’ve looked good on those dysfunctional Joker teams.

That is true, hard to measure success in that era.

 

[ifer1116]

A "bust" who got drafted in the NFL. Gotcha.

Well, he was drafted in the 10th round with the 261st pick. He only had about 1400 or so career yards for UK. Some people thought he had the talent to be up there with the best RBs of the 80s. He didn’t have an NFL career. He decided not to play due to injuries. So "yes", he was kind of a bust, albeit due to injuries. Maybe do a little bit of homework before posting brainless nonsense!

 

[CD1974]

Well, he was drafted in the 10th round with the 261st pick. He only had about 1400 or so career yards for UK. Some people thought he had the talent to be up there with the best RBs of the 80s. He didn’t have an NFL career. He decided not to play due to injuries. So "yes", he was kind of a bust, albeit due to injuries. Maybe do a little bit of homework before posting brainless nonsense!

I guess our definitions of a bust are very different.

 

[CoolMoeBee]

Curtis Pulley from Hoptown.

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

^^^PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE WORTHLESS TROLL^^^

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

I haven't seen John Logan mentioned. He was considered a big get and never amounted to anything.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

He came to UK in 2014 behind established starter Towles. Was his backup in 2015. With Towles gone, his first start was against that bad SM team. Plays a half & is hurt. Up 35-0. He goes out & that bad SM team outscores us 44-0. Guess Barker was useless. They go 7-6 against their non-P5 opponents. Great? No. Bad? Also no. What's bad is that you're FOS.

You seem personally offended. Related to the guy or something?

 

[tcurtis75]

Well at least Phillips had the best looking mom of any recruit ever.

Ponatoski’s mom is in contention.

 

[Yardeth]

Joker as the Head Coach was the biggest bust, hands down. Former Great UK player but as a coach.

 

[vhcat1970]

You seem personally offended. Related to the guy or something?

IOW, you have nothing & dodged thru a bad attempt at attacking.

 

[Jtf2217]

Drew Barker. Anyone remember that turd?

Lol yeah make fun of the guy who looked all world until he broke his back playing for us 🫠🫠

 

[seccats04]

I’ve never seen a quarterback sack himself before but this kinda summed up the Joker era. We were the Bad News Bears.

 

[TellurideCat]

I’ve never seen a quarterback sack himself before but this kinda summed up the Joker era. We were the Bad News Bears.

I send that gif to my buddies often when we do something really stupid on the field. Hoping to not send it as often now.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

IOW, you have nothing & dodged thru a bad attempt at attacking.

I have his career stats and games played.

 

[vhcat1970]

Then there was the unheralded guy from East?West? Carter that was starting on the OL by midway thru his true FR year, then turned around and left the team & went home, never to be heard from again.

OK, he was Aaron Miller from East Carter HS who played the 2004 season & left.

 

[Littlecreek10]

Micah Johnson from Fort Campbell. Wasn’t he ranked as one of the top defensive players in the country coming out of HS? I remember that Brooks wanted to move him to DE because he got so big (muscular) and lost some speed that affected his pass coverage. He balked at moving positions.

 

[ifer1116]

I guess our definitions of a bust are very different.

You know, A LOT of people consider Sam Bowie to have been a "bust" in the NBA. He averaged 12pts, 7.5rebs and a couple of blocks over a 10 year career. But, he had numerous injury issues, played about 50 games per year and had the unfortunate luck of being drafted 1 spot ahead of MJ. He had a far better career than Al Baker did and yet is still considered by many to have been a disappointment (rightly or wrongly). Some people do have different definitions of what a "bust" is, you are correct! But circumstances do matter.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

You know, A LOT of people consider Sam Bowie to have been a "bust" in the NBA. He averaged 12pts, 7.5rebs and a couple of blocks over a 10 year career. But, he had numerous injury issues, played about 50 games per year and had the unfortunate luck of being drafted 1 spot ahead of MJ. He had a far better career than Al Baker did and yet is still considered by many to have been a disappointment (rightly or wrongly). Some people do have different definitions of what a "bust" is, you are correct! But circumstances do matter.

Couple of guys I wish some could have seen before their injuries were Magic Johnson and the other is Sam Bowie.

 

[Rick Honcho]

Ervin Stepp. If there had been a 3-point line back then…

 

[Smeegs]

A "bust" who got drafted in the NFL. Gotcha.

As a 10th round flyer who never actually made an NFL roster. That is hardly proof that one wasn’t a bust.

It’s easy to quibble over the definition of bust, but it’s hard to dispute that Baker was disappointing in relation to his high school press clippings. He had one productive season as a senior …and that’s about it.

 

[jeffky]

He wasn't a "bust" by definition but I was disappointed that Dennis Johnson didn't become an absolute weight room monster. He had the height and frame, but didn't fill out to potential imo

Mumme did not give a iota about defense ,so that may have contributed to Johnsons full potential.

 

[gobigblue812_rivals29381]

From a ranking perspective it is Kiyaunta Goodwin . I do think he had the physical traits to be a 1st round pick but his heart just wasn't in it.

Listed as the No. 1 recruit from Indiana, No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 13 overall by 247sports
Ranked a five-star recruit by 247sports
ESPN tabbed him the No. 44 player in their Top-300 for the Class of 2022
Selected to the 2022 All-American Bowl
MaxPreps Freshman All-American
Held offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Ohio State, among others

That is THE definition of a bust.

 

[TheGreatGooglyMoogly]

Micah Johnson from Fort Campbell. Wasn’t he ranked as one of the top defensive players in the country coming out of HS? I remember that Brooks wanted to move him to DE because he got so big (muscular) and lost some speed that affected his pass coverage. He balked at moving positions.

He was all freshman SEC, First team SEC, and Second team SEC. Played pivotal roles in both music city bowl wins and was a foundational to the defense during his time at UK. Cant consider him a bust at the college level. Never panned out in the pros but won a couple of grey cups.

 

[M080470]

Baker was kind of a disappointment. He was ok but I remember one of the big pre-season college football mags doing a write-up on him being potentially UK's greatest running back ever. He was.a first-team All-American coming out of HS and I think was named player of the year in Kentucky by the AP in both his junior and senior years. We had a string of solid running backs in the 1980's George.Adams, Ivy Joe Hunter, Mark Higgs, Marc Logan and Baker was supposed to be better than them all.

 

[CB3UK]

Matt Elam is one who comes to mind...

Matt Elam is who came to my mind before I even opened the thread

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

He was all freshman SEC, First team SEC, and Second team SEC. Played pivotal roles in both music city bowl wins and was a foundational to the defense during his time at UK. Cant consider him a bust at the college level. Never panned out in the pros but won a couple of grey cups.

I believe he played running back and scored a TD in a bowl game as well.


Wouldn’t consider him a bust but he really didn’t live up to the hype either. Unfortunately hype has a way of diminishing actual accomplishments.

 

[Jtf2217]

Matt Elam and Goodwin.
People saying Drew Barker a kid that got hurt playing for UK and never looked right again
Micha Johnson - was a pivitol part of his teams and they won bowls which wasn't too common at UK

 

[Jtf2217]

I believe he played running back and scored a TD in a bowl game as well.


Wouldn’t consider him a bust but he really didn’t live up to the hype either. Unfortunately hype has a way of diminishing actual accomplishments.

Good memory he didn't especially play RB but against Clemson in the Music City UK went big with big Micha to punch it through ran it back to back plays if I'm not mistaken

 

[Littlecreek10]

He was all freshman SEC, First team SEC, and Second team SEC. Played pivotal roles in both music city bowl wins and was a foundational to the defense during his time at UK. Cant consider him a bust at the college level. Never panned out in the pros but won a couple of grey cups.

I guess I got him confused with someone else. He did have a lot of expectations when he arrived.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

I think we could put every QB in the Stoops era. Thankfully we had some backups that outplayed their hype.

 

[The Ganner]

Morgan Newton was the first to come to my mind and I see he's been mentioned a lot along with Boyd and Elam.

One name I haven't seen yet is Jason Hatcher. He was top-250 national, had a disappointing 3 year career here, then got busted with a pound of weed.

 

[Deeeefense]

Bobby Blizzard - he predates the major recruiting services but was widely thought of us being the #1 TE prospect in the country. Big frame, athletic, could catch the ball well, but did not like contact. Mumme tried him at TE and he got consistently beat so bad physical they put him at x receiver and played sparingly there. Was considered a major bust.

 

[M080470]

Bobby Blizzard - he predates the major recruiting services but was widely thought of us being the #1 TE prospect in the country. Big frame, athletic, could catch the ball well, but did not like contact. Mumme tried him at TE and he got consistently beat so bad physical they put him at x receiver and played sparingly there. Was considered a major bust.

That's a good one. Not.biggest ever bust ever but for all the hype of being the best TE in the country and with what Mumme had done with James Whalen being an all-American TE at UK , it seemed like it was a perfect match but he never panned out.