LEXINGTON ? Freshmen Andrew Alexander and Nathan Marks are just three games into their first season at Kentucky and the duo is already receiving national attention.

Alexander and Marks were named ?Freshmen to Keep an Eye On? by collegesoccernews.com this week. Each player has already worked his way into the starting line up for the Wildcats and has made a tremendous impact.

?Both guys have started off great against some quality competition,? said head coach Ian Collins. ?Nathan has proven to be a tough, reliable defender while Andrew is getting into the middle of the game and doing well. Both guys have a great drive and great determination about them. They read the game well and I expect them to go onto terrific careers.?

The pair are just part of a talented freshman class that was ranked among the nation?s best by collegesoccernews.com prior to the season. Michael D?Agostino is a third freshman that starts and Dave Hertel has provided quality play off the bench thus far.

D?Agostino, who played for the Canadian U-17 Development Team over the summer, netted the game-winning goal against Louisville on Tuesday night.

?Coming in, we were excited about the class. But you never know with these guys coming out of high school,? said Collins. ?We?ve had a number of guys step up and we have one or two more that haven?t developed to that level yet. But I think they will as well.

?Right now, it?s good to see four new guys making contributions. Michael scored the game-winning goal (Tuesday) night. Dave Hertel has had a big impact at midfield and obviously Andrew and Nathan are playing well. They all have some things to learn, but they are really contributing to our success.?

The freshmen will have their first opportunity to impress the home crowd on Friday night as Kentucky faces UNC-Asheville in its home opener. The game is slated for 7:30 p.m. and the first 100 students in attendance receive a free t-shirt.