Dec. 20, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky football mid-year enrollees Drew Barker and Mikel Horton were honored recently with high praise as Barker was named one of four finalists for the Kentucky Mr. Football award, while Horton was named to the third-annual Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl.
Barker recently completed one of the most prolific careers in Kentucky high school football history as a four-year letterman and three-year starting quarterback at Conner High School in Hebron, Ky. During his career, Barker completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 6,264 yards and 62 touchdowns, while also running for 3,931 yards and 51 scores. This season, Barker threw for 2,671 yards and 34 touchdowns to earn District Player of the Year honors. The four-star prospect by Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com attended the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp during the summer of 2013 and will play in the Army All-America Bowl in January. Barker is the No. 1 ranked prospect in Kentucky according to Rivals.com and the No. 6 quarterback in the nation.
Barker led his team to the state quarterfinals his sophomore season before finishing in the second round of the playoffs the past two years. The Kentucky Mr. Football award, which is voted on by the Associated Press and statewide media, is expected to be announced over the next few weeks.
Horton will display his talents on national television before enrolling early at Kentucky as part of the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, which will air January 5 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1. According to the bowl’s news release, Horton was one of 90 players in the nation chosen for the game not only because he is one of the most talented high school football players in the nation, but because he exemplifies the Marine Corps values of honor, courage and commitment. Horton will play for Team East.
Horton is a talented running back out of Lakota West High School in West Chester, Ohio, who is a four-star prospect by Rivals.com ranking him as the No. 12 running back in the nation. The four-year letterman and three-year starter rushed 178 times for 1,203 yards, an average of 6.8 yards per carry, and 13 touchdowns as a senior. He was also the team’s leading receiver last season with 19 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Horton, who was a first-team all-conference and first-team All-Southwest Ohio honoree as a senior, helped lead his team to the Greater Miami Conference championship.
Barker and Horton join linebacker Dorian Hendrix (Huber Heights, Ohio), wide receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass (Springfield, Ohio) and wide receiver T.V. Williams (McKinney, Texas) as mid-year high school enrollees. On Wednesday, head coach Mark Stoops announced two more mid-year enrollees in junior college defensive tackle Cory “C.J.” Johnson (Columbia, S.C.) and cornerback A.J. Stamps (Vicksburg, Miss.).
