UK Football Announces Seven Mid-Year Wildcats

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky welcomes seven new Wildcats who have joined the Wildcat football program, Coach Mark Stoops announced Friday.

Six of the mid-year enrollees are high school standouts who graduated in December – quarterback Danny Clark, linebacker Jamin (pronounced JAY-min) Davis, defensive back Cedrick Dort Jr., running back Bryant Koback, wide receiver Clevan (pronounced CLEE-van) Thomas, and quarterback Walker Wood, while Lonnie Johnson is a junior college transfer who will have two years of eligibility remaining. They will go through the off-season workouts and participate in spring practice.

Danny Clark, Quarterback, 6-2, 230, Fr.-HS, Columbus, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban) – Rated among the top 15 pro-style quarterbacks nationally in the 2017 class … Four-star recruit by ESPN and Scout … Ranked as the 26th best QB overall and No. 2 in the state of Ohio by Scout … A three-star prospect 247sports and Rivals … Four-year letter winner and starter who played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Massillon High School before transferring to Archbishop Hoban … Led the Knights to back-to-back Division III state titles … Coached by Tim Tyrrell at Hoban… Helped lead Hoban to a 14-1 record in 2015 with a Division III state title … Followed with another championship in 2016 by defeating Trotwood-Madison 30-0 in the finals … Completed 7-of-10 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for a 34-yard score in the title game … Finished his senior season 117-of-213 passing for 2,122 yards and 15 TDs … Named second-team MaxPreps/JJHuddle All-Ohio and was an All-League selection … Elected captain at Hoban as a junior and senior … Became the first freshman to start a varsity game at Massillon …. Left-handed … Picked UK over Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Miami and Florida State.

Personal: Born in Columbus, Ohio … Son of Jeff and Tiffany Clark … Major is undecided.

Coach Stoops on Clark: “Danny is an exceptional leader, competitor and winner, having led his team to two state championships.”

Jamin Davis, Linebacker, 6-4, 210, Fr.-HS, Ludowici (pronounced lou-da-WISSEE), Ga. (Long County) – Considered one of the nation’s top 50 outside linebackers by 247Sports … Has been clocked running a 4.65 40-yard dash, and has a 38-inch vertical leap … Finished his senior season with 126 tackles, with an impressive 89 solo tackles … Averaged 14.0 tackles per contest (nine games) … Also had four tackles for loss, a sack, a hurry and a fumble recovery which he returned to the opponent’s three-yard line … Forced two fumbles and blocked both a punt and a field goal … Offensively, he had 11 carries for 50 yards, along with 12 receptions for 151 yards and three scores … Had 131 tackles as a junior and 45 tackles as a sophomore, totaling 302 career tackles in his prep career … Just the second player in Long County High School history to sign with a Division I football program … A four-year letter winner and three-year starter at Long County for coach Eric McNair … McNair said, “If I had to sum up Jamin Davis, it would be role model.” … Gridiron Now says, “He can fly to the football and is a fierce hitter. Not only can he bring the wood, Davis shows excellent wrap up fundamentals. He has excellent speed, plays with tremendous aggression and makes plays all over the field. Davis also shows the ability to get up field and after the quarterback and make plays in space.” … Named Class AAA All-State honorable mention by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Three-time All-Region II selection, earning first-team honors in 2015 and 2016 … Father, James Davis, played football at Bethune-Cookman, while a cousin, Attiyah Henderson played football at San Diego State … Chose UK over Louisville, Georgia Tech, Purdue and N.C. State.

Personal: Born in Honolulu, Hawaii … Son of Tanga Davis and James Davis … Plans a major in mechanical engineering.

Coach Stoops on Davis: “Jamin is a prototype will (weakside) linebacker, a very athletic player with great length. He is an exceptional person and leader.”

Cedric Dort Jr., Defensive Back, 5-11, 170, Fr.-HS, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Dwyer) –  Rated a three-star recruit by 247sports, ESPN and Scout as the No. 42 cornerback in the 2017 class … As a senior, named first-team All-Area by the Palm Beach Post and first-team All-County by the Sun Sentinel after recording 40 tackles, 14 pass breakups and six interceptions, returning one for a touchdown … Played a key role in helping Dwyer finish 10-1 overall in 2016 with its second-straight appearance in the Class 7A regional semifinals … Did not allow a TD pass, a first down pass or a pass over five yards during the regular season … Did not miss a tackle all season and battled against six receivers who are expected to sign Division I scholarships … Named one of ESPN 106.3’s top seniors in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast … Was All-Area honorable mention in 2015 after helping lead the Panthers to an 11-2 overall record, a district championship title and a berth in the 7A regional semifinal … Helped Dwyer shut out two opponents and held six others to 14 points or less … A three-year letter winner in basketball as a combo guard … Has a huge upside as he played only two years of high school football … Coached by Jack Daniels … Chose UK over Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Colorado and USF.

Personal: Born in Palm Beach, Fla. … Son of Clevette Wiggins and Cedrick Dort Sr. … Major is pre-management.

Coach Stoops on Dort: “Cedric is a great cover corner. I’ve been familiar with that school for a long time and Cedric comes here from a winning program.” 

Lonnie Johnson Jr., Defensive Back, 6-3, 215, Jr.-JC, Gary, Ind. (Garden City CC/Gary West Side) – Rated by 247sports as a four-star prospect, the No. 2 safety and No. 43 overall player in the junior college ranks …  Sat out the 2016 season to concentrate on academics … In 2015, selected second-team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference after totaling 35 tackles, including 28 solo at Garden City Community College (Kan.) … Also recorded five interceptions and had one fumble recovery … Coached by Jeff Sims … Totaled 66 tackles, two interceptions, two blocked field goals and a blocked punt, while catching 40 passes for 772 yards and 14 touchdowns at West Side High School … Also charted 253 rushing yards on 22 carries with five TDs … An extremely talented athlete who also excelled at track and field, helping Gary West Side win the 2014 state championship with individual titles in the long jump and 4×100 relay … Chose UK over Georgia and West Virginia … Will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Personal: Born in Gary, Ind. … Son of Nora and Lonnie Johnson … Major is pre-journalism.

Coach Stoops on Johnson: “We’re very excited to add Lonnie. He has great size and athleticism, with the versatility to play multiple positions.”

Bryant Koback, Running Back, 6-0, 200, Fr.-HS, Holland, Ohio (Springfield) – A three-star recruit by 247Sports who is rated the No. 37 running back in 2017 … Was set to have a standout senior season, even rushing for a school-record 375 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Perrysburg, before suffering a season-ending leg injury the following game … Prior to the injury, Koback had rushed 93 times for 1,096 yards and an impressive 21 total touchdowns (19 rushing and two receiving) in four games … Also had seven catches for 154 yards and two scores … Rushed for 2,015 yards and 31 touchdowns on 194 carries as a junior … Named Division II first-team All-State by The Associated Press in 2015 … Compiled over 100 yards in every full game he played, totaling more than 400 all-purpose yards a game … Overall, totaled 57 career touchdowns and over 4,400 all-purpose yards in his prep career … A four-year letter winner and three-year starter at Springfield who was elected team captain as a junior and senior … Coached by Pat Gucciardo … Also lettered two seasons in track and field … Chose UK over West Virginia, Georgia and Northwestern.

Personal: Born in Toledo, Ohio … Son of Mary Koback … Major is undecided.

Coach Stoops on Koback: “Bryant is a great kid and a home run threat on the field.  He is an electric runner, with excellent vision and top-end speed.”

Clevan Thomas, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 190, Fr.-HS, Miami, Fla. (Charles W. Flanagan) –  Three-star recruit who is ranked as one of the nation’s top 100 receivers by every major scouting service … Scout says, “Thomas is a pass catcher that flashes a great burst when getting in and out of his breaks.” … Contributed at several positions for the District 12-8A champions and regional semifinalist Falcons in 2016, playing defensive back, wide receiver and tight end … Named to the Broward Football 8A-6A Offense First Team as a receiver … Caught nine TD passes as a junior in helping lead the Falcons win the 2015 Class 8A state championship … A three-year letter winner and starter for coach Stanford Samuels Jr. … Father, Clevan Thomas, was a defensive back at Florida State in the 1990s … Chose UK over Michigan, Louisville and Syracuse.

Personal: Born in Miami, Fla. … Son of Yera and Clevan Thomas … Major is sociology with a minor in criminology with aspirations of being in the FBI.

Coach Stoops on Thomas: “Clevan is an exciting wide receiver, an extremely tough competitor who has shown the athletic ability to play multiple positions. His father was a great player at Florida State and I see a lot of the same qualities in Clevan.”

Walker Wood, Quarterback, 6-0, 190, Fr.-HS, Lexington, Ky. (Lafayette) –  Three-star recruit by every major recruiting service … Rated as the No. 24 dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 class by Rivals … Completed 203 of 321 passes (63.2 percent) for 3,047 yards and 30 touchdowns in leading the Lafayette Generals to a 13-2 overall record and an appearance in the Class 6-A championship game for the second straight year … Also rushed for 1,321 yards and 31 touchdowns and averaged 6.6 yards per carry … Received the Paul Hornung Award, given by the Louisville Quarterback Club to the state’s top player and was a first-team All-State selection by the Courier-Journal … Lexington’s Player of the Year by the Herald-Leader … Earned All-USA Kentucky Football Offensive Player of the Year and First Team honors by USA Today … Candidate for Kentucky’s Mr. Football award … Named third-team All-State by The Courier-Journal as a junior after totaling 43 touchdowns (22 rushing, 21 passing) and leading Lafayette to the Class 6-A state final … Saw varsity action as a freshman and finished his career with 8,230 passing yards and 74 touchdowns, along with 4,199 rushing yards and 73 touchdowns … Elected team captain as a junior and senior … Four-year starter for coach Eric Shaw … High school teammate of current UK offensive lineman Landon Young … Chose UK over Louisville, Ohio and Wake Forest.

Personal: Born in Lexington, Ky. … Son of Tom and Wesley Wood … Major is undecided.

Coach Stoops on Wood: “Both of the quarterbacks in this class have similar qualities – Walker is an exceptional leader, competitor and winner. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who can be the most dangerous when a play breaks down.”