Henry Clay's Simpson commits: ‘I feel like Kentucky's on the rise'

By Chip Cosby - ccosby@herald-leader.com

What had already been a good week for University of Kentucky football recruiting got even better when Henry Clay High School offensive lineman Sam Simpson committed to the Wildcats on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-4, 292-pound Simpson is ranked as the nation's No. 2 center by Scout.com and is No. 9 according to Rivals.com. Both recruiting services have listed him as a three-star recruit. Simpson chose the Wildcats over Vanderbilt and Virginia, and he also had offers from Auburn, Tennessee and at least 20 other schools.

“I just wanted to feel comfortable, and the comfort level I had with all the coaches played a big part in my decision,” Simpson said.

Simpson's dad, Sam Sr., is the head football coach at Henry Clay, and his older brother, Salin, will be playing at Georgetown College this fall.

Simpson's announcement comes on the heels of the commitment of four-star Texas quarterback Ryan Mossakowski, who chose UK on Friday. The Wildcats are also a finalist for another four-star quarterback, Morgan Newton of Carmel, Ind.

The Cats could wrap up their 2009 recruiting class soon. They've already secured 15 commitments and are expected to be a few scholarships short of the limit of 25.

Of their 15 commitments, nine are three-star recruits with Mossakowski being a four-star guy.

“I feel like Kentucky's on the rise,” Simpson said. “As long as we keep winning games and getting top-notch guys, we'll be fun to watch for the next five or six years.”