Another talented group of football recruits will visit UK this weekend

Last weekend’s series of official visits appears to have been a huge success for the University of Kentucky football program, which has already received commitments from defensive lineman Chris Whittaker and offensive lineman Naasir Watkins, with more commitments expected from others that the Wildcats hosted on campus.

This weekend, another talented group of recruits will be in Lexington for official visits. UK has 16 commitments for the class of 2017, and Coach Mark Stoops estimated recently that the Cats would take 20-25 signees in this group.

Here’s a look at the top targets expected to be in town for official visits this weekend:

Brian Cole (defensive back): He was the No. 101 recruit nationally when he signed with Michigan in the class of 2015. He played a season with the Wolverines and announced his intention to transfer to UK, but then ended up going the junior-college route at East Mississippi Community College. 247Sports now ranks him as the No. 2 safety in the juco ranks (the No. 1 player at that position, Lonnie Johnson, visited Lexington last weekend and will pick either UK, Georgia or West Virginia on Tuesday). Cole is also considering Mississippi, Mississippi State and Oregon State.

Yusuf Corker (cornerback): Corker — a 6-foot, 183-pound prospect from Stockbridge, Ga. — is the No. 37 cornerback in the class of 2017, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He took an official visit to Michigan State last weekend and hosted Tennessee Coach Butch Jones for an in-home visit Wednesday night. Last month, Corker named South Carolina as the favorite in his recruitment. Fun fact: He’s the cousin of former UK player Raymond Sanders.

Sebastien Dolcine (offensive lineman): Dolcine — a 6-4, 285-pound player from Hollywood, Fla. — is the No. 78 offensive guard in the 2017 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He’s been committed to Central Florida since June, but he appears to be open in his recruitment.

Isaiah Epps (wide receiver): Kentucky extended a scholarship offer to Epps this week and he immediately scheduled an official visit. The 6-3, 185-pound receiver from Jenks, Okla., is considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, and he’s a bit of an under-the-radar prospect. Epps told the Herald-Leader that he does not have any favorites going into this weekend’s visit. 247Sports national analyst Ryan Bartow logged a Crystal Ball pick for Epps in UK’s favor Thursday morning, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he committed to the Cats during or shortly after this trip.

Craig Evans (defensive lineman): A former Michigan State player, Evans is now at Arizona Western College. The 6-4, 315-pound defensive tackle is considered a four-star recruit and would likely be able to help UK right away. He has publicly named Oregon State as his leader, but that could change with this weekend’s visit. Evans is expected to announce a college decision between UK and Oregon State shortly after the trip to Lexington. The Wisconsin native will enroll in January and have three years to play two at his next stop.

Brandon Henderson (defensive lineman): Henderson — a 6-5, 260-pound prospect from South Carolina — is a sophomore at Georgia Military College and is generally listed as a two-star defensive end by the major recruiting services. He had two sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 11 games this season. Other schools on his list include Kansas and West Virginia.

▪  Three-star offensive lineman Zalontae Hillery might also be in Lexington for an official visit this weekend. Hillery has been committed to Miami since July, and 247Sports ranks him as the No. 50 offensive tackle in the senior class.

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Another talented group of football recruits will visit UK this weekend."