UK football notebook: Phillips regains momentum

After a brutal end to the regular season and a rough start to the off-season, Kentucky Coach Joker Phillips and the Wildcat program ended the week with some much-needed positive news.

The Cats suffered a deflating 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl, saw a top recruit (offensive lineman Nick Martin) de-commit and switch to Notre Dame, and then listened to star Randall Cobb announce he was headed to the NFL.

But not long after Cobb's announcement, Phillips picked up a coup on the recruiting trail when Atlanta running back Marcus Caffey switched his commitment from Purdue to UK. The next day, star linebacker Danny Trevathan announced he would return for his senior season.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Caffey is a three-star recruit and was ranked the 26th-best player in Georgia according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Caffey had offers from nearly a dozen schools, including Arkansas, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland and West Virginia. He rushed for 1,611 yards and 18 touchdowns this past season for Grady High School. Caffey and another three-star UK commit from Georgia, Josh Clemons, will help the Cats restock their running back cupboard after the departure of Derrick Locke and transfer of No. 2 back Donald Russell. Kentucky is also trying to find a replacement for Moncell Allen at fullback and hosted Cincinnati's Trayion Durham this weekend. The 6-1, 230-pound Durham is listed as the nation's No. 3 fullback by Rivals and will visit Louisville next weekend. He's received offers from UK, U of L, Cincinnati, Boston College, Wisconsin, Minnesota and several others.

Kentucky got more good news when Paducah Tilghman receiver Josh Forrest re-affirmed his commitment to UK amid recent reports that he'll take a visit to Central Florida later this month. Forrest was in Lexington for a visit this weekend.

Brittny Gastineau Ashley Tisdale Rachel Blanchard Sienna Guillory Tricia Vessey