Recap from signing day 2017

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Head coach Mark Stoops addresses the media on National Signing Day at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky. on Wednesday, February 3, 2016. Photo by Michael Reaves | Staff.

Tres Terrell

The busiest day of the college football offseason, National Signing Day, is finally over which paves the way for the 2017 season. For head coach Mark Stoops and UK, it was perhaps the most successful signing day in the Stoops-era as all 24 verbal commits signed their letters of intent Wednesday.

Many believed the class could get better on Wednesday, but Lexington native Jedrick Wills stayed true to his commitment to Alabama and signed with the Crimson Tide. Despite not getting Wills to flip, the 2017 class finished 29th on 247Sports’ team rankings which put the Cats at 11 in the SEC despite finishing 29th nationally.

Here are three of the classes top prospects:

Danny Clark- A huge pick up for UK, Clark was originally committed to Ohio State until his visit to UK. An Ohio native, his decision not to attend Ohio State shocked many. Most likely, the reason for his decision came after Ohio State accepted a commit from Tate Martell, one of the top QBs in the country. Standing at 6-4, and a solid 230 lbs, he’ll be a huge impact for any defense that tests their chances against him in the future.

Lynn Bowden- Possibly the best recruit for Stoops and UK this offseason comes out of Ohio and stands at 6’1’ 190 lbs. UK’s coaching staff has raved about Bowden’s explosiveness and versatility. The 4-Star recruit has been compared to the UK great, Randall Cobb. He will be used all over for the Cats this season as he was so in high school. In high school, Bowden played QB, RB, WR, as well as defensive back. Stoops has him labeled as a slot WR, but with his speed he has the ability to move around in the rotation a lot on the offensive side. Scout has him listed as the number 60 recruit in the nation. Bowden will be a big time factor the day he steps foot on campus.

Joshua Paschal- One of the top prospects out of the 2017 class, UK landed Paschal, a 4-Star defensive end out of Maryland. Paschal chose Kentucky over many powerhouses such as Notre Dame and Oklahoma. The 6-4, 255 lb monster will be huge for UK up front as the Cats struggled with depth up front a year ago. Former UK Linebacker, TraVaughn Paschal, is Joshua’s older brother which held a big role in his commitment.