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Receiver Jabari Greenwood of Washington, D.C., says his verbal commitment to Kentucky Saturday was not a spur of the moment decision.
“I have definitely been leaning to Kentucky,” said the 6-3, 190-pound Greenwood, who picked UK over Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers and Illinois. “I have known for a little time that Kentucky was the place. I was just waiting to see if anything else happened. But really I knew Kentucky was for me.”
He says there was no one thing that swung him to Kentucky.
“The fans are crazy and great,” he said. “Coach (Neal) Brown’s offense is great and I will have the opportunity to play early and catch passes. Coach (Tommy) Mainord is a great coach and recruiter. He recruited well and I have a great bond with him. He is my position coach, and that helped kind of take it over the top.
“Some coaches try to talk just football. But I felt comfortable talking to him about anything. He is a funny guy and I just really liked him.”
Scout.com recruiting analyst Patrick Loney had predicted Parker would pick UK.
“I like Jabari Greenwood size. He can become a big time target for the UK quarterbacks. The staff wants tall wide receivers for this offense, and he is one,” Loney said.
Loney admits he “did not think much” of the offer from Kentucky when it first came.
“I did not think Kentucky was a football school,” he said.
That changed when UK commit Kobie Walker told him differently.
“Kobie told me I had to visit and I did fall in love with the place,” Greenwood said. “But I probably would not even have visited if not for him. Now I have already started a little bit telling other players the same thing about Kentucky.”
He said UK coaches were “definitely excited” about his decision.
“They said they were glad to have me coming and can’t wait for me to get there,” the receiver said.
He describes himself as a player who can stretch the field and “make plays that other guys cannot make” consistently.
“I run precise routes and do anything to score touchdowns,” Parker
He’s also confident that linebacker Darius Fullwood, who committed to UK at the same press conference on Saturday, can do the same.
“I think we can bring a lot to the table and make the team better,” Greenwood said. “We are both looking forward to coming and showing what we can do.”
He wants to think his commitment did play a role in what Fulwood decided.
“When I told him I wanted to commit, I thought he was on board,” Greenwood said. “We talked a lot about going to school together, but he had to make his own decision. I didn’t find out for sure he was coming until he committed. We grew up together and have known each other a long time. We played basketball and football together. He is a good player and good guy.”
The 6-3, 240-pound Fullwood picked UK over Virginia Tech and Maryland. Walker is his former high school teammate.
Fullwood is considered the No. 18 strongside defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com. Greenwood is ranked at the No. 35 receiver overall by Rivals.com.
“What I like best about Darius Fullwood is how he never quits on the play. Even if the play is 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, he still runs down the ball carrier,” Loney said. “I think the coaching staff and Kobie Walker played a huge role in both coming to Kentucky. Coach Mainord and Walker recruited both recruits relentlessly. Having a plan for each kid also showed helped some.
“ I think both could come in a play a role as a freshman. Darius will play similar role as Jason Hatcher with standing up or putting the hand down. Jabari is undeniable needed as the receiver position is thin for this offense. His size alone makes him a major contributor.”
Loney anticipates that commitments from Fulwood and Greenwood following the signing of Walker in February give UK a huge boost in recruiting in the Washington, D.C., area.
“UK hasn't had much success in Maryland/D.C. area in quite some time. This will show other recruits that Kentucky is for real and is one of the up coming programs in the country,” Loney said.
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