[LeeCoUKFan]

Coach calls Edwards one of Ohio's best

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods safety Mike Edwards seemed to be hinting all along that Kentucky would be his choice so it wasn't a huge surprise when he committed to the Wildcats in early June.

The big storyline in Edwards' recruitment seemed to be when, and not if, he would commit to Kentucky. Almost lost in all of that talk was the kind of player that Edwards is.

His coach, Andre Parker, is well-aware of everything his rising senior defensive back is capable of.

"I really believe Mike is probably one of the overall best football players in the state of Ohio," Parker told Cats Illustrated. "I don't think you'll be able to find four kids as versatile as Mike. He's one of the most versatile kids we've ever had. He had three returned punts for touchdowns and two kickoffs (returned for touchdowns) so he's very dangerous in the return game. He's able to change the game. He's one of those kids, if you show him something one time you don't have to talk to him about it anymore. He's a very smart, competitive player.

"He's one of those kids where if we put him at quarterback in the triple option he'd rush for 1,000 yards. The game really just comes easy to him."

Kentucky's coaches have talked to Edwards about the possibility of playing any of the three positions in the secondary: Corner, free safety or strong safety.

Edwards became a starter for Winton Woods' varsity team during his sophomore season and he's started every game since then. While he has always been an impact player, Parker said that Edwards is still coming into his own physically and the sky is the limit.

"Right now he's probably 12 pounds heavier than he ended his junior year and his numbers in the weight room are very impressive," Parker continued. "The one thing me and Mike have talked about is getting him to become a striker. He's a very good tackler but one aspect we want from him is for him to become an imposing tackler."

UK's recruiting success in Ohio has been discussed ad nauseam but Parker touched on two key elements of it that many have overlooked.

"From talking to other high school coaches in the area (Kentucky's coaches) have been very clear at who they want," he said. "It's not, 'Let's wait and see,' it's, 'We want you, this is what we have to offer, this is our plan, this is how we get better.' The kids that are committed have done a good job of recruiting for them, too."

Kentucky's next big target from Winton Woods is transfer George Brown, a Class of 2015 lineman that will play on both sides of the ball. His interest in Kentucky has been well-documented and his offer list may exceed that of any current Kentucky commitment from the Class of 2014.

Parker believes the Wildcats have a great shot with Brown, in large part because of Edwards' decision.

"I definitely think they've got a great chance. He and Mike are really close," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1522339