[LeeCoUKFan]

Coach sees big things ahead for Ware

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Denzel Ware is back in Florida for his senior year of football and he's been working out with his teammates at Crestview this summer.

His coach Tim Hatten told Cats Illustrated he has the potential to be special.

Hatten has never coached Ware before this summer. Ware is coming to the school from Opp (Ala.) and Hatten himself from a junior college where he coached for the past eleven years.

"I've coached a lot of Division I players over the years and (Ware's) definitely a major Division I player," Hatten said. "He can play most anywhere. He's playing defensive end for us and he's playing in space at linebacker in 7-on-7's. He moves around in space. He's got good strength, good speed, good quickness. He's got all the tools."

Hatten said he hasn't watched Ware with pads on in person so he can't evaluate what aspects of his game need to improve. That will come soon.

"Just from watching a little film on him it's just a stereotypical deal like with any football player. You always want to be bigger, faster and stronger. But he has a lot of tools to work with," he said.

Crestview's 2012-13 school year ended on June 6 so Ware was able to officially enroll as a student on June 7. In that time and since workouts began Hatten has noticed that Ware has a great work ethic in addition to his athleticism. There aren't any questions about his motor.

"He's got that mode where he just runs wide open," Hatten said. "He's got those things you just can't coach. He's got those things. I've had several Division I defensive linemen over the years and he's very comparable with a lot of them."

As a junior college coach Hatten also became intimately familiar with the recruiting process. He also knows how little a verbal commitment sometimes means.

"Obviously everybody that comes through, every major college, asks you about Denzel Ware," he said. "I'm sure he's had many offers over the last year. A lot of times a commitment doesn't stop guys from recruiting kids. Recruiting's kind of a cruel world. More schools come in and make offers. He's committed to Kentucky.

"I'm in the business of coaching high school football. I don't do commits and decommits. I tell folks from all over that he's committed to the University of Kentucky."

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1520975