Andrades wraps up Kentucky
Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln wide receiver Raphael Andrades took his first official visit this weekend when he traveled to check out the Kentucky Wildcats.
"I loved it," Andrades said. "It was really fun. I got to hang out with the coaches and the players. I just loved the visit."
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During the visit, Andrades was hosted by freshman defender Alvin Dupree. He got a good deal of insight on what it is like to be a football player at Kentucky.
"He just told me that the coaches are easily to get along with and that they are really family oriented," Andrades said. "He told me that if I came there I would get a chance to play early. He told me that as well as the coaches. He also said it is the SEC and there is nothing better than that."
While Andrades spent time with a number of coaches on Joker Phillips' staff at Kentucky, he got a lot of one-on-one attention from passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Tee Martin.
"I spent a lot of time with Coach Martin," Andrades said. "He just told me if I came there I would have a chance to play early. He said that he needed somebody that could make a difference on the team, a playmaker.
"That was pretty much what they were saying, that if I committed I would be playing from day one," Andrades added.
Also during the visit, Andrades got to spend Saturday afternoon in Rupp Arena watching an instant classic on the basketball court between Kentucky and North Carolina.
"It was crazy," Andrades said of the 73-72 victory for Kentucky. "The bleachers were packed. There wasn't an empty seat in there. It was really loud. Their fans love basketball, but you can tell their fans love Kentucky. They love Kentucky."
With the visit now concluded, Andrades said that the closeness of the team is what stood out about his time in Lexington.
"Just how much of a family they are," Andrades said. "They always hang out together. They don't really go anywhere without each other. … They are really family oriented."
At this point, the only upcoming official visit scheduled for Andrades is to Arkansas on January 20th. He is considering some other programs as well.
"I am looking at Kentucky, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Illinois - that is pretty much it," Andrades said.
The 6-foot, 190-pound wideout isn't ready to name a leader at this point, but admits that he has a lot to consider following his first official visit.
"I am really thinking about them (Kentucky) a lot right now," Andrades said. "I am just going to take a couple of days to think about everything and we will see what happens."