THE SITUATION
Defensive back Marlin Devonshire has been on the recruiting scene for a long time and has taken plenty of visits throughout the process. The Aliquippa, Pa. star took official visits to Pittsburgh and Kentucky but was also heavily involved with Ohio State and West Virginia. The Wildcats didn’t pick up momentum until late in the season. The coaching staff made plenty of overtures and eventually got Devonshire on campus for an official visit late in January. He felt comfortable on campus and feels like he can succeed with those coaches and in that environment. Devonshire also likes the opportunity he’ll have at Kentucky with so many defensive backs leaving. Those were just some of the things that factored into his decision to sign with Kentucky on National Signing Day.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR KENTUCKY
Kentucky needed Devonshire to pick them for multiple reasons. The first, and most obvious, reason is because of what he can do on the field. Devonshire has excellent instincts and very good footwork. He creates a lot of turnovers and uses his size and length to help shutdown bigger receivers. Devonshire will also add valuable depth to the secondary, a big priority for the staff after losing so many defensive backs. Keep an eye out of Devonshire to contribute early in his career as a returner. He made some huge plays on special teams this past season and that should carry over to the college level.
SCHOOLS IT HURTS THE MOST
This really hurts Pittsburgh. The Panthers were counting on Devonshire to choose them after they starting picking up momentum early in the summer when head coach Pat Narduzzi really took over as Devonshire’s primary recruiter. At that point Devonshire starting taking more visits to the nearby campus and made a point of taking his official visit to Pitt in January. West Virginia also invested plenty of time recruiting Devonshire. He has a lot of connections to Morgantown, including multiple former teammates, and has visited numerous times.
