Kentucky lands punishing Georgia LB Martez Thrower
THE SITUATION: Kentucky loves to recruit the state of Georgia and they have been in pursuit of Rochelle (Ga.) Wilcox County linebacker Martez Thrower for over a year, and that hard work has paid off. The 6-foot-2, 212 pound three-star linebacker had over 20 offers, but he has decided to play for Mark Stoops in Lexington. It has been a different spring and early summer due to COVID-19, and leading into the dead period that started in March, a Big Ten school led, but Kentucky came out on top.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: "I would say the decision and the process was pretty tough," said Thrower. "Kentucky came in, they did a virtual tour and I came out of that with Kentucky on top. They have been with me, they never gave up on me and they made me feel important.
"I probably knew a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty early in June when I made my decision. We had a very detailed virtual call and they went over everything with me. I kind of knew that day a few weeks ago.
"I called coach Stoops to commit to him June 19, but I told coach Sumrall the week before on June 11, so they have known for a little while. They were excited about my commitment and they were pumped up.
"Before the quarantine, I would say I was highest Nebraska, but over the last few months, things changed, and Kentucky moved up.
"They came in hard, calling every day, checking in a lot and they always made sure things were straight with me. That really pushed them up there.
"I was there for a game last year and I liked the fans, how they support the players and I liked how the linebackers played.
"I got the virtual visits with them in recent weeks, and that really helped. I got familiar with the coaches, the staff and I got to know everyone.
"Coach Sumrall was my lead recruiter. He is the coach I am closest to and he has been recruiting me since the end of my 10th grade year. He came to my game last season, he has been checking in daily and he made me feel like a priority.
"I talked to coach Sumrall, coach White and coach Stoops about the defense, how they want to use me and things like that. They like me at SAM, WILL and the JACK linebacker spots. They see me moving around.
"Knowing I came from a small town and I am going to get to play for a school like Kentucky feels great. I will get to go somewhere different, meet new people and it is a great feeling."
RIVALS REACTION: Thrower is an aggressive linebacker that can hit. He played his junior season under 200 pounds, but in the off-season, he has added around 15 pounds, so he is going to be even more physical this season. He has added an inch too, and was recently timed at 4.55 seconds in the 40 yard dash by his coaches. Thrower may be a tad under-ranked by Rivals, but we will re-evaluate him once this season gets under way. He is can, he is a versatile linebacker and Thrower has that old-school mentality when it comes to hitting. This is a very good get for the Wildcats.