Scales adds UK offer, plans visit

Wildwood (Mo.) Lafayette tight end Brendan Scales landed his first SEC offer this week from Kentucky and already has a visit planned to Lexington.

"I hadn't talked to them at all and then they just offered me," Scales said. "Obviously I have a lot of interest in the SEC, as does every football player. I don't know a whole lot about Kentucky."

Scales' lesson on the Kentucky program will start this week when he makes his first recruiting visit to the school.

"I was supposed to go to K-State and Memphis this weekend, but since they offered I am going to Kentucky," Scales said. "I know the basketball game will be crazy, but I just want to see how their football is. With basketball such a big thing there, I want to see how football is liked by the people."

When discussing Kentucky, Scales brought up another factor that could play in the Wildcat's favor as they pursue him.

"My brother is at a JUCO right now and he will start next year. One of his goals is he wants to play at Kentucky," Scales said. "He is a quarterback and that would be one of the biggest decision-making swings. If they look at him and want him to come, that would be a big thing for me."

After Kentucky, Scales is looking to visit Arkansas and Nebraska in the spring. He holds a total of nine scholarship offers. Without seeing all the schools he does not list any favorites, but Iowa is a program that has caught his attention early in the process.

"It's just them being in close proximity and then the coaching staff is really nice," Scales said. "What I want to do when I am older is work with children and there is a children's hospital being built right by the stadium, and that was really intriguing to me. They use their tight ends very well, so that's another reason why."

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Scales caught 49 passes for 670 yards and nine touchdowns during his junior season. He is ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the state of Missouri's 2016 class.