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Centennial quarterback chooses Kentucky
BY ANDREW MAY, Staff Writer
University of Kentucky football forums are buzzing with an excitement and enthusiasm that has eluded the program in recent years. The hype surrounds the verbal commitment made Aug. 8 by Centennial quarterback Ryan Mossakowski. Some are calling it the single biggest commitment in the last 15 years other than Tim Couch, who went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 1999 NFL draft.
“It is an honor to be named with the elite guys,” Mossakwoski said, “and I haven’t even done anything yet.”
Mossakowski, the state’s 13th-ranked recruit according to Rivals.com, is already feeling the pressure. Not that he minds being labeled as Kentucky’s saving grace a full 12 months before he steps on campus.
The who’s who of Division I football has come calling over the past several months. Mossakowski (6-4, 215) has fielded 10 scholarship offers and chose the Wildcats over Alabama and Texas A&M. He also made official visits to Louisville, Clemson, Auburn and OU.
He understands the conventional thinking that he chose a school whose bread and butter is basketball over a pair of institutions that make a living on the gridiron. But he welcomes the challenges associated with trying to turn a middling program into a powerhouse.
“The program right now is on the upswing,” he said. “I want to be a part of that. This is the school that fits me the best.”
Mossakowski has been in frequent contact with Kentucky quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator Randy Sanders. Sanders helped Andre Woodson develop into an NFL signal caller and spent time working with Peyton Manning while at the University of Tennessee. Mossakowski will likely redshirt as a freshman, giving him time to learn the system and adjust to the college game without losing a year of eligibility. That could all change if he wows the staff right out of the gate.
“If I go in and do really well they may take [the redshirt] away,” he said. “Next year is going to be wide open. It depends on how I make the transition.”
The towering Titan has arguably the best arm in the nation in the 2009 class. Rivals lists him as having the second best arm strength behind Matt Barkley of California. Mossakowski is also the ninth-rated pro-style quarterback in the country. If his dream of making it to the NFL doesn’t work out, he will teach and coach.
As a junior, the proficient gun slinger threw for 2,963 yards and 19 touchdowns to up his career total to 5,995 yards. He has also led Centennial in rushing each of the last two years.
His goal for his senior season is simple: make the playoffs.
“Just to experience that would be awesome,” Mossakowski said. “I hope it works out for us”
Oral commitments are nonbinding. The first day a football recruit in the 2009 class can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 4.
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