"He does everything he needs to do to make sure he is ready to play the game. His goal is to play on Sundays and he knows what he has to do to get there. In four or five years we are hoping to see him and Mister both playing on Sundays."
Kentucky recruiting coordinator Chuck Smith, who is also UK's linebackers coach, knows Wilson could be special.
"He is so athletic and so skilled," Smith said. "He's one of those kids we are anxious to get on the field and see how quickly he adjusts to what we do. Same with Mister. He could be outstanding, too."
Kentucky senior defensive tackle Corey Peters, another Central product, played a significant role in getting both players to UK.
"I wasn't at Central when Corey played, but when I coached against him we tried to run away from him," Scroggins said. "He comes back and talks to the kids all the time. He is a first-class kid.
"I've only met him a couple of times, but he always asks how I am doing or do I need him to talk to kids. He has taken a couple of kids under his wing and it shows with Cobble and Wilson coming to Kentucky. He was close friends with Cobble and Corey will take him and Ridge under his wing at UK this year."
Scroggins says Wilson's personality is much like Peters'.
"Ridge loves everybody. He will talk to everybody and Corey is like that," Scroggins said. "I have always said the best characteristic of Ridge is his great character. You can talk to him at any time and he will have a smile on his face. He can talk to you about anything and will.
"Cobble is the more quiet of the two. You have to pry him to talk to you and get in there and ask him those tough questions. But he is real likable kid, too."
The Louisville Central pipeline
Peters and Kentucky would like to continue that Louisville Central pipeline with linebacker Tim Patterson and receiver-cornerback Stephan Robinson. Scroggins says both should be in the mix for Mr. Football honors.
Scroggins says Patterson is an even better player than Wilson.
"Athletically Ridge is better. As a football player, Tim is way better than him. He is a true linebacker. You look at Ridge and sometimes catch him not putting his nose in there like a linebacker should. Tim is a kid who will knock a wall down. He will be the first one to put his helmet on and go get it. He is a true linebacker. He is going to be special," Scroggins said.
What about Robinson?
"He is coming on and his (recruiting) star rating going up. He does a lot of good things for us. We are going to move him around and give him the ball even more this year. When you run a 4.3 40 and can catch, good things are going to happen," Scroggins said.
" He has got lot better just running routes. Now we have a route runner with speed and he's dangerous. He's going to be special, too."
Scroggins says both players continue to go through the recruiting process.
"There are a couple of front-runners, but they don't want anybody to know yet," Scroggins said. "We are talking about getting this over before our season starts. I want them to enjoy their senior year. If they can get this recruiting over, then they can have fun this year because after this it is all business."
Neither took any unofficial visits this summer other than going to Louisville with Scroggins a couple of times.
"They both went to Kentucky last season and both like it," Scroggins said. "Joker (Phillips) does an excellent job recruiting. They are excited about UK and it doesn't hurt that Cobble and Ridge are there. I talked to Ridge and he's really doing well. That could have a big impact on them. Kids usually want to go somewhere that they know somebody, and that can only help UK in the recruiting process.
"I think they will eventually wind up going to the same school together and that school will be real lucky because they can both play. I'm just not quite sure yet where that school will be, but we could know soon."
Larry Vaught is sports editor at The Advocate-Messenger in Danville. He can be reached at larry@amnews.com.
