Stephenson High School, located in Stone Mountain, Georgia, has produced some great football players throughout the years, and 2012 is no different.
Stephenson just adds to to the football-rich atmosphere Georgia provides, as it is easily one of the most competitive states regarding football.
Many schools have taken notice of the talent, including Kentucky. In fact, they seem to be showing a lot of interest in a Stephenson-duo: Shawn Blaylock, Jr. (above) and T.J. Moon (below).
Blaylock is a 6’2″ receiver, blessed with speed and quickness; Moon, a 5’9″ running back, bases his running game off strength and power.
Despite their physical differences, both still feel the same about Kentucky at this point.
“I’m very interested in Kentucky. I like how they play. They are easily in my top five,” Blaylock praised.
Moon echoes his feelings. “I’m pretty interest in Kentucky. I like what I have seen and I really want to see more.”
The duo also have a lot of the same teams looking at them. Kentucky, South Florida, Florida State, Memphis, and Michigan State have all expressed interest in the two juniors.
With that being said, there is a chance that the two could go to college together and continue their relationship as teammates. Both agree, it would not hurt their feelings, but they know they will do what is best for themselves.
“I would be more comfortable with T.J. going to the same school as me, but it won’t be the biggest part of my decision. I wouldn’t mind knowing I had a friend from day one on campus wit me though,” Blaylock explained.
“Shawn will definitely have some influence on my decision, but it won’t be huge. We will do what’s best for each other, and if that means choosing different paths, so be it,” Moon said.
While there is a possibility they will go their separate ways, there is one thing for sure: they plan to join each other on visits to see what colleges have to offer.
“I really want to visit Kentucky with my teammate T.J.,” Blaylock initially said when I first talked to him. “But I also would like to visit USF and Florida State to see what they offer.”
“I plan on going to see what Memphis has to offer,” Moon explained. “They have also shown a lot of interest in me.”
Blaylock can identify the teams recruiting him the toughest right now, easily citing Kentucky and USF as those chasing him the hardest, in a neck-and-neck race to this point.
However, Moon has a more difficult time determining his leaders. “It’s pretty hard to tell right now. I do know Kentucky is right up there, though.”
But both Stephenson skill position players like the attention Kentucky is giving them to this point.
“Kentucky is recruiting me really good. They send me a lot of letters, and they are not necessarily about athletics; I hear a lot about academics, and that impresses me,” Blaylock said open-minded.
Moon also has some impressions that leave him with a positive feeling about the ‘Cats:
“When I talk to the coaches, football is farthest away from the conversation. They ask about my family and how school is going. They really care about things outside football.”
However, when it comes to Memorial Day weekend, football will be all business for Moon and Blaylock, along with the staff at Kentucky. Both recruits plan to attend Kentucky’s Skills Challenge, hoping to showcase their skills.
Either way, this will be both players first trip to Lexington, and Blaylock’s words sum it up the best as to how anxious they are to check out Big Blue Country…
“I’m really excited to get up to Kentucky and see what they have to offer,” he said excitedly.
These two have Memorial Day marked down on their calendars, and Kentucky does too. You never know, a visit can always spark an opportunity and open new doors for opportunities.
At this point, that is what the Stephenson-duo is looking for.
Neither recruit has received an offer from Joker Phillips and Company, but after a live-combine, those things could change.
Kentucky fans will easily offer them with open arms.
Follow Garrett Tucker on Twitter [URL=”http://twitter.com/GTuckersports”]@GTuckersports[/URL] for more info on Kentucky recruiting.
