Kemp joins Gabbert at MU
February 7, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Two years ago, DeSmet wide receiver Wes Kemp and Parkway West quarterback Blaine Gabbert made a pact to go to Mizzou together. Since their freshman years, the two had worked out together every summer and every Sunday after high school basketball season ended.
With such a rapport, they thought they would make good teammates.
Then circumstances changed. Gabbert orally committed to Nebraska, and Kemp chose Wisconsin.
But Wednesday, Gabbert and Kemp kept their original promise to each other and signed with Mizzou.
"A couple months ago, Gabbert called me and told me that it was time for me to hold up my side of the bet," Kemp said. "I thought I was still going to Wisconsin, but things changed around there. I just looked things over, and I think Mizzou was the best place for me."
Gabbert headlines the class as the lone — and Mizzou's first — five-star recruit. But the class overall, built around three-star recruits, is the Tigers' best since Gary Pinkel took over the program in 2001.
"The players that we signed today are the future of Missouri football," Pinkel said. "I never ever heard a coach come out on recruiting day and say 'We just didn't do a very good job. It just didn't work out.' I'm not going to say that today either. I feel very good about the class. I think we continue to recruit speed and athleticism.
"We have a lot of balance across the board of what we want to hit. With every position we hit about exactly like we wanted to. A lot of times you don't hit that, but this year it happened."
Pinkel said Mizzou exceeded numbers with five offensive linemen and four defensive linemen. Originally, offensive coordinator Dave Christensen said, the Tigers planned on four offensive linemen, but when four-star prospect Dan Hoch of Harlen, Iowa, showed interest in the Tigers, the team cleared a spot. The Tigers lost some offensive line depth this season with the graduation of Adam Spieker and Tyler Luellen, and with James Stigall leaving the team for personal reasons.
Wide receiver is one of the few other positions at which recruits could see immediate playing time. The Tigers return four scholarship wide receivers from last year's 12-2 team, and there are two open spots on the two-deep that could be filled by Kemp, Michael Egnew (Plainview, Texas), Jerrell Jackson (Houston), Gahn McGaffie (Galena Park, Texas) or Rolandis Woodland (Cincinnati).
Kemp said he didn't initially commit to the Tigers because of some uncertainty at quarterback. Kemp said he worried whether Missouri's spread offense would be able to thrive without Heisman Trophy candidate Chase Daniel, who is entering his senior season. Gabbert and high school junior Blaine Dalton of Blue Springs South, who has verbally committed for next year, eased Kemp's concerns.
"They really opened things up with Chase Daniel, and things are going to stay open with Blaine Gabbert and Blaine Dalton coming in the future," he said.
Kemp was one of seven players the Tigers snagged from other schools. Gabbert (Nebraska), Hoch (Nebraska), offensive lineman Taylor Davis (Tulsa), tight end Will Ebner (Houston), defensive lineman Marcus Malbrough (Iowa) and defensive lineman Jacquies Smith (Baylor) also orally committed elsewhere.
"When you have the success that we have, we're knocking on doors where we probably weren't in the neighborhood before," Christensen said. "We were able to go after a lot more high-profile athletes than maybe in the past."
