When four-star defensive end Za’Darius Smith out of East Mississippi CC committed to Kentucky out of the blue back in December of 2012, it sparked a bit of hope to kickstart the Mark Stoops era at Kentucky. Smith, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound monster, was down to Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Texas, but ended up signing with the Wildcats without even visiting campus.
The JUCO standout recorded 6.5 sacks and forced four fumbles in his final year at East Mississippi, earning National Junior College Football All-America honors in the process.
He was Stoops’ second commitment (JUCO tight end Steven Borden was the first) as the young head coach of the Wildcats, but at the time, it was a game-changer for the program.