The Kentucky native recently finished off a stellar performance at the University of Kentucky camp and is eyeing a possible offer to the Wildcats after a strong performance.
"I liked it really well," Ratliff. "I threw the ball real well. In fact, probably the best I've thrown. It was nice to get my arm soar from throwing footballs, instead of baseballs."
In addition to the Kentucky camp, the 6-foot-4, 185 pound quarterback took in the NIKE Elite 11 quarterback tryout in Georgia.
"I got some great experience playing with some of the players that were there and some of the coaches," Ratliff stated. "They helped teach me how to run the fourty-yard dash, which I've been working on."
The hard work must have paid off as Ratliff ran a 4.81 forty-yard dash in front of the Kentucky coaching staff, much improved since he ran the fourty at Nike.
The Paintsville (Ky.) native also measured out at 6-foot-3, 1/4 inch, down from his 6-foot-4, measurement in April in Georgia, but good enough, nonetheless to make himself a legitament Division 1a prospect.
"(Kentucky) hasn't mentioned offering yet," Ratliff said. "Coach (Randy) Sanders was giving me some stuff to work on in my drops and stuff, but they definitely told me they liked the way I throw the ball. They told me I had a very strong arm and that they liked my release."
"Coach Ortmeyer is actually my recruiting coach for our area and he came and talked with me and Nathaniel (Dials) and told us that they were very interested and that they would be watching us our senior season."
Ratliff and Johnson Central will take to the road this summer and participate in passing tournaments across the state to prepare for the upcoming year. He does not plan on attending any teams camps.
A fan of the Wildcats since birth, J.K. is also considering Louisville, Marshall, Western Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky. The expectation is that once Ratliff's week one highlight tape surfaces, more schools will get involved.
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