Following is a "mock 1.0" 2025 UK class. There will be a "mock 2.0" in August or September, and a "mock 3.0" in the fall. This is offered simply to stimulate discussion. It is not intended as a firm prediction, because none of us (especially me) really has any idea at this early point what our December class will look like. As happens every year, there will be new names on UK's recruiting radar in the fall that we aren't even thinking about now.
This is not intended to be a wish list. If it was a wish list, it would include the best hs prospects in OH and the south. So it is just a reflexion of our currently reported recruiting momentum. For now, we will discuss in terms of a 20-man class although there is no telling how many scholarships will actually be invested in this class. We know Stoops will hold back some scholarships for transfers again.
A pre-OV "mock 1.0" 2025 UK recruiting class projection.
Offense
1. Stone Saunders, QB, Harrisburg, PA
2. Brennen Ward, QB, Columbus, OH
3. Marquise Davis, RB, Cleveland, OH
4. Quintin Simmons, WR, Cincinnati, OH
5. Tucker Kattus, OL, Cincinnati, OH
6. Dejerrian Miller, WR, St Louis, MO
7. Brody Lennon, TE, Gates Mills, OH
8. Darrin Strey, OL, Paw Paw, MI
9. Taren Hedrick, OL, Naples, FL
10. Jermiel Atkins, OL, Dayton, OH
Defense
1. Martels Carter, DB, Paducah, KY
2. Dalen Penson, DB, Tyrone, GA
3. Dyllon Williams, DB, Demopolis, AL
4. Noah King, DB, Hamilton, OH
5. Dewayne Galloway, DB, Columbus, OH
6. Javeon Campbell, DL, Frankfort, KY
7. Nicholas Smith, DL, Monroe, GA
8. Caleb Bell, DL, Alpharetta, GA
9. Cedric Works, LB, Clayton, OH
10. Jaiden Braker, LB, Snellville, GA
For those wondering why I think we have a reasonable shot at Caleb Bell, UK's coaches just offered him a scholarship less than a month ago. So this is a new recruitment with some momentum. The competition is basically NC St and AR, and there are some signs that our coaches are serious. We need interior defensive linemen. Bell is an interior defensive lineman, and his father is former Pittsburgh Steeler Kendrell Bell. My instinct on this may be wrong, but I think our coaches will press for an OV.
Jaiden Braker is being directly recruited by Coach White. Braker can play inside or outside and has the athleticism and frame to play Will LB or Alex Afari's hybrid LB role. Braker is a fit for Coach White. Basically, SCar and NC St are our competition. There are already "medium" crystal ball picks for SCar, but they are all logged by SCar insiders. But UK gets his final OV on June 21. So if Braker shows in Lexington on June 21, Coach White's chances are good. This is a guess, but not a wild one. You never know about recruiting.
There are no guarantees that "mock 3.0" next fall will look a whole lot like "mock 1.0" this weekend, because recruiting is among the least predictable of human behaviors. This is only one representation of how our recruiting momentum looks right now, prior to the OVs.