State of 2025 Recruiting

[Rembrandt90]

Lost our way with getting any 4 star OL. I know, can't go by stars all the time. But it seems three fourths of our 3 star OL do not turn into 4 stars. It's like we are on the outside looking in for high ranked linemen. We do OK with most other positions. Maybe Wolford will be able to transfer a couple of the 3 stars into 4 stars.

Okay, you conceded we "can't go by stars all the time". But I don't get the concern about star ratings in the first place. By now, everyone should have seen the results and learned from them. Bunchy Stallings and Logan Stenberg were low three star prospects who became All Americans at UK. Luke Fortner and Kenneth Horsey were also lightly recruited low 3 stars. Grant Bingham, Tanner Bowles, and Jager Burton were 4 stars. Kiyaunta Goodwin was a borderline 5 star. Let's learn the lesson.

 

[mrschwump]

Yes, again, this goes to show that online player rankings are not as informative as a player's offer sheet. Why? Because we are comparing evaluations made by college coaching staffs to online evaluations from website talking heads who are not college coaches. If a hs player holds offers from MO, MI, and WI (as Tucker Kattus reportedly does), we can be confident he is a good addition to our class. Not only that, Tucker comes from St Xavier hs in Cincinati and his father Eric Kattus played for MI and in the NFL. Nice pedigree.

People need to realize these on line eval guys are out to make money, consequently they'll skewer their eval toward the schools with a high number of subscribers. That's OK, that's their job, just don't be fooled by it.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Jayveon Campbell up to 17 offers including Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, Auburn, ND. Hope UK can convince him to stay in state.

Still learning the game. Great frame, huge upside. Our coaches are all over Campbell, but it will be a difficult recruitment. The rumor is that distance from home (Frankfort) matters to him and he wants to announce his decision in July or August. Looks like it could be UK, GA, OH St, or ND. Who knows? There will be more offers.

 

[Rembrandt90]

What about that said No Austin Alexander. That is a list of uncommitted players and he added two guys at the bottom. That isn’t a list of guys they’re recruiting. They’re is a good chance he goes elsewhere but they are recruiting him

FWIW I'm sure Coach Marrow still talks with Alexander. But I see no public evidence at this point that would signal a significant interest by Alexander in UK. Things can change, of course, but the evidence I have seen suggests Alexander is primarily looking at ND, NC, and WI. I won't be surprised to see TN slip into the picture. Coach White's roster is stacked with good young players at DE and Jack LB. Of course, good players know they will face competition at SEC programs. But UK's defensive roster is loaded right now in the front seven.

 

[Uncle Adolph]

FWIW I'm sure Coach Marrow still talks with Alexander. But I see no public evidence at this point that would signal a significant interest by Alexander in UK. Things can change, of course, but the evidence I have seen suggests Alexander is primarily looking at ND, NC, and WI. I won't be surprised to see TN slip into the picture. Coach White's roster is stacked with good young players at DE and Jack LB. Of course, good players know they will face competition at SEC programs. But UK's defensive roster is loaded right now in the front seven.

Wonder why an in-state kid would not at least have some interest in his home state school and in playing in the best conference in the country ?

 

[The-Hack]

Let's learn the lesson.

I have never discerned any actual accuracy between HS Ratings of O-linemen and actual performance.

I love the Star system, but it is massively flawed for O-linemen.

 

[The-Hack]

Wonder why an in-state kid would not at least have some interest in his home state school and in playing in the best conference in the country ?

When I was 17, I was going to be an F-15 pilot.

And I get sea sick watching planes fly
over my farm.

You never know about these kids, or their perceptions.

How many Kentucky/Cincy HS studs have we seen head to FarFlungU only to quietly transfer back to Kentucky?

 

[travisbickle]

Still learning the game. Great frame, huge upside. Our coaches are all over Campbell, but it will be a difficult recruitment. The rumor is that distance from home (Frankfort) matters to him and he wants to announce his decision in July or August. Looks like it could be UK, GA, OH St, or ND. Who knows? There will be more offers.

Think he’s going to announce in June and I agree that distance from home is going to be a factor. Amazing that he’s never played before and already has this impressive of an offer sheet.

 

[EdgeHD]

Wonder why an in-state kid would not at least have some interest in his home state school and in playing in the best conference in the country ?

I suppose you would have to ask him. Many instate players across the country leave home to attend school in other states. Not everyone wants to stay at home for college.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Okay, you conceded we "can't go by stars all the time". But I don't get the concern about star ratings in the first place. By now, everyone should have seen the results and learned from them. Bunchy Stallings and Logan Stenberg were low three star prospects who became All Americans at UK. Luke Fortner and Kenneth Horsey were also lightly recruited low 3 stars. Grant Bingham, Todd Bowles, and Jager Burton were 4 stars. Kiyaunta Goodwin was a borderline 5 star. Let's learn the lesson.

One of the main reasons we can't hit that next level up. Some 3 stars do work out but to have that one and two level talent like the AL's and GA's our OL needs a mixture of higher talented players to go with the 3 stars that do work out. Wolford should improve the coaching up some but that can only go so far. Sounds like he is pretty hard core with the players and hopefully he can help our recruiting at that position get over the hump.

 

[vhcat70]

People need to realize these on line eval guys are out to make money, consequently they'll skewer their eval toward the schools with a high number of subscribers. That's OK, that's their job, just don't be fooled by it.

Stars before high interest/commitment to a school are skewed. After commitment star changes I think are largely based on who the big guys wanted & got commitments from; i.e., going up. Their recruits do largely pan out over lesser programs' imo.

 

[Rembrandt90]

One of the main reasons we can't hit that next level up. Some 3 stars do work out but to have that one and two level talent like the AL's and GA's our OL needs a mixture of higher talented players to go with the 3 stars that do work out. Wolford should improve the coaching up some but that can only go so far. Sounds like he is pretty hard core with the players and hopefully he can help our recruiting at that position get over the hump.

You are still equating stars with talent. Performance history shows the narrative doesn't hold up. Goodwin was a great illustration of what's wrong with it. Goodwin, a borderline 5 star, was really big but badly out of shape with a low football IQ. Stoops took him because he had to. Instate politics. Tanner Bowles, Grant Bingham, Deondre Buford, John Young - large guys whose talent level was not reflected by their high online player ratings. Bunchy Stallings, Logan Stenburg, Luke Fortner, Kenneth Horsey - very lightly recruited players who became all-SEC at UK.

Sure, there are some guys with high online player ratings like Darrian Kinnard, Landon Young, and Drake Jackson who had nice online player ratings and lived up to them. But it is a crap shoot, and more so on the OL than at any other position. History has proven this. In 2021 UK had a stellar OL with Fortner, Horsey, Cox, Dotson, Rosenthal, and Kinnard, four of whom no other Power 5 teams wanted. There is no point in pretending otherwise anymore. Even now, I am confident Tucker Kattus will be a multiyear starter and a good player for us, despite his relatively low online prospect rating, because I understand his pedigree and have watched a lot of his film.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Another 2025 recruiting update. Current UK class-

Stone Saunders, QB, Harrisburg, PA
Quintin Simmons, slotR, Cincinnati, OH
Brennan Ward, QB, Columbus, OH
Isaiah West, RB, Philadelphia, PA

As we know, UK's coaches are recruiting a long list of prospects. Typically, committable offers are confirmed in written letters from Coach Stoops in August. Sometimes verbal commitments are accepted before August, but many important commitments happen between August and January every year. That's one reason (among many) that summertime class rankings are utterly meaningless and fans should just ignore them.

Prior to the summer, the recruiting process is largely (not totally) an effort by UK's coaches to figure out which prospects on their 'A-list" are most serious about visiting Lexington. If a prospect won't OV, you aren't going to be able to sign them. Until this year, the NCAA allowed only 5 OVs. Now, though, OVs are unlimited by the new rule. So when a prospect agrees to make an OV now, that won't tell us as much about the strength of his interest as it used to.

With that being the case, UK's coaches are still talking with a lot of prospects, some of whom will (but some will not) receive committable offers from UK next August for various reasons. Recent additions of Coaches Hamdan, Wolford, and Shorts to our staff inevitably leads to a reordering of priorities for our list of offensive prospects, especially at WR and OL.

Based on recent news from multiple sources and publicly reported travel activities by our staff, here are some uncommitted prospects still likely to be active UK recruiting priorities-

Hunter Adams, LB, Lexington, KY
Mason Alexander, DB, Fishers, IN
Dillon Alfred, slotR, Saraland, AL
Jermiel Atkins, OL, Dayton, OH
Brian Auguste, OL, Pompano Beach, FL
Byron Baldwin, DB, Towson, MD
Rowan Byrne, OL, New Rochelle, NY
Brandon Caesar, DL, Cleveland, OH
Javeon Campbell, DL, Frankfort, KY
Michael Carroll, OL, Doylestown, PA
Marvels Carter, DB, Paducah, KY
Cam Clark, OL, Dexter, MI
Jayden Clark, OL, Northmont, OH
Marquise Davis, RB, Cleveland, OH
Iose Epenesa, LB, Edwardsville, IL
Ja'kayden Ferguson, WR, Missouri City, TX
Avery Gach, OL, Franklin, MI
Dawayne Galloway, DB, Columbus, OH
Christian Gass, LB, Covington, GA
Luka Gilbert, TE, W Chester, OH
Dontrell Glover, OL, Fairburn, GA
Rafael Greene, OL, Cincinnati, OH
Taren Hedrick, OL, Naples, FL
Justin Hill, LB, Cincinnati, OH
Eugene Hilton, WR, Zionsville, IN
Jack James, ATH, Paducah, KY
Josh Johnson, DB, Ironton, OH
Tucker Kattus, OL, Cincinnati, OH
Gerritt Kemp, WR, Dacula, GA
Tyler Kielmeyer, TE, Westerville, OH
Kaleb Lanier, DB, Decatur, GA
Brody Lennon, TE, Gates Mills, OH
Andrew Marsh, WR, Fulshear, TX
Dante McClellan, ATH, Canton, OH
Cameron Miller, DB, Atco, NJ
Dejerrian Miller, WR, St Louis, MO
Tyler Miller, OL, Laurel, MS
Tristan Norman, slotR, Montgomery, AL
Lantz Pascal, LB, Ft Lauderdale, FL
Josh Petty, OL, Roswell, GA
Cannon Pigg, DL/TE, Florence, AL
Kentrell Rinehart, RB, Galloway, OH
Mason Short, OL, Evans, GA
Corey Sims, WR, St Louis, MO
Isaac Sowells, OL, Louisville, KY
Seaonta Stewart, ATH, Cincinnati, OH
Darrin Strey, OL, Paw Paw, MI
Jayquan Stubbs, DL, Cleveland, OH
Tavion Wallace, LB, Jesup, GA
Jacobe Ward, OL, Savannah, GA
Trennedy Whatley, ATH, Fayetteville, GA
Caleb Williams, DL, Chesterfield, VA
Dyllon Williams, DB, Demopolis, AL
Kamare Williams, WR, Delray Beach, FL
Cedric Works, LB, Clayton, OH
N'Kye Wynn, OL, Muskegon, MI
Keon Young, DB, Lakeland, FL

This list does not include a number of prospects previously suspected to be UK targets and discussed here earlier, simply because there has been no recent news of UK coaches visiting them or of them planning to visit UK. Obviously, that could quickly change with new news. Aveion Chenault, Grant Beerman, Nolan Davenport for example.

It's also likely that new UK Coaches Shorts and Wolford are still evaluating recruiting film and making decisions about which WR and OL prospects to pursue most
vigorously with the available scholarships.

I can now add some other names to this list of players known from current public information to be under active recruitment by UK's coaching staff. Most of these players are scheduling OVs or UVs to UK in the next 3-4 months.

Eidan Buchanan, OL, Olney, MD
Ladarian Clardy, DB, Pensacola, FL
Nolan Davenport, OL, Massillon, OH
Cortez Harris, LB, Upper Marlboro, MD
Dalen Penson, DB, Tyrone, GA
Graceson Littleton, DB, Tampa, FL
Cashus Shivers, DB, Detroit, MI
Hardy Watts, OL, Brookline, MA

BTW, I was watching game film from Martels Carter the other day. This guy has remarkable acceleration and burst. He runs like he has been shot out of a cannon, very impressive and strong. And all current indications are that he is probably a UK-lean.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

You are still equating stars with talent. Performance history shows the narrative doesn't hold up. Goodwin was a great illustration of what's wrong with it. Goodwin, a borderline 5 star, was really big but badly out of shape with a low football IQ. Stoops took him because he had to. Instate politics. Tanner Bowles, Grant Bingham, Deondre Buford, John Young - large guys whose talent level was not reflected by their high online player ratings. Bunchy Stallings, Logan Stenburg, Luke Fortner, Kenneth Horsey - very lightly recruited players who became all-SEC at UK.

Sure, there are some guys with high online player ratings like Darrian Kinnard, Landon Young, and Drake Jackson who had nice online player ratings and lived up to them. But it is a crap shoot, and more so on the OL than at any other position. History has proven this. In 2021 UK had a stellar OL with Fortner, Horsey, Cox, Dotson, Rosenthal, and Kinnard, four of whom no other Power 5 teams wanted. There is no point in pretending otherwise anymore. Even now, I am confident Tucker Kattus will be a multiyear starter and a good player for us, despite his relatively low online prospect rating, because I understand his pedigree and have watched a lot of his film.

Being a little more clear, I want 3 and 4 stars that can play. I want a 3 star over a 4 star that is better. But we can't know that till they get here. The AL classes from 22 and 23 had about 7 or 8 four star OL, one 5 star and two 3 stars. That is pretty much the norm for them. What I am saying is it is fine to take a 3 star like a Kattus when you research all about him. He is probably going to be a really good player here. But there is a reason AL is where they are compared to us. They take 3 stars but overwhelmingly have a lot more 4 stars than us. And while a few may not pan out when you put 4 or 5 classes together with mostly 4 stars more of them are going to rank higher talent wise than a school like us with mostly 3 star OL. Yes, we could be a solid team with the right three stars but still say if we want to get to the upper level the talent on the lines have at least come close to matching the GA's and AL's. It all starts on the lines as most important then will be easier to raise other positons a notch more.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Being a little more clear, I want players that can play regardless of star ratings.

Fixed it for you.

It all starts on the lines.

Right there, without any doubt. Much like the accuracy of online player ratings, we know this because we see it on the field.

 

[vhcat70]

I miss John Schlarman.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Wonder why an in-state kid would not at least have some interest in his home state school and in playing in the best conference in the country ?

I don't think there is any single answer. But the flip side is why would any out of state kid choose to come to UK? Wouldn't be very many good teams if every kid played for

 

[BluegrassSportsNet]

Mason Short 4 star OL got prediction from Steve Wiltfong to go to Georgia

 

[EdgeHD]

Andrew Stargel, OG from Roswell, Georgia will visit Kentucky June 21.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Mason Short 4 star OL got prediction from Steve Wiltfong to go to Georgia

Been a big change here, he was all Clemson after decomitting from Bama and then something changed. Announcing April 5.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Been a big change here, he was all Clemson after decomitting from Bama and then something changed. Announcing April 5.

He plays for a program that has been up and down over the years, but weekly plays in the toughest area in the state. Lots of P5/P4 or whatever they are called now there. So he has faced the best kids in Georgia almost on a weekly basis.

 

[EdgeHD]

How many Kentucky/Cincy HS studs have we seen head to FarFlungU only to quietly transfer back to Kentucky?

Dunn, Henry-Young. Can't blame them for being interested in Ohio State, but glad they are Wildcats now.

There are also kids like Damien Harris and Jedrick Wills who follow their dreams and do well somewhere else. Good for them. Keep in mind that is how we got All Americans Bowden and Kinnard. It is how we got Barion Brown, Deone Walker, and Trevin Wallace. Everyone is different.

 

[SPECT imaging]

Haven't seen it pointed out but all 5 commitments are on the offensive side. Any defensive commitments coming? Carter?

 

[WildcatofNati2]

Dunn, Henry-Young. Can't blame them for being interested in Ohio State, but glad they are Wildcats now.

There are also kids like Damien Harris and Jedrick Wills who follow their dreams and do well somewhere else. Good for them. Keep in mind that is how we got All Americans Bowden and Kinnard. It is how we got Barion Brown, Deone Walker, and Trevin Wallace. Everyone is different.

Also, the biggest one of all of that category- Wandale.

 

[RDF922]

Haven't seen it pointed out but all 5 commitments are on the offensive side. Any defensive commitments coming? Carter?

I’d say Carter is gonna be a Cat but remember 2024 recruiting class was HEAVY on Defensive side. It will balance the numbers out for sure.

Someone smarter than me can figure it out but I’d say most teams roster more defensive players than offensive?

 

[Bereacat420]

Haven't seen it pointed out but all 5 commitments are on the offensive side. Any defensive commitments coming? Carter?

I think he commits soon. Looking at the roster I would say the main def needs are CB and DL. Though they will add more

 

[mrschwump]

I think he commits soon. Looking at the roster I would say the main def needs are CB and DL. Though they will add more

UK will lose a lot in the DL, need a big DL class in '25....unless they hit the portal hard.

 

[SPECT imaging]

UK will lose a lot in the DL, need a big DL class in '25....unless they hit the portal hard.

Losing Ox, Hayes, Rybka, and Walker off the DL. A bunch of top talent will return but mostly young. Silver should be a stalwart. High hopes for Gilbert, Gadson, Robinson, and Jerod Smith. Time for Saunders to show what he's got. Could use a couple of bigguns in this class. Campbell?

 

[Cole World]

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Talk going around that we may be in a good position for big Cedric Works. A four star that is already 6-5 240 and a top 200 player, we offered almost a year ago and have built up a strong relationship with him. Penn St also being seriously considered, seems we battle them a lot for recruits we are after.

 

[Bereacat420]

Talk going around that we may be in a good position for big Cedric Works. A four star that is already 6-5 240 and a top 200 player, we offered almost a year ago and have built up a strong relationship with him. Penn St also being seriously considered, seems we battle them a lot for recruits we are after.

It looks like PSU has an OV end of May and we get him for an OV June 21st. 247 has him top 100

 

[mrschwump]

It looks like PSU has an OV end of May and we get him for an OV June 21st. 247 has him top 100

The prospects of teaming this player with Campbell and B. Robinson in a future UK DL makes me all tingly.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Talk going around that we may be in a good position for big Cedric Works. A four star that is already 6-5 240 and a top 200 player, we offered almost a year ago and have built up a strong relationship with him. Penn St also being seriously considered, seems we battle them a lot for recruits we are after.

Interesting observations. PA St and UK both recruit heavily inside OH, so there is often competition. I believe we have a shot to sign Works. He will OV UK, so that says something. Coach White's defensive roster already has Tyreese Fearbry, Jacob Smith, Noah Matthews, and Caleb Redd coming back at Jack LB. All of those guys have length and talent. Still, Coach White wants Works. That says a lot. It won't be easy to sign him.

 

[Rembrandt90]

I can now add some other names to this list of players known from current public information to be under active recruitment by UK's coaching staff. Most of these players are scheduling OVs or UVs to UK in the next 3-4 months.

Eidan Buchanan, OL, Olney, MD
Ladarian Clardy, DB, Pensacola, FL
Nolan Davenport, OL, Massillon, OH
Cortez Harris, LB, Upper Marlboro, MD
Dalen Penson, DB, Tyrone, GA
Graceson Littleton, DB, Tampa, FL
Cashus Shivers, DB, Detroit, MI
Hardy Watts, OL, Brookline, MA

BTW, I was watching game film from Martels Carter the other day. This guy has remarkable acceleration and burst. He runs like he has been shot out of a cannon, very impressive and strong. And all current indications are that he is probably a UK-lean.

More new UK offers to uncommitted 2025 prospects-

Johnny Arneus, slotR, Ft Lauderdale, FL
Lebron Hill, WR, Hammond, IN
Andrew Stargel, OL, Roswell, GA

 

[Cole World]

 

[maroon79]

I’ll take em

 

[mebeblue2]

Offers is where it’s at.
Stars bring in $$$$ to the sites.

how many high 4 star and 5 star players have you seen with low offers

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

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Keep an eye on another 4 star RB from Cleveland. Marquise Davis is a 6-1 195 RB that will be visiting MI and TN but has a good relationship with Marrow.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Here is an uncommitted prospect to watch.

Bryan Auguste, OL, Pompano Beach, FL

This is another example of an underrated prospect. The online rating is obviously too low.

Auguste is 6'5" 300#. UK is his only current SEC offer, but already holds 3 ACC, 2 B10, and 1 B12 offer. Back in January, Auguste was invited to FL St's junior day. So a FL St offer may be coming.

Auguste is being recruited by Coach Wolford, who became aware of him while working for Nick Saban at AL. Auguste has excellent size, and was a star LT for a Monarch hs team that made the semifinals of the state of FL's 4M playoffs. So he has faced and excelled against good hs competition. He UVed UK last week and will OV in June. It will be interesting to see what his offer sheet looks like by June. Another OL name to watch.

 

[Rembrandt90]

Keep an eye on another 4 star RB from Cleveland. Marquise Davis is a 6-1 195 RB that will be visiting MI and TN but has a good relationship with Marrow.

LaVell Wright has entered the transfer portal, and Chip Trayanum and DSK will use up their eligibility in 2024. UK's current RB roster includes freshmen Jamarion Wilcox, Jason Patterson, and Tovani Mizell. As everyone on this thread already knows, UK holds a verbal commitment from RB Isaiah West out of Philadelphia. Stoops and Hamdan need one more RB in the 2024 class but they are in a position to be picky.

UK's offensive coaches are still actively recruiting these other 2024 RB prospects-

Marquise Davis, Cleveland, OH
Bo Jackson, Cleveland, OH
Kentrell Rinehart, Galloway, OH

Davis is for real. As BigBlueManSouthCentralKY said, Davis has a stellar offer sheet. His recruitment is therefore difficult. But Davis will OV UK on June 14. That's a big step. My take at this point is that UK's coaches seriously want Davis. I am inclined to doubt UK can sign Jackson, and I'm not sure how vigorously we are still recruiting Rinehart. But December is still a long way off, and a lot of things could change by then.