4-star RB Marquise Davis commits to Kentucky

Cleveland Heights four-star running back Marquise Davis has committed to Kentucky.

He chose the Wildcats while also holding offers from the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame.

“What attracts me to Kentucky is the opportunity it comes with and how they prepare their running backs for success,” Davis told KSR recently. “The way they use their running backs in all aspects, it’s just like the NFL.”

Davis is the No. 183 overall prospect and No. 11 tailback in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 8 player in Ohio.

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Despite facing stout competition for the 5-foot-11, 200-pound burner, Kentucky was able to land Davis’ pledge. The combination of established RBs coach Jay Boulware and touted recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow helped push the Cats over the top for Davis — who now becomes UK’s top-ranked pledge in the 2025 cycle.

Davis was in Lexington for a Junior Day visit in February. He now joins Philadelphia St. Joseph’s three-star Isaiah West as running backs in Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class.

He is the highest-rated prospect in Kentucky’s 2025 class and is joined by Cincinnati Withrow blue-chip wide receiver Quintin Simmons.

Last cycle, UK signed 23 prospects. The class includes five top-300 prospects, headlined by Austintown (Ohio) Westerville North four-star EDGE Brian Robinson.

“What made Kentucky the right school for me was the consistency. It never changed from day one,” Robinson told On3 upon his commitment. “Kentucky was always one of my favorite schools, even when they had other schools crystalballed higher than Kentucky, Kentucky never treated me differently. They never wavered in their consistency. They were the first Power 5 school to offer me.

Stoops and his staff also protected home turf in the last cycle, as they signed the top five players in Kentucky, including Corbin High twin brothers — four-star DL Jerod Smith and four-star EDGE Jacob Smith — as well Hodgenville Lexington Christian Academy four-star QB Cutter Boley.