3-Star WR Ja'Kayden Ferguson on Kentucky Commitment: 'I'm Coming Home'
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Kentucky Football had a successful recruiting weekend. One of the big fish they reeled in was three-star Ja’Kayden Ferguson. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver committed to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon following his visit. He tells KSR+ that he plans to enroll in December.
Ferguson sat down with KSR+ for an interview shortly after his commitment. He talked about his reasons for committing, his bond with the coaching staff, his thoughts on the wide receiver room, and his own game.
“I’m coming home,” Ferguson said.
A Strong Bond with Daikel Shorts
If you ask Ja’Kayden Ferguson who the main influence was in his commitment to Kentucky, there’s a clear answer. It’s Kentucky’s wide receiver coach Daikel Shorts.
“Coach Shorts had a lot to do with it. I’ve been connected with him since my freshman year,” Ferguson said. “We’ve kept a strong relationship.”
Meeting head coach Mark Stoops and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan certainly helped put Kentucky across the finish line; however, it was Shorts that really had the biggest impact.
“What sealed the deal was Coach Shorts,” Ferguson said. “He made everything make sense. Going into the visit, he and I had the strongest relationship. They really had a strong lead. Going out there, seeing Kentucky for itself, seeing the fans and all the people of Kentucky, and how they support the team made me commit.”
Shorts has recruited Ferguson since his freshman year. When Shorts made the move from Houston to Kentucky over the offseason, the chance to recruit at an SEC level made his an even stronger appeal.
“It’s an SEC team. His coming from a Big 12 school to an SEC school was big for me,” Ferguson said. “I’ve always wanted to play in the SEC.”
A Growing Receiver Room at Kentucky
Ja’Kayden Ferguson is already building a bond with his future teammates. He sees an opportunity to break in pretty quickly.
“The receiver room right now has a lot of guys who are going to graduate or go to the pros,” Ferguson said. “The receiver room is going to get really light. Hardley [Gilmore] and I are going to have a really good time up there in the receiver room.”
Gilmore, a current freshman wide receiver on Kentucky’s roster, is a player Ferguson is very close with. The two have known each other since Ferguson was 15 years old.
“He loves it [at Kentucky]. They take of him and know what they’re doing,” Ferguson said. “It’s a great coaching staff. The OC recruited Chris Marshall, the five-star who came out of our school. Chris was letting me know that the OC is going to take care of us. I’m big on relationships.”
Ferguson also connected with fellow 2025 Kentucky wide receiver commit Quintin Simmons on the visit. Simmons is the No. 47-ranked wide receiver in the nation.
“We just got locked in up there during the OV,” he said. “We’re locked in.”
More Yahtzees to Come?
Ja’Kayden Ferguson may have committed, but his work isn’t done yet. Now, he wants to do some recruiting of his own at Kentucky.
“I want to get Andrew Marsh up there with me,” he said.
Marsch, a 6-foot-0.5, 175-pound wideout from Katy Jordan (Fulshear, TX) is the nation’s No. 10-ranked wide receiver. He is taking an official visit to Kentucky this week.
“Every day I’m texting him, ‘Commit, commit, commit,'” Ferguson said.
Ja’Kayden Ferguson’s Game
Three-star wide receiver Ja’Kayden Ferguson of Fort Bend (TX) Marshall is the nation’s No. 520 overall prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Ferguson as the No. 51 wide receiver and the No. 57 best player in Texas.
“I’ve got a long frame,” Ferguson said. “I can move inside and out. I have great hips, great ball skills, and I attack every ball at the highest point.”
Before enrolling at Kentucky, Ferguson is looking to get stronger. He wants to get up to 180 pounds by December.
“I want to come in and get a good spot on the team,” Ferguson said. “I want to get in on special teams, get reps on offense, and learn the playbook as fast as I can.”
