10 Kentucky Football signees will enroll early, including Kiyaunta Goodwin

Several of Kentucky’s incoming recruits will get a head start once the new year rolls around. The Wildcats expect to have 10 signees from the 2022 class enroll at UK early and begin their college careers in Lexington this January.

Of the 10, both transfers–Auburn’s Tashawn Manning and Virginia Tech’s Tayvion Robinson–are included among the bunch, as is five-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin, who officially signed with Kentucky on Thursday afternoon.

Joining those three will be four-stars Grant Bingham (OT) and Dane Key (WR), along with three-stars Tomiwa Durojaiye (DL), Quentel Jones (DL), Elijah Reed (CB), and Andre Stewart (CB). To round out the group, top-ranked JUCO cornerback Zahquan Frazier will also enroll in January.

With the addition of Kiyaunta Goodwin, Kentucky will have 10 early enrollees arriving January. Three transfers and the top-ranked player in the class. Very good news. https://t.co/o13eMNQ1dG

— Adam Luckett (@AdamLuckettKSR) December 16, 2021

Getting these players onto campus as soon as possible, particularly Goodwin and the rest of his fellow freshmen, will be a significant boost in their development. They’ll be able to play all throughout the spring while learning how to execute at the college level and understanding the new systems. Those few extra months can prove to be critical in how they perform from day one. It’ll also be an important stretch for the transfers as they too need time to learn what schemes the coaches are teaching them.

Ahead of the 2021 season, Kentucky saw the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson, Jager Burton, and Justice Dingle enroll early. The 2020 season included players such as D’Eryk Jackson, JuTahn McClain, and Andru Phillips while 2019 featured Eli Cox, Brandin Echols, Isaiah Gibson, and plenty others. In short, those first few months can help set a player up for quick or immediate success.

Kentucky typically brings in 8-10 early enrollees from every recruiting class, so this year’s figure lines up with history. For the two transfers, JUCO cornerback, and Goodwin–who could all see the field on day one–getting ahead of the curve is no small thing.