2024 Kentucky Early Enrollees: Hardley Gilmore is already practicing

Each year the National Signing Day celebration serves as commencement for most of the Kentucky football recruiting class. Early in the Mark Stoops era, only a handful of players arrived for the spring semester. Now almost the entire class will be early enrollees.

Kentucky will have 18 early enrollees join the team for spring practice in 2024. That includes the six additions from the transfer portal. If you’re doing the math, that’s more than 57% of the players in the Wildcats’ 2024 high school recruiting class.

One of the early enrollees is already on campus in Kentucky blue. Hardley Gilmore, a four-star wide receiver from Florida, has begun practicing with the Wildcats.

“He is here. I don’t really want to get into the details with some of that, but we had a waiver with some extenuating circumstances that he is here,” said Kentucky’s head coach.

Gilmore can practice, but he cannot play in the Gator Bowl against Clemson. Originally a member of the 2025 recruiting class, he reclassified and announced the news by officially visiting Kentucky. Penn State and UCF were also involved in his recruitment. From the Glades region of south central Florida, he’s trying to join the more than 60 football players from “The Muck Bowl” that made it to the NFL.

“Where he comes from, I have great respect for a lot of tough guys that come from there, guys that can run,” said Stoops. “He has all of the skills you’re looking for at wide receiver. He’s out there, trying to put it together right now, but a great young man, always has a smile on his face, always works hard, so we’re excited about that.”

2024 Kentucky Football Early Enrollees

Brock Vandagriff, Quarterback, Georgia
Ja’Mori Maclin, Wide Receiver, North Texas & Missouri
Chip Trayanum, Running Back, Ohio State & Arizona State
Raymond Cottrell, Wide Receiver, Texas A&M
Jalen Farmer, Offensive Lineman, Florida
Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Linebacker, Georgia
Cutter Boley, Quarterback, Lexington
Hardley Gilmore IV, Wide Receiver, Pahokee (FL)
Hayes Johnson, Offensive Lineman, Taylor County
Jiquavious “Quavo” Marshall, Defensive Back, Macon (GA)
Terhyon Nichols, Cornerback, Cincinnati
Jason Patterson, Running Back, Sneads (FL)
Aba Selm, Offensive Line, Independence
Antwan Smith, Inside Linebacker, Atlanta
Jacob Smith, Outside Linebacker, Corbin
Jerod Smith, Defensive Lineman, Corbin
Steven Soles, Inside Linebacker, Powell (TN)

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