3 Priority Positions for Kentucky Football Recruiting

This week the Kentucky football team is returning to Lexington to report for summer workouts that begin Monday, June 5. Once the players are back on campus, the recruits will follow. Before official visit season kicks off, let’s take a closer look at the priority positions on UK’s Big Board.

The top priority has already been secured. Kentucky received a commitment and reclassification from Cutter Boley, giving the 2024 recruiting class some star power and momentum ahead of this important evaluation period. The Wildcats have a top 100 pledge from the most important position on a football team. Now it’s time to build around him.

1. EDGE

There are three types of players that can be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft: quarterbacks, offensive tackles and edge rushers. As for the latter, Kentucky can close on one or two big-time prospects in June.

Kentucky’s Youngstown connections have the Wildcats in contention for Brian Robinson. A top 200 prospect and one of the 15 best edge rusher in America, he’ll be on campus for an official visit next weekend with another talented four-star Edge, Jacob Smith. Smith’s twin brother, Jerod, is already committed to Michigan, once seen as the Wildcats’ top option for each player.

The Wolverines have loaded up early on commitments with 17 so far in 2024. There’s probably only enough room for one, maybe two more Edges. That appears to be Darien Mayo, a DMV prospect who picked up multiple RPM picks to Michigan last week. In other words, the Wolverines can’t get ’em all.

The table has been set for Kentucky to land a big fish or two at a priority position. It’s closing time and Kentucky needs to land either Smith or Robinson, with the latter feeling most likely. However, those aren’t the only available options. Dominic Nichols is a four-star prospect that has an official visit scheduled to Kentucky, but recently added an offer from Clemson. Another one to keep an eye on is Jewett Hayes. Vince Marrow has a close family connection to the riser from Cincinnati Moeller.

2. Offensive Tackle

What good is having a Top 100 QB if you can’t give him time to throw? Offensive tackle is a difficult position to recruit for a variety of reasons. One, there are only so many good ones out there, so there’s more competition for the best of the best. Secondly, not every blue chip is going to turn into a three-year starter like Landon Young and Darian Kinnard. Kentucky has picked up pledges from recruits with comparable ratings, but they haven’t produced like their predecessors.

Kentucky has plugged holes carefully in this transfer portal window, but it’s a dangerous game. The Wildcats have to get-right on the recruiting trail and there’s one man that could do that, Jac’Qawn “Shaq” McRoy. Ranked as a top three OT by two recruiting services, Kentucky was the first school to offer the 6-foot-8, 340-pounder from Alabama. The Wildcats have an official visit in June, but he’ll be at Oregon the following week and the Ducks are the favorite. It’s time for Zach Yenser and Liam Coen to pull out all of the stops.

If Kentucky cannot pull off the recruiting coup, there are other offensive tackles on the board. Three will be officially visiting the week before McRoy makes it to Lexington: Kevin Heywood, Fred Johnson and Jordan Floyd.

3. Running Back

Kentucky has a ton of running backs on the roster, but they aren’t going to be around much longer. Of the seven players in the room, four could be playing their final football season in Lexington next fall. The Wildcats need young playmakers at the position.

The addition of Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, who has up to three years of eligibility, certainly helps the situation. Before making the transfer portal move, the Cats needed two rushers in the 2024 class. Even with a little more wiggle room, two newcomers is still an option on the table.

The most recent addition to the big board is Duke Watson. Liam Coen made the trip to Atlanta shortly after the four-star talent decommitted from Georgia Tech. An official visit is in the works. Kentucky currently has two other running backs with official visits planned for June 16-18, Tovani Mizell and Johann Cardenas. Like Watson, Cardenas is a four-star prospect that recently reopened his recruitment, decommitting from Texas Tech to pursue other options.