3-star DL Kamari Burns discusses top 6, Kentucky recruitment

Kentucky Football expects a massive recruiting weekend coming up for this Saturday’s annual Blue-White Spring Game, and one of the visitors just included the Wildcats among his top 6.

Kamari Burns, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound class of 2023 defensive lineman, dropped his top 6 list of preferred college programs on Monday. Kentucky, led by associate head coach Vince Marrow, made the cut, as did Cincinnati, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Indiana. Currently playing his high school ball at Gahanna Lincoln (OH), Burns is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Ohio State’s campus in Columbus, which continues to monitor his development, as well.

It’s been a breakout 2022 campaign for Burns, who went from zero Divison I offers in December to now holding 17 scholarships after Virginia Tech extended one on Wednesday. He’s considered the No. 503 overall class of 2023 recruit in the country and the No. 12 prospect from the state of Ohio, according to the On3 Consensus.

#AGTG pic.twitter.com/55X06wgFsm

— Kamari Burns (@kamariburns18) April 4, 2022

Burns will be in Lexington this weekend for the Spring Game at Kroger Field, his second time coming to campus after initially making it down to watch Kentucky upset Florida on Oct. 2. The high school junior spoke with KSR on Wednesday to discuss all of his top schools, along with some additional information on how his recruitment with the ‘Cats is going.

“I feel like Kentucky’s a great school,” Burns said. “They were one of the first schools to offer me so I feel like I have a great relationship with Vince Marrow — the tight end’s coach — and the d-line coach (Anwar Stewart). So I feel like they’re just a great school and I could see myself playing there.”

Burns said that the number one thing he’s looking for in a school right now is a connection with a coach who’s a straight shooter. He feels like his top 6 all have someone who fits that bill, specifically mentioning Marrow as an individual he believes he can grow and develop under.

There is no obvious leader in his recruitment as of right now, but in our conversations regarding non-UK schools, Burns had more to say about Cincinnati and Tennessee than the rest. He’s visited both programs since the beginning of 2022, including multiple trips to UC.

Cincinnati: “Cincinnati is a great school. I have a great relationship with all the coaches. They’re one of the first schools to actually reach out to me. I’ve been there like four times, so I feel like Cincinnati is a great school for me and I could honestly see myself playing there.”

Tennessee: “They also have one of the best d-linemen coaches in the country, Coach (Rodney) Gardner, he’s been a coach for a good like 30 years… He’s actually a great coach, I’ve met him a lot, talked to him on the phone. And the atmosphere there is just crazy, they have a lot of good fans.”

Let’s not twist the narrative though. The likes of WVU, Pitt, and Indiana are all very much involved. Burns will even take a visit to check out the Hoosiers next weekend before he begins to iron out his official visits starting in June. Additionally, he was on Pitt’s campus in February and March. Ohio State could still insert into the mix — Burns said he will make the short trip to the Buckeyes’ campus on April 13. OSU has been in contact with him for about two months now and has been wanting to see him in person.

As for a decision timeline, Burns wants to knock out all of his official visits before pulling the trigger. He said that he’s “95 percent sure” he’ll make the final call before his senior season, adding that he’s aiming for a July announcement.