4-star ATH Brandyn Hillman commits to Notre Dame

Kentucky will not get its second high school commitment of the week in the class of 2023. After landing three-star wide receiver Ardell Banks on Monday, four-star athlete Brandyn Hillman included the Wildcats in his list of finalists just a day later. Cutting his options down to five schools, Kentucky joined North Carolina, Notre Dame, USC and Virginia Tech among the remaining contenders.

That final cut also included a commitment date, scheduling his announcement for Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. ET.

When it came time for a decision, though, it was Notre Dame who earned the pledge, giving the Fighting Irish another top-300 commitment in the senior class — their 21st four-star addition, according to the On3 Consensus. It’s a class that ranks top-three in the nation among all major recruiting services.

“The tradition of Notre Dame and how they’re a powerhouse academically and in football,” Hillman told On3’s ND affiliate, BlueandGold.com. “It’s a great school in general; there’s nothing bad you can say about it.

“The coaching staff played a big role. They kept in touch with me, and I knew that if they took all that time to invest in me, then it might be the best place to be.”

Hillman is rated as the No. 291 prospect overall and No. 12 athlete in the latest On3 player rankings for 2023. Notre Dame had a 99.4% chance to land the 6-foot-1, 190-pound recruit out of Portsmouth, VA leading up to his commitment, per On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Defensive coordinator Brad White was Kentucky’s lead recruiter for Hillman, issuing an offer to the Churchland High School prospect on Sept. 29. He would make it to Lexington for an official visit during the Vanderbilt game in November. The four-star prospect also made a trip to Notre Dame for an official visit.

Hillman starred as both a quarterback and safety for Churchland, a dynamic athlete with good speed and ball instincts. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, he’ll be taking that talent with him to South Bend, not Lexington.

Kentucky currently has just three blue-chip recruits in the senior class, with wide receiver Shamar Porter, safety Avery Stuart and linebacker Grant Godfrey all rated as four-star, top-350 talents in the On3 Consensus. With two weeks until signing day, the Wildcats rank No. 38 nationally with 14 hard commits.