4-star TE Dylan Mesman commits to Louisville; Kentucky among finalists

Kentucky was one of the five finalists for Dylan Mesman, but the talented tight end opted for a different Bluegrass State program.

On Friday night, Mesman announced his commitment to the Louisville Cardinals. The class of 2024 four-star prospect chose Louisville over a list consisting of Kentucky, Auburn, Michigan State, and Ole Miss. Michigan State was considered the frontrunner for the majority of the process, but the tides quickly shifted in the 36 hours leading up to Mesman’s announcement. The Saline (MI) product received a total of five predictions in favor of the Cards between On3, 247Sports, and Rivals since Thursday afternoon.

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Mesman is the No. 384 rising senior in the country and the No. 25 overall tight end. Louisville now has seven commits for the ’24 class, ranking 28th in the nation.

“My parents and my grandparents went to Michigan State, but Louisville is the best for me,” Mesman told On3’s Chad Simmons. “Over time, the more I thought about it, I knew Louisville was best for me. They treated me differently. They made me feel wanted.”

🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star TE Dylan Mesman has committed to Louisville🔴⚫

More from @ChadSimmons_: https://t.co/vWG6jGrhVM pic.twitter.com/rbpWEkZCW9

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 28, 2023

Despite both of his parents having played sports at Michigan State and the Spartans campus sitting roughly an hour away from his home, Mesman elected to choose Louisville. He had taken just two visits in the spring to MSU (March 28) and Kentucky (April 14). His most recent visit to UL came back in November 2022.

Kentucky has now seen two of its tight end targets from the 2024 class land outside of Lexington. Along with Mesman, three-star TE Gavin Grover committed to Cincinnati on April 16. But associate head coach Vince Marrow, who also coaches the tight ends, has other prospects in his sights. The two to keep an eye on moving forward are three-star Willie Rodriguez out of Covington Catholic (KY) and four-star Damarion Witten out of Glenville (OH).

For now, the ‘Cats remain with just two commits for the ’24 class in four-star IOL Abam Selm and three-star OT Hayes Johnson.