Aba Selm, 2024 Kentucky Commit, Prepares for the Next Level: ‘He’s Already a Scary Young Man’

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Aba Selm is ready to suit up in the Kentucky blue. 

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound interior offensive lineman from Simon Kenton High School in Independence has been preparing to play in the bright lights of college football since he was a kid. Now, after committing to Kentucky last month, Selm is gearing up to join the team in 2024. 

“He’s already a scary young man when he’s out on the field,” Simon Kenton offensive line coach Jason Frazier said. “We still haven’t seen everything that’s coming with this young man.”

When Selm first started playing football at the age of 11, it was his size that immediately separated him from the pack. While most 11-year-olds would be playing youth football, Selm’s coaches moved him up to the junior group due to how big he was, starting as a center. These were Selm’s first memories of playing the game he loves. 

However, if there’s one moment that Selm would like to relive throughout his football career, it would span back to a winter day in seventh grade, practicing with his team before their championship game. Running out on the snow-covered hills, Selm and his teammates bombarded each other with snowballs. 

“It was just fun,” Selm said. 

For Frazier, who works in the Simon Kenton middle school as well, Selm leaped onto his radar as a seventh grader walking through the hallways, towering over his classmates. 

“He physically stands out amongst his peers,” Frazier said. “Size-wise, that always stands out to you.”

His Rise to Varsity

Roy Lucas has only been the head coach at Simon Kenton for one year, but he’s been with the program for the last 11. So, when Selm entered high school in 2020, Lucas had a firsthand look at the future Wildcat. 

For the first few games of the season, Selm started off on the freshman team, taking reps with his fellow classmates. However, a few games into the year, it was clear that he needed to be moved up once again. 

“Right away, I was like, this kid is head and shoulders above all the guys he’s playing with and against,” Lucas said. “Honestly, we were really thin on offensive linemen that year and talked to our head coach. We said, this kid can play and we need to bring him up. It was very evident how much he just moved guys out of the way and how naturally strong he was compared to all of the other guys he was playing against.” 

It didn’t take long for Selm to make his mark after being moved up to varsity. In the first week of practice, Selm was placed at the center position. 

“He immediately pancaked one of our defensive lineman that had been playing JV and varsity all year,” Frazier said. “You could just see the surprised look on that kid’s face when that happened. You just knew right away, this kid is different. This kid has got something you don’t see every day.”

When his sophomore year came along, it was his performance in game one that dropped his coaches jaws to the floor. 

“We were playing Oldham County and he came around a counter pull and just devastated the linebacker,” Frazier said. “You just don’t see young offensive linemen being able to pull and move at that speed and then finish a block that effectively.”

Navigating the Recruiting Process

It was around this same time that Aba Selm recognized the potential to play at the next level.

For Selm, the chance to play Division 1 football first became a reality during his sophomore season when Eastern Kentucky began to get involved. After attending the program’s Junior Day with a friend, Selm received an offer from the program, his first in Division 1 football. 

“I realized that I had potential, full potential to play at that next level,” Selm said. ”I never really expected myself to be able to play college ball until that first offer.” 

It wasn’t until college coaches were permitted to reach out directly during his junior year that Kentucky got involved, however, the Wildcats always had their eye out for Selm. 

“They were in contact with my coach and hearing that from my coach really made me move forward with my progress,” Selm said. “They were going by the rules. We started talking during the middle of my season and it went on from there.” 

In September of 2022, Kentucky became Selm’s second scholarship offer, cementing themselves as a key player in his recruitment. 

“I didn’t realize the ability I had, but my coaches saw that potential in me and they really pushed me to push and test my limits,” Selm said. 

What Kind of Player is Kentucky Getting?

Three-star offensive lineman Aba Selm of Simon Kenton (K.Y.) is the nation’s No. 774 overall prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Selm as the No. 50 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 class. 

Frazier describes him as “a monster, size-wise.” 

“His athletic ability is unreal,” he said. “He goes at every drill and attacks everything the way you want him to in a way to get better. I still don’t think he realizes how big and how strong he is yet.”

Despite the increased recognition Selm keeps a level-head. 

“He doesn’t let all of the attention that he’s gotten go to his head,” Lucas said. “He’s right in there with his teammates. He appreciates them when they get excited for him.”

Off the field, Selm is always smiling, living with a laid-back attitude. 

“I think people are going to misinterpret that as him maybe not being tough enough, maybe not being aggressive enough, maybe not being physical enough,” Lucas said. “They’re going to be surprised when they see how he plays.” 

As a lifelong Kentucky fan, Lucas is confident that UK fans will be getting an exciting player to cheer on in 2024. 

“I think that the Kentucky fans are going to see that this is a kid they can really root for,” Lucas said. “He’s very talented, but he’s also really a great kid. I think people are going to learn to love him as time goes on.”