Corbin '23 ATH Dakota Patterson gearing up for busy summer

Corbin’s Dakota Patterson has kept his recruitment relatively quiet, but that doesn’t mean he’s not hearing from a multitude of programs.

On Tuesday, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound ATH announced on Twitter account that he received a scholarship offer from the Mississippi State Bulldogs. That puts Patterson just shy of double-digit Divison I offers, but the first one he’s publicized since last summer. We know the Kentucky coaching staff is still keeping close tabs on the Bluegrass native — Patterson was in Lexington for the Spring Game in early April and has made several visits to campus over the years.

But this isn’t a one-horse race. Patterson is hearing from plenty of competitors. Considered a three-star prospect and No. 632 overall rising senior by the On3 Consensus, his recruitment is only beginning to heat up.

Patterson told KSR on Wednesday that he has camp visits planned this summer to the likes of Florida, Texas, Cincinnati, and, of course, Kentucky. He’s already familiar with Florida and Cincinnati, visiting their respective campuses not long before he attended the Wildcats’ Spring Game. Patterson indicated that he’s going to try and squeeze in several other visits to various schools, but what’s listed is what he has locked in as of right now.

Other schools he’s heard from include West Virginia (where he’s visited before), Memphis, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and Purdue. He’s also visited Tennessee but does not currently hold an offer. Kentucky was his very first Divison I offer, which came all the way back in Oct. 2019. The relationship that associate head coach Vince Marrow established then with Patterson is clearly paying off now.

But will it be enough to secure a commitment?

Patterson was impressive during his junior season with Corbin, which finished 12-1 on the year after falling in the 4A state title playoffs to Johnson Central and current Kentucky freshman offensive lineman, Grant Bingham. Playing the majority of his snaps at wide receiver, Patterson hauled in a team-high 508 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games played this past season. His camp visits this summer should paint a clearer picture as to which programs are serious about adding his talents to their recruiting classes.

There’s also the situation with one of Patterson’s former teammates at Corbin, ’22 ATH Treyveon Longmire, who was once committed to Kentucky before eventually backing off that decision to sign with Eastern Kentucky. Both sides decided that a parting of ways was the best move, but there were likely some tough conversations along the way. If Marrow can (or already has) smoothed that over with Patterson, UK should still be considered the frontrunner heading into what will be an important summer.