'That is freaking awesome': Mark Stoops was fired up by DJ Hunter's commitment to Kentucky

The Kentucky football program secured a big recruiting win on Monday night. In a mild surprise, class of 2027 quarterback DJ Hunter decided to become the first recruit to join UK’s class. This commitment comes just a week after the Cats hosted the prospect on campus.

The sophomore spent his first high school season at Horn Lake (Miss.) High before settling in at Knoxville (Tenn.) Bearden. The young player threw for over 1,400 yards in his first season in Tennessee high school football. The recruiting interest started to gain steam after the season.

The unranked prospect took spring visits to Clemson, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia in March and April. DJ Hunter decided to make his decision after those trips were finished.

To make the commitment, Hunter made a call to Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops. To say the leader of the UK program was excited would be an understatement.

2027 QB DJ Hunter announced his commitment to Kentucky, and Wildcats HC Mark Stoops was HYPED to hear the news😼

(🎥: raisethebowdj_4/IG)

More from @AdamLuckettKSR: https://t.co/Tp9tuOae4Z pic.twitter.com/Ve2Nw3wiVq

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 8, 2025

“Yeah, baby. Hell yeah, man. That is freaking awesome. Good news, baby,” Stoops said to Hunter. This surely sounded like a big recruiting win for the program.

Expect DJ Hunter to become a pillar for Kentucky’s 2027 class and a player that the Wildcats will look to build around. Two years ago, UK landed an early commitment from Stone Saunders and was able to hold onto the Pennsylvania all-time passing yards leader. The hope is that Hunter will help the Cats get off to a faster start in the 2027 cycle.

Some time needs to pass before those 2027 targets come into focus, but having Hunter in the boat will give Kentucky some more credibility as they build relationships with those prospects once game visits start in the fall. It is clear that the program is excited about its latest recruiting win.

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