Film Room: DJ Hunter

Another transfer portal window is right around the corner. The 2026 high school recruiting class is coming into focus as spring practice wraps up in Lexington. Kentucky has some work to do on the trail in both buckets but that did not stop the program from landing a key target in 2027.

Knoxville (Tenn.) Bearden quarterback DJ Hunter committed to Kentucky on Monday night as he gets set to finish his sophomore year of high school.

1,000% committed I’m coming home BBN 🔵⚪️ @UKFootball @UKCoachStoops @FBCoachWolf @BushHamdan @fhscoachjones @AdamLuckettKSR @RivalsFriedman @RowlandRIVALS @On3sports @Rivals @247Sports pic.twitter.com/wNmia9F63F

— DJ Hunter (@raisethebowdj_4) April 7, 2025

There is a long wait ahead of us until the 2027 signing day but it’s never too early to take a look at the tape to see what type of player Kentucky just added to their commitment list. DJ Hunter is a young, athletic quarterback who brings ball placement and off-script playmaking to the table.

Accuracy and playmaking

One of the first things that Kentucky offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan told the media in his introductory press conference over a year ago was that a dual-threat skill set where a quarterback could extend plays with his legs and move the chains with a run was something that he would really value. But accuracy is also very important.

DJ Hunter appears to check both of these boxes. This is a young quarterback who can place the football on some vertical throws and shows the ability to pick up yards and extend plays in the pocket with his legs.

DJ Hunter shows terrific ball placement on throws up the seam (clip No. 1) and hits a window splitting safeties in the middle of the field that covers at least 40 air yards (clip No. 2). The quarterback flashes good accuracy and timing when attempting to stretch the field. Hunter can also create with his legs.

The dual-threat quarterbacks shows some good pocket awareness throughout his tape and does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield (clip No. 3). Hunter delivers the ball with accuracy when on the move. The Kentucky commit also shows some slipperiness in the pocket (clip No. 4). and doesn’t get too aggressive when looking for a target. Hunter finds the open man and gets him the ball. As expected, Hunter is more comfortable as a thrower when scrambling right but he does a decent job of moving his hips and getting his body in position when throwing left.

As a sophomore in high school, Hunter shows accuracy and playmaking. Two traits everyone is looking for at the quarterback position. He can also contribute to the run game.

Kentucky lands a talented young quarterback

DJ Hunter is a twitchy quarterback with legitimate explosive play potential. As a young player, Hunter shows accuracy, good pace, play extension, and some toughness in the pocket. There is plenty to like about this young player.

It is very early in the recruiting process, and Hunter does not have a lot of reps on tape at the moment, but the raw tools are obvious. Plus the quarterback shows a comfortability at the position. This looks like a legit blue-chip quarterback.

Kentucky has recorded a very good win in the 2027 high school cycle. Hunter is a legitimate power conference quarterback with a high ceiling.