First Down Kentucky: Three 2025 Recruits to Watch Closely

Kentucky can still add players to its Top 25 2024 recruiting class on the first Wednesday in February. An option may arise, but for the most part, all attention has turned to 2025 prospects. The coaching staff has their ducks in a row ahead of next Saturday’s Junior Day. Like many of you, I admittedly am still gathering my bearings to learn who the Wildcats are prioritizing during this upcoming cycle.

There are some prolific prospects in the state of Kentucky, like Austin Alexander in Northern Kentucky and Isaac Sowells in Louisville. The Cats also have a firm footing for a few players in the state of Ohio. Here are a few players to watch closely that could set a strong foundation for the Cats’ 2025 recruiting class.

Martels Carter — The four-star safety moved from Chattanooga to Paducah last summer as his father dealt with health issues. A top 200 player in 2025, Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow made the trip to Tilghman High School on Monday. Kentucky is making Carter a top priority as schools across the country try to pry him away from the Commonwealth. He’ll be in Lexington for next weekend’s Junior Day.

Great seeing my 2 faviort guys can wait to get down on Feb 3@UKCoachStoops @vincemarrow @CoachReedLive @scoop1914 pic.twitter.com/LmEtdYGr8P

— C4 (@MartelsJr) January 22, 2024

Tucker Kattus — The younger brother of TE Josh Kattus is a three-star IOL from Cincinnati St. X. He was with Liam Coen and Stone Saunders at Saturday’s Kentucky basketball game. The following day Kattus visited Cincinnati and today he received an offer from Virginia Tech. If they made odds for things like this, I would bet that Kattus is the first commitment in UK’s 2025 recruiting class.

Quintin Simmons — Ranked by 247 Sports as a top 200 player in his class, Simmons played alongside UK cornerback Terhyon Nichols last fall at Cincinnati Withrow. An explosive athlete, he scored touchdowns as a running back, slot receiver, and kick returner. Cincinnati, Penn State, and Michigan are also in the mix.

More Kentucky Coaches on the Road

Marrow and Stoops aren’t the only ones hitting the recruiting pavement. Cornerbacks coach Chris Collins is making his rounds through the state of Georgia. This morning he offered Osiris Gilbert, a Buford cornerback who already has an offer from the Dawgs. Dorian Barney, a four-star in 2026, also added Kentucky to his lengthy offer sheet.

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Views from The 15 Club Fan Fest with Kentucky Football

Dozens of Kentucky football players spent their Saturday afternoon meeting the Big Blue Nation at The 15 Club Fan Fest. A solid turnout, the biggest takeaway from many patrons was about the biggest person at the event. Deone Walker had his arm in a sling. Do not fret, BBN. He’s one of many football players who have played with injury, then received surgery to clean it up at the start of the offseason. He should be fine.

One KSBoarder had a takeaway that made me giggle. Incoming freshman Brian Robinson “is built like a brick house.” It’s one thing to see pictures and hear quotes from coaches about the new EDGE, but it’s another thing to see him in person. He’s a G.A.M.

There will be more Coaching Carousel Movement

The Big Blue Nation woke up to some good news. Shane Waldron, the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator who previously worked with Liam Coen in LA, will be the next offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. The most prominent vacancy tied to Coen, the move to Chicago would make a lot of sense for Coen. Not only could he take over play-calling duties, but there would also be an opportunity to potentially coach Caleb Williams.

Here’s the thing, Kentucky isn’t completely out of the woods. This job is closed, but the coaching carousel will crank back into high gear once the NFL playoffs conclude. The opportunity for Liam Coen to coach Will Levis may be back on the table.

There’s a lot of buzz in Tennessee about Brian Callahan. The Bengals offensive coordinator could be the next Titans head coach. Coen is close with Zac Taylor, but Callahan will most likely be replaced by Bengals QB coach Dan Pitcher. However, Callahan will need an offensive coordinator and Coen might want that position. Obviously, that would not include play-calling duties, a big drawback to the job, but it may not matter.

Now that I’ve played out this scenario and connected a bunch of dots, it may all be irrelevant. This exercise was to explain that just because Coen isn’t going to Chicago, doesn’t mean Kentucky fans are finished following offseason drama.

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