Former Kentucky target Tahaad Pettiford commits to Auburn

2024 four-star guard Tahaad Pettiford has announced his commitment, and as expected, the Kentucky Wildcats were not the choice.

The 6-foot, 160-pound junior out of Jersey City (N.J.) Hudson Catholic will, however, join an SEC rival during the 2024-25 season, committing to play for Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers.

“I chose Auburn because I feel like Coach Bruce Pearl is going to prepare me for the next level,” Pettiford told On3. “I loved the environment and the energy on campus from everyone. It made me feel like it was a second home.”

The lone program to receive an official visit, Tigers held a 78.5% chance to land the Hudson Catholic standout leading up to his announcement, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. UConn was seen as the other top contender.

Pettiford chose the Tigers over offers from UConn, Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, Seton Hall and Ole Miss on Wednesday. KSR broke the news back on Jan. 19 that UK would not be the pick, with the Wildcats instead focusing on five-star guards Tre Johnson and Boogie Fland in the class of 2024 while also monitoring the reclassification status of 2025 five-star Darryn Peterson.

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He told KSR back in mid-January that he was in the process of scheduling an official visit to Kentucky and planned on making a decision in April. Just five days later, the two schools parted ways and a commitment date was scheduled for Feb. 1, paving way for Auburn to earn the recruiting victory.

According to the On3 Consensus, Pettiford ranks as the No. 27 overall prospect in the country. The On3 Consensus is the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies (ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals, On3).

The standout guard is the second player to commit to Bruce Pearl in 2024, joining four-star big man Peyton Marshall (No. 60).

Beyond Johnson, Fland and Peterson, the Wildcats are also keeping tabs on the likes of Billy Richmond III, Karter Knox, Isaiah Elohim and Travis Perry, among other guards in the junior class.

On to the next.