Kentucky among finalists for 4-star '24 WR Hardley Gilmore

One of the country’s top pass-catchers is highly considering choosing the Wildcats.

On Monday afternoon, Hardley Gilmore dropped his list of finalists through social media, which included Kentucky, Penn State, and Central Florida. The class of 2024 four-star wide receiver officially visited all three schools during the month of June in quick succession — he was at Kentucky on June 16-18, Central Florida on June 19-21, and Penn State on June 23-25.

As Gilmore begins to wind down his recruitment, Kentucky is the clear frontrunner. Across the three major recruiting services — On3, 247Sports, and Rivals — there are a total of seven picks logged in favor of Gilmore ultimately choosing the Wildcats. And if you’re someone who’s in the business of ready too much into social media posts (which we are), it should be noted that Gilmore sent out a pro-Kentucky tweet on Saturday.

Gilmore also posted that he will commit on Friday, August 25th.

August 25th 📍 pic.twitter.com/mtD3jGb73y

— Hardley Gilmore IV (@GilmoreHardley) July 24, 2023

Landing Gilmore, who clocks in at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, would be a significant recruiting win for offensive coordinator Liam Coen and wide receivers coach Scott Woodward. Gilmore was previously a class of 2025 prospect but jumped up to 2024 and immediately scheduled his official visit to Kentucky. The On3 Industry Ranking has the Belle Glade (FL) Pahokee product as the No. 276 overall rising senior and a top 50 wide-out in the country.

Gilmore has established a notable relationship with Kentucky’s class of 2024 four-star QB commit, Cutter Boley, who has been acting as a secondary recruiter for the program since pledging to the Wildcats in May — around the same time that UK offered Gilmore. Kentucky’s recruiting pitch for Gilmore has been centered around the idea of earning playing time as a rookie, similar to what rising sophomores Dane Key and Barion Brown did in Lexington as true freshmen a season ago.

Kentucky currently has 14 commits for the class of 2024, which ranks 35th in the country according to the On3 Industry Ranking. The Wildcats currently have just one WR locked in for this cycle, three-star David Washington Jr. out of Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep School.