Kentucky Football extend offers to group of 4-star juniors
The Kentucky Football staff is looking to capitalize on the program’s budding momentum. With another Citrus Bowl appearance a little over a week away, a top 15 2022 recruiting class, and a new contract extension for head coach Mark Stoops, the Wildcats are trending at a trajectory never before seen on the gridiron in Lexington.
So how do you keep that up? By going after recruits that were once viewed as above Kentucky’s punching weight, but are now realistic targets. You don’t land the likes of Barion Brown, Tyreese Fearbry, Deone Walker, etc., without at least poking around. On Thursday, the UK staff sent out scholarships to a group of 2023 recruits, all considered four-star prospects by On3. Kentucky also offered a sophomore recruit on the rise.
Let’s talk a little bit about each of them. Four of the five recruits in this post actually share something in common: playing for the GasCrew Elite 7v7 program located in Alabama.
In front of a player’s name is their national ranking (if applicable) according to the On3 Consensus ratings.
No. 114, Karmello English: 5-11, 175-pound WR | ’23 Central High School (Phenix City, AL)
One of two Alabama products on this list, Karmello English is a highly sought-after national recruit at this stage. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Clemson are a handful of teams already involved. He dropped a top 8 back on Nov. 27 that included those four schools along with West Virginia, Cincinnati, Mississippi State, and Arkansas. However, he did state that his recruitment is “100% open”. Now Kentucky is trying to get involved.
No. 162, DaKaari Nelson: 6-3, 195-pound DB | ’23 Selma High School (Selma, AL)
Offered by UK offensive line coach Eric Wolford (who appears to be tackling more recruiting responsibilities, especially with Jon Sumrall taking the head coaching job at Troy), DaKaari Nelson is one of the top-ranked players out of the talent-rich state of Alabama.
He holds offers from the likes of Penn State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Michigan, and a few other Power 5 programs. Nelson additionally took visits to Vanderbilt, Southern Miss, Michigan, Tennessee, and Arkansas over the summer/fall. He’s been to Auburn twice already, too. Clemson, Florida, Florida State, and Georgia are also reaching out.
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No. 174, Avery Stuart: 6-2, 175-pound CB | ’23 Alabama Christian Academy (Montgomery, AL)
Another recruit offered by Wolford, Avery Stuart also hails from Alabama. He’s picked up additional offers from the likes of Michigan State, NC State, Kansas, Auburn, Penn State, and Ole Miss while taking recent trips to see Ole Miss (twice), Auburn (twice), and Alabama.
No. 352, Adonijah Green: 6-5, 205-pound EDGE | ’23 Cedar Grove High School (Ellenwood, GA)
The final junior we’ll talk about is Adonijah Green, a top 35 Georgia prospect who is currently being courted by Louisville. He’s already received four total projections from 247Sports and Rivals that all favor the Cardinals. Green even made two trips to UL’s campus during the 2021 season. However, we bring him up because all of those picks were logged prior to UK defensive backs coach Chris Collins extending an offer on Wednesday.
Green told KSR shortly after he received the news that he was not expecting an offer from Kentucky at this time. The two sides are still in the process of building a relationship but Green does plan on coming to Lexington in the upcoming summer. So while Louisville might have the inside edge right now, this is still a player to keep an eye on. Green also holds offers from the likes of Southern California, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Boston College, and Virginia Tech. He is the only junior on this list not associated with GasCrew Elite 7v7.
Demarcus Riddick: 6-2, 190-pound LB | ’24 Chilton County School (Clanton, AL)
The lone high school sophomore on this list, Demarcus Riddick might actually have the most potential. His offer sheet is already loaded with power programs, including Oklahoma, Florida State, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Penn State. Kentucky apparently wants in on the action, too.
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