Kentucky Gaining Momentum to Flip Major SEC Recruiting Target

It’s not Christmas in July, but it could be a Flipmas in July for the Kentucky football program.

The Wildcats ended the month of June on a recruiting heater, racking up six commitments over a 10-day span. Kentucky could kick off July by riding the wave of momentum to another big addition to the 2026 recruiting class.

Denairius Gray is a four-star talent from South Florida powerhouse Chaminade-Madonna. He’s the No. 302 player and 51st-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

Gray has been committed to play for Hugh Freeze at Auburn since January of 2024. Despite that long-time commitment, he took official visits elsewhere over the summer, including one to Kentucky back on June 6. Auburn and N.C. State were also trying to pry him from Auburn, but it appears that the Wildcats are the ones who made the most headway during the open recruiting period.

Adam Luckett shared in his KSR+ Recruiting Notebook on Monday that a flip to Kentucky is possible. Steve Wiltfong joined the party on Tuesday by sharing an On3 RPM pick for the Wildcats to flip the Auburn commit.

There is no clear timetable on when this monumental decision may happen, but it’s clear the Kentucky coaching staff received a similar memo from Gray’s camp. Wide receivers coach L’Damian Washington is his primary recruiter, and he teased big-time news on the horizon.

Boom, let’s go!!

Love some good fireworks & flips to start off July!

— L'Damian Washington (@DrWashington_) July 1, 2025

Big Dog LD! 🫡

— Jay Boulware (@CoachJ_Boulware) July 1, 2025

Washington has not been in Lexington for long, but he’s been flexing his recruiting chops. He helped the Cats secure commitments from three wide receivers, and Deniarius Gray could be his biggest get to date.

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