Kentucky Football Kicks Off Official Visit Season with Talented Wide Receiver Recruits

The summer recruiting season is upon us. Over the next month, each weekend in Lexington will be a big one for the future of the Kentucky football program.

Under the old recruiting calendar, official visits were saved until December or January. Now they’re all over the summer, replacing the significance of the summer camp circuit for seniors-to-be.

Kentucky is behind in the 2026 recruiting cycle, with only one commit locked in. Missouri and Florida are the only schools in the SEC with fewer than five commits. The Cats have a lot of catching up to do. They’re doing that by locking in more than 40 official visitors in the month of June.

It is worth noting that all plans are subject to change. It’s also worth noting that is a significantly larger number than we’re used to seeing. Instead of maybe one weekend with 10 players, three will have 10+ visitors. It starts with a lighter guest list, albeit one with some impressive top-end talent.

A Kentucky Football Commit

OT Jarvis Strickland: 4-star, No. 25 overall, 6-4, 280 lbs., Paducah Tilghman KY

The Wildcats’ first commitment is a part of the wave of talent from Tennessee that made the move to Western Kentucky. He teamed up with his cousin, UK safety Martels Carter, to help the Blue Tornado capture the Class 4A State Championship at Kroger Field in 2024. Tennessee, Michigan, Louisville, and Ole Miss were among the schools involved in his recruitment before Vince Marrow and Eric Wolford went all-in to secure the talented offensive lineman.

Talented Wide Receiver Official Visitors

WR Roderick Tezeno, 4-star, No. 254 overall, 6-2, 175 lbs. Opelousas Catholic School (Opelousas, LA)

New WR coach L’Damian Washington has his first big opportunity to show off his recruiting chops. The Louisiana native is recruiting another Louisiana native who recently committed to USC. The Trojans have deployed the quantity recruiting method this offseason, soaring up to No. 2 in the recruiting rankings after landing 26 commits in the spring. It’s a great PR pop, but doesn’t have lasting power. Hopefully, Kentucky can complete this official visit to pry this talented pass-catcher away from the West Coast.

WR Justin Williams: 4-star, No. 150 overall, 5-11, 190 lbs., F.W. Buchholz (Gainesville, FL)

Beating Florida for a productive pass-catcher from Gainesville feels like a task reserved for Sisyphus. That’s what Washington is attempting to do with Williams. It’s not to say Kentucky doesn’t have a chance, after all, they are getting the first visit, but securing a commitment will be a mighty task. Following his trip to Lexington, Williams is taking official visits to Florida, Florida State, and Indiana. Last fall the talented athlete had more than 1,000 rushing and receiving yards.

Commitment Watch

OT Charlie Edgeworth: 3-star, No. 1,037 overall, 6-7, 320 lbs., Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN)

The Tennessee native has received offers from Florida and Louisville, but it feels like Kentucky is the school to beat in this recruitment.

OT Cameron Miller: 3-star, No. 1,113 overall, 6-5, 310 lbs., Morton Senior (Hammond, IN)

Cameron Miller previously took an official visit to Indiana. He’s scheduled for trips to West Virginia, Texas Tech, and FAU, but they might get canceled if Kentucky can secure a momentum-building commitment over the weekend.

There’s a Straggler

EDGE Jackson Ford: 4-star, No. 243 overall, 6-3.5, 240-lbs. Malvern Prep (Phoenixville, PA)

Ford is starting his busy summer tour this weekend in Wisconsin. Kentucky will be his only stop outside of Big Ten country. He’s expected to be in Lexington starting on Monday, June 2, through June 4. Trips to Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan will follow. Brad White has actively and successfully recruited the Mid-Atlantic for quite some time, but prying a Pennsylvania EDGE from Big Ten country won’t be easy.

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