Kentucky recruiting storylines to monitor 10 days out from Signing Day

Recruiting season is in full swing, and the early signing day is quickly approaching for the University of Kentucky.

Following the decommitment of Corbin (Ky.) High wide receiver Treyveon Longmire, the Wildcats currently have 17 verbal commitments with 16 high school players and one junior college prospect.

Now the goal will be to land signatures from those players while securing a few more commitments over the next week. What are the major storylines to follow? KSR is here to provide a cheat sheet.

Kiyaunta Goodwin watch

Entering the 2022 recruiting cycle, Kentucky had two major in-state targets: Kiyaunta Goodwin and Gavin Wimsatt. The latter committed to Rutgers and left high school early to join the Scarlet Knights in 2021. The former committed to the Wildcats in April but has a recruitment that is still fluid at the moment.

Kentucky’s No. 1 goal over the next 10 days will be to get a signature from Goodwin On Dec. 15.

The five-star offensive tackle is scheduled to take an official visit to Michigan State this weekend. Both Alabama and Michigan should be conducting in-home visits with the five-star recruit this week. Florida State and Texas A&M were in to see Goodwin last week.

Alabama and Kentucky appear to be the top two dogs in the race, but both Michigan and Michigan State are lurking. Goodwin’s recruitment is very day-by-day at the moment and will be something to monitor constantly.

Wrap up DeCarlos Nicholson

Cornerback is a major position of need for the Wildcats in this recruiting cycle. Kentucky currently has just six scholarship cornerbacks on the roster with both Cedrick Dort Jr. and Quandre Mosely expected to move on from the program after the season.

Kentucky needed to land multiple players in traditional recruiting and will likely also be visiting this position in the transfer portal. High school pledges Alex Afari, Elijah Reed, and Andre Stewart were a good start. However, landing junior college transfer DeCarlos Nicholson was the immediate cornerstone.

New secondary coach Chris Collins picked up his first big recruiting win for the Wildcats when Nicholson committed in September, but this recruitment is far from over. Nicholson hosted both Kentucky and Mississippi State for in-home visits last week. The 6-3 cornerback took official visits to Florida State and Kentucky during the season. He’s expected to take a trip to Starkville this weekend.

A former Mississippi State pledge, it will be vital for Kentucky to hang onto to Nicholson. The Mississippi Gulf Coast product could be a day one starter for Brad White’s defense.

Numbers crunch at wide receiver

In the 2021 season, Kentucky played with 10 scholarship receivers. Josh Ali, Isaiah Epps, and Clevan Thomas Jr. are all available to move forward after their fifth year in the program.

Kentucky awaits a draft decision from Wan’Dale Robinson, but it’s clear that the coaching staff is ready to turn over this position room.

The Wildcats currently have four wide receivers committed to the program in the class of 2022. Even after taking Syracuse wideout Taj Harris out of the class, Kentucky is in heavy pursuit of Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson and is in the running for Louisville transfer Jordan Watkins.

Watching how this plays out over the next week or so will be critical. The Wildcats would like to get the transfers in for the spring, but Kentucky could be handcuffed by scholarship numbers when recruiting the position.

Don’t be surprised if a transfer or two occurs from some current players on the roster to create some room for new additions.

Quentel Jones or Deone Walker

Four-star Deone Walker has been a long-time target for the Kentucky football staff. The Detroit Cass Tech product is a top-300 prospect who appears to be down to Kentucky and Michigan. Offensive line coach Eric Wolford is working hard to secure a commitment from the nose tackle, but Kentucky appears to have found another option.

Quentel Jones is a high three-star prospect out of Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County High who just wrapped up an official visit to Kentucky. Jones has visited Miami, Mississippi State, and Tennessee during the recruiting process, but the Wildcats appear to have the inside track.

Kentucky is expecting a decision from Jones this week. The Wildcats are scheduled to lose Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, Marquan McCall, and Josh Paschal from the defensive line room. Kentucky currently has a commitment from mid three-star Tomiwa Durojaiye. There is room for a nose tackle prospect.

Jones could take that spot soon, but Kentucky may need to create some wiggle room if Walker commits to the program during his announcement on signing day.