Kentucky Offers Rising In-State Recruit, Javeon Campbell

A new name on the recruiting trail has emerged as a primary target for the Kentucky coaching staff. Javeon Campbell made the short trip from Frankfort to Lexington for Saturday’s star-studded Junior Day and received a scholarship offer.

Campbell is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound EDGE for Western Hills High School, Wan’Dale Robinson‘s alma mater. Also a talented basketball player, he just started playing football last fall. In his first season, he earned All-District honors by tallying 14.5 sacks, grabbing the attention of coaches across the country without attending camps on the summer circuit.

Minnesota offered Campbell a scholarship on Jan. 17. It was the first of ten scholarship offers he received from Power Five programs over the last 2.5 weeks. Louisville, Purdue, and Notre Dame are among the schools competing with Kentucky. He visited Vanderbilt a week ago and added an offer. A trip to South Bend was in the works. He was supposed to visit Michigan State on Saturday, but the Cats caused him to change his plans.

Campbell is an impressive athlete who is far from a polished product. The Kentucky ‘recruit and develop’ motto fits exactly what he needs on the edge of the defense, particularly from one of the foremost experts in the field, Brad White.

He is new to the game, both on the gridiron and in the recruiting market. We’ll be following the in-state star’s stock closely in the coming weeks and months.

Blessed to receive my 11th Division I offer to the University of Kentucky! #BBN @vincemarrow @ukfootball @ukcoachstoops @bigstew9 @coachwhitefb @adamluckettksr @rowlandRIVALS @allentrieu @coachvanderpool @SWiltfong247 @adamgorney @samspiegs pic.twitter.com/NnSfvKJnlE

— Javeon Campbell (@JaveonCampbell) February 4, 2024

Roush’s Read

It feels like deja vu all over again. In the spring of 2023, the Kentucky football recruit-nicks were wondering why the Wildcats had not offered Willie Rodriguez, while other big names around the SEC were amplifying the attention on the in-state star. A growth spurt changed the minds of the UK assistants, they went all in, and about a month after receiving an offer, Rodriguez was verbally committed to Kentucky.

This go-around, the Wildcats aren’t waiting until April or May to let this late-rising star know they’re very interested in his game. Even though Rodriguez committed early, there was plenty of drama down the stretch. Campbell is only going to grow in popularity as he continues to develop and improve over the summer.

More from Kentucky Junior Day

Bo Jackson ended up making a trip to Georgia, rather than Kentucky, but Marrow still was able to get top 200 RB Marquise Davis to Rupp Arena Saturday night. It was an affair filled with stars, from Top 50 talent Iose Epenesa, to the athlete who finished his career with the third-most rushing yards in Kentucky football history, Chris Rodriguez.

Thank you Kentucky HC Mark Stoops & @UKFootball for having us in Wildcats Nation our son iose & his brothers from @TigerFootball_ had a blast 🏈🤙 Go Big Blue💙 pic.twitter.com/WdoOWwUPhz

— Eppy Epenesa (@EEpenesa) February 4, 2024

Had An Amazing Time Down In Lexington Today🔵⚪️🐱?@UKCoachStoops @FBCoachWolf @CoachPerry_UK @vincemarrow @Drake_Jackson52 @EdwardsCBS @DrewFranklinKSR @ZGeogheganKSR @PolacheckKSR @RowlandRIVALS @RoushKSR #BBN #BigBlueWall ? pic.twitter.com/evssWxlo5A

— Isaac “Spike”Sowells (@IsaacSowellsJr) February 4, 2024

Go Cats! pic.twitter.com/1tgzhf8Bf4

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) February 4, 2024

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