Recruiting Notebook: Multiple Kentucky targets are now committed elsewhere

You might want to keep your head on a swivel this month. College football recruiting is picking up the tempo, and decisions on where to go and who to visit are being made at a breakneck pace. For Kentucky, that recruiting board got smaller on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats saw two targets come off the board with another announcing that his official visit to Lexington is being delayed. Things are happening.

Stanford lands two

After an impressive run under David Shaw that included three Pac-12 titles, three top-10 finishes, and five double-digit wins, but the bottom fell out in Palo Alto over the last four seasons. The Cardinal were 14-28 since 2019, and that led to a surprise retirement by Shaw after the 2022 season. Stanford turned to Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor to take over at the Farm. The play-calling head coach has some momentum in the 2024 cycle.

The Cardinal are now up to 10 verbal commitments and six of those have occurred since Monday. Two commitments on Wednesday were Kentucky targets.

Emanuel Ross (High 3-star, No. 539 overall) took an official visit to Stanford over the weekend and had plans to be at Kentucky for an official visit. Those plans appear to be officially off the table after the Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic wideout picked Taylor’s program over UK and Illinois. But Ross wasn’t the only Kentucky target to come off the board.

We heading to the west coast🌲@StanfordFball @TroyTaylorStanU @M_80lane @BigGreenIndian @Beasley__F #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/IuzAervmJ6

— Cole Tabb (@ColeTabb) June 7, 2023

Cole Tabb (3-star, No. 687 overall) told KSR+’s Jacob Polacheck that he was going to consider pushing back his commitment after receiving a Kentucky scholarship offer in May. That changed on Wednesday when the Fort Walton (Fla.) Choctawhatchee Senior tailback committed to Stanford. UCF, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia were also involved in this recruitment.

Stanford had a big day as Kentucky’s recruiting board shrinks.

David Washington Jr. completes official visit with Kentucky

Kentucky is making a concerted effort to recruit the Mid-Atlantic. Philadelphia has become a big hub to focus on for the Wildcats. Wide receivers coach Scott Woodward got another prospect on campus this week for an official visit.

Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep School rising senior David Washington Jr. (3-star, No. 786 overall) took an official visit to Kentucky this week, according to KSR’s Zack Geoghegan.

3-star WR David Washington out of Philly was on Kentucky's campus this week for an official visit, he tells KSR. He came down with his pass-catching teammate Brandon Rehmann, who is also a three-star recruit, for his OV.

Coen and Woodward leading the charge with these two.

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) June 8, 2023

Washington was joined by high school teammate Brandon Rehmann in Lexington. Both wideouts are in a small group that Kentucky is pursuing at the moment. With no other official visits scheduled at the moment, these are two prospects to watch. Washington (Virginia) and Rehmann (West Virginia) both had official visits last weekend.

Jordan Floyd reschedules Kentucky visit

Jordan Floyd (3-star, No. 785 overall) was scheduled to be at Kentucky this weekend. That changed when the Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview rising senior bumped up his official visit for Georgia Tech.

Floyd has gone public with his intentions to reschedule with Kentucky.

My official visit to The University of Kentucky has been rescheduled. Date tbd.

— Jordan Floyd (@Jordan_Floyd01) June 8, 2023

Floyd is making his second trip to see head coach Brent Key and the Ramblin’ Wreck. The offensive tackle could be on commitment watch this weekend for the Yellow Jackets.

Jaden Smith is ready to make a decision

Jaden Smith (unranked) has official visits scheduled with Virginia Tech (June 9), Michigan (June 16), and Kentucky (June 23). Despite those locked in trips, a decision will be made before each official visit is completed.

The West Charlotte (N.C.) product is ready to make his announcement.

Top 4… I’ll be announcing my commitment on Monday (6/12) – stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/swNgg65gjh

— Jaden Smith (@jadensmith200) June 7, 2023

USC has joined the other three schools in the final four. Smith took an unofficial visit to Michigan the weekend of June 3 and there is buzz that the Wolverines may have locked up this recruitment. Jim Harbaugh’s program is now the overwhelming favorite (91.7%) according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The commitment will become public on Monday.