Kentucky trending to land 3-star '24 LB Devin Smith ahead of Friday decision

The Kentucky football coaching staff has added three defensive pieces to the 2024 recruiting class so far this month. Could they add a fourth by the end of the week?

Three-star linebacker Devin Smith is set to announce his college decision on Friday, Sept. 22. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Brunswick (GA) High product will choose between Kentucky and LSU. But as we inch closer to decision day, one school is beginning to break away from the other.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), Kentucky has an 88.2 percent chance of landing Smith. There have been two RPM picks logged in favor of UK since Saturday, the first coming from LSU analyst Bill Embody and the second from myself on Monday morning. Smith took a surprise official visit to Kentucky during Week 1 and scheduled his commitment date shortly after leaving Lexington.

Smith was originally expected to spend his LSU official visit this weekend when the Tigers take on Arkansas, but he told KSR on Sunday that he has pushed that trip back to November. Smith is rated as the No. 614 overall high school senior in the country by the On3 Industry Ranking.

1 Week Away But We Gotta Take Care Of Business First.#WhereIsHome🤷🏾‍♂️ #BBN🔵⚪️ #TigerNation🟣🟡 #GoCats #GeauxTigers 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/8QVOqu9rab

— Devin Smith (@datboy_dd) September 15, 2023

Kentucky, led by defensive backs coach Chris Collins and inside linebackers coach Mike Stoops, has been recruiting Smith for well over a year now. He was extended an offer by the Wildcats in May 2022 after the likes of Tennessee, Wake Forest, Nebraska, Iowa, and others had already gotten involved. Since then, Smith has been a constant presence in Lexington, having taken unofficial visits in June 2022, October 2022, March 2023, and June 2023, along with his official visit earlier this month.

Smith trimmed his list of options to five in July, cutting it down to a group of SEC schools: Kentucky, LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, and Auburn. Southern California offered him later that same month, but the Trojans are not being considered at this stage in his recruitment. It’ll come down to the Wildcats and the Tigers on Friday.

Kentucky’s 2024 class currently ranks 26th in the country thanks to this month’s newest additions. First, three-star EDGE Lorenzo Cowan committed to the Wildcats on Sept. 10. Then, twin brothers Jacob and Jerod Smith, both considered four-star defensive prospects, announced their flip from Michigan to UK on Friday.