Kentucky WR target Dorian Williams commits to Vanderbilt

Dorian Williams was once considering the ‘Cats and even made a stop in Lexington earlier this month, but the three-star wide receiver ultimately decided to head in another direction.

On Wednesday, Williams announced that he has committed to the Vanderbilt Commodores, giving Clark Lea his 12th commitment for the class of 2024. A big receiver at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, the Cincinnati (OH) Princeton took an official visit to Vanderbilt over the weekend and then was expected to officially visit Kentucky immediately after, although that trip did not take place.

Williams has seen his stock rise in recent months, receiving offers from the likes of Michigan State and Pittsburgh. He took an official visit to Colorado State the weekend of June 9 before making a surprise appearance on UK’s campus last week for an unofficial visit where he caught passes from Wildcats’ QB commit Cutter Boley. That led to Williams scheduling an official visit with Kentucky for June 18-20. But again, that second trip to Lexington never came to fruition.

Instead, Williams will take his talents to a different program in the SEC East. He’s considered the No. 766 overall ’24 recruit according to the On3 Industry Ranking and is Vanderbilt’s second-highest-ranked prospect in the class.

Super excited to announce i have committed to Vanderbilt University.
#⚓️⬇️ @VikeNationFB @Coach_LBJ_ @CoachAlexBailey @coachjoeylynch @Coach_Lea @VandyFootball @VandySportscom @AllenTrieu @AndrePa31700834 pic.twitter.com/S9arm8zi5v

— Dorian (@dwill_06) June 21, 2023

The Wildcats have seen several pass-catching targets head elsewhere in recent weeks, with the likes of Williams (Vanderbilt), Shamar Rigby (Purdue), Emmanuel Ross (Stanford), Brandon Rehmann (West Virginia), and Cameron Monteiro (Pittsburgh) all committing to different schools.

But Kentucky and offensive coordinator Liam Coen can afford to be patient when it comes to recruiting wide receivers. With Coen’s track record of success, a slew of young and talented wide receivers currently on the roster, and impressive quarterback play expected to continue into the future, there is reason to wait and find the perfect match.

With that in mind, there are still plenty of high-profile wide receivers on Kentucky’s radar. In particular, five-star Cam Coleman, four-star Hardley Gilmore, four-star Jalewis Solomon, and three-star David Washington Jr. are some of the UK targets to keep a close eye on.

After adding three-star RB Tovani Mizell into the fold on Wednesday, Kentucky now has seven commits locked in for the 2024 class.