Kentucky's 2022 Football Recruiting Class Ranks Seventh Nationally

Kentucky’s 2022 football recruiting class ranks in the top ten nationally. After receiving a commitment from four-star cornerback Alex Afari on Friday morning, the Wildcats jumped from 12th to No. 7 overall in the Rivals team rankings. Most of the schools ahead of UK have at least two or three more players committed.

To account for the size of the class, many analysts often lean on the average star rating to paint a clearer picture of how one school’s talent stacks up with its peers. Even with a placekicker in the mix, who’s considered the top punter and kicker in the country according to kicker recruiting services, the two-star status only slightly drops the Cats’ stock. Kentucky still ranks No. 15 in average star rating, ahead of the likes of Florida, Auburn and Oregon.

Kentucky’s class is headlined by Kiyaunta Goodwin, the top 100 offensive tackle that was born and raised in Louisville. He’s one of four homegrown stars that have pledged allegiance to the Wildcats. More than half of UK’s 10 commitments are four-star prospects.

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Kentucky has a Top 10 class in May. It’s nothing new, Kentucky’s had the No. 1 ranked class in the summer before, but can UK have a Top 10 class on Signing Day?

There’s still plenty of room for UK’s class to improve. Jon Sumrall has been a hitmaker in the Deep South and he has yet to secure a commitment. He’s actively recruiting Mikel Williams, a five-star edge ranked as one of the top 25 players in America, who’s expected to officially visit Lexington over the summer.

There’s also a prospect close to home sitting at the top of UK’s Big Board. Frederick Douglass’ Dane Key is one of the top wide receivers in the country. If Vince Marrow can keep the rising star home, it would go a long way to ensure Kentucky’s class is near the Top 10 when the Early Signing Period begins in December.

The transfer portal has thrown a wrench into the recruiting equation. Kentucky’s recruiting class ranked 35th in 2021, but that would be exponentially higher if Wan’Dale Robinson was included in the recruiting formula. As UK takes more players from the transfer portal, it shrinks the size of the high school recruiting class, forcing them to fall down the team recruiting rankings.

The addition of Afari gives the Wildcats a solid start to the 2022 recruiting cycle. Without a potential commitment on the horizon, things will slightly slow down before camps on college campuses begin in June, opening up the floodgates for what will surely be an eventful summer in college football recruiting.