KSR Today: Still celebratin' Independence

Mid-week holidays are always the best, stretching two-day weekends into three- or four-day weekends for many. A July 4th celebration on Thursday transitions into more of the same Friday with excused absences or ‘sick’ days, followed by normal weekend shenanigans on Saturday and Sunday. The weather mostly sucked yesterday in Kentucky with more clouds and a few showers on the way today, but not enough to ruin the vibes out on some body of water with an ice-cold beverage in your hand. And then it’s supposed to be perfect the rest of the weekend, so you have that in your back pocket, as well.

What does that mean for us here at KSR? Well, nothing for the most part. Things kept rolling here at HQ on Thursday covering football commitments and hot dog-eating contests to give you something to read when scrolling through with burgers on the grill and setting off fireworks — hopefully not simultaneously.

That’s going to continue with plenty to recap from yesterday and preview for today and moving forward, your one-stop shop for news this Fourth of July weekend.

Let’s dig right in, shall we?

Jermiel Atkins is a Cat

It’s been a heck of a recruiting week for Mark Stoops, Vince Marrow and the Wildcats, Kentucky now ranked No. 19 nationally and 10th in the SEC following the commitment of 6-8, 270-pound offensive tackle Jermiel Atkins.

The three-star, top-50 tackle chose the Cats over the likes of Arizona State, Minnesota and Virginia Tech, Atkins taking officials to those finalists this summer before choosing Lexington as his next home.

Kentucky is up to 17 commitments now in this cycle with seven listed as four-stars according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Not a bad way to celebrate the Fourth of July if you’re the Cats.

Samari Reed is not a Cat

There was a chance Kentucky could secure two Yahtzees on Independence Day, Atkins getting things rolling in the early afternoon before Samari Reed closed things out with some fireworks of his own.

Then he decided to throw snap-pop firecrackers at our feet by making a surprise commitment to Ole Miss, choosing the Rebels in a way-too-dramatic IG Live announcement that saw him eliminate hats one by one before cutting his stream off when he got down to a final two.

After a 10-minute wait, the three-star receiver shared that he would be playing for Lane Kiffin in Oxford and leaving finalists Clemson, Penn State, Kentucky and West Virginia in the dust.

With Reed out, the Wildcats will look to add at least one more receiver to the 2025 class, joining top-500 pass-catchers in Quintin Simmons and Ja’Kayden Ferguson. Could top-100 WR Andrew Marsh be the guy? They also hosted top-500 prospect Dejerrian Miller on an official in June.

Could Dawayne Galloway be a Cat?

Stoops and Marrow could really be celebrating Independence Day well into the weekend if they can pull off one of the nation’s top defensive backs as four-star Dawayne Galloway is set to make his commitment on Friday.

The No. 149 overall prospect and No. 17 cornerback in 2025 according to the On3 Industry Ranking is set to choose between Kentucky, Purdue, West Virginia and Syracuse to go with offers from Michigan, Georgia, Penn State, Texas A&M, Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin and Arkansas, among others.

His addition would give Stoops just his second-ever top-300 cornerback at Kentucky, joining fellow Ohio native Terhyon Nichols.

Can the Wildcats land the 5-11 defensive back out of Columbus? We’ll find out later this afternoon.

Patrick Bertoletti, Miki Sudo win Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contests

Joey Chesnut did not suck down glizzys at Coney Island, instead opting for his own event in El Paso, Texas called the Fort Bliss Meat and Greet. He demolished 57 dogs and buns in five minutes to defeat four U.S. Army soldiers.

So who won in New York? It was Patrick Bertoletti eating 58 in ten minutes to come out victorious and claim his first men’s title. He beat his prior record of 55 dogs at the event. Geoffrey Esper came in second after eating 53 hot dogs and buns.

58 GLIZZYS 😱

PATRICK BERTOLETTI WINS THE MEN'S NATHAN'S FAMOUS HOT DOG CONTEST 👏 pic.twitter.com/1CKtp4Xmxd

— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2024

On the women’s side, Miki Sudo continued to do what she does best, smashing 51 dogs to become a 10-time champion and set a new women’s world record.

A NEW WOMEN'S RECORD‼️

Miki Sudo downs 51 hot dogs to claim her 10th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest 🌭 pic.twitter.com/vyzX4TJ9oN

— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2024

How about the Nathan’s Famous Lemonade Chug before the hot-dog eating contests? That was won by the one and only Eric “Badlands” Booker, who earned a world record himself by destroying a gallon of lemonade in just 21 seconds.

It doesn’t get more American than that.

ERIC BADLANDS BOOKER NEW WORLD RECORD IN THE NATHAN'S FAMOUS LEMONADE CHUG 🍋 pic.twitter.com/fTkdn3NRqV

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 4, 2024

Join us at Cruisin’ for a Cause!

Do you like car shows and raising money for charity? Then come join MiddleGround for Cruisin’ for a Cause on July 6^th at the Valvoline World Headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky to raise money for Habitat for Humanity! 

The car show begins at 11 am and will wrap up at 3 pm! There will be several awards (multiple categories) and Miss Kentucky will be in attendance! There will also be multiple food trucks, top vendors, and activities for the kids! 

The first 100 entries to purchase their tickets online will receive a dash plaque celebrating this charity event. So come join us on July 6^th to raise money for Habitat for Humanity at Cruisin’ for a Cause, spread the word!