Previews and Predictions for 5 Kentucky Football Recruiting Announcements

The Fourth of July was once known simply for fireworks, cold drinks and Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Over the last few years, it’s become the football recruiting event in the summer. Kash Daniel was one of the first memorable Kentucky commits to make the move on Independence Day. Now if a recruit isn’t waiting for the Early Signing Period, they’re probably celebrating their college choice this weekend.

This year the calendar slides July 4 to a Tuesday. Some future college football players are jumping on the ball early. There will be at least three decision on Tuesday, but before then FIVE Kentucky football recruits will announce decisions over the next three days. Here’s what you need to know about each player and where KSR believes they will ultimately land.

OT Jac’Qawn McRoy

Jac’Qawn McRoy, better known simply as “Shaq,” is a modern day Goliath. The 6-foot-8, 365-pound offensive tackle is the No. 191 player in the On3 Industry Ranking. He describes Kentucky as his “day one.” After all, the Cats were the first school to offer him a scholarship. However, the Cats are going to need some pancakes to flip in order to get a shot at McRoy.

Despite official visits at Ole Miss, Arkansas and Kentucky, the last team to get a swing at big Shaq is the leader in the clubhouse, Oregon. It will be a shock if he does not commit to the Ducks this weekend, however, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. McRoy’s recruitment is going to last until he signs on the dotted line and picking a school that’s far, far away from Alabama leaves the Ducks vulnerable. We’ll see if persistence pays off for Kentucky this December.

Decision Date: Saturday, 5:30 pm on CBS Sports HQ

Prediction: Oregon

CB Terhyon Nichols

Kentucky and Michigan are dueling for another recruit. Will Vince Marrow emerge victorious or will Steve Clinkscale rack up another win? Let’s handicap Terhyon Nichols‘ decision.

Michigan has been cleaning up on the trail with the No. 7 recruiting class in the country. Many of those players were once on UK’s radar. Terhyon (pronounced like “terrain”) Nichols and Aaron Scott are their top two targets at the cornerback position, and the latter will most likely end up at Ohio State. This could force the Wolverines to crank up the pressure. They also got the last visit before Nichols’ decision.

Back in Lexington, the Wildcats were the first to go all-in on the top 200 prospect. He was in Lexington on Junior Day, he returned for spring practice and Nichols was one of the Wildcats’ first official visitors of the summer. Nichols has not shared much publicly, but this is exactly the type of recruitment that Vince Marrow wins. Cincinnati is the Big Dog’s home away from home, and he always has one or two big dogs that will make a splash in each recruiting class. Nichols fits that criteria to a tee.

Decision Date: Sunday, 7 pm EST

Prediction: Kentucky

EDGE Makai Byerson

Reading the tea leaves for Makai Byerson was no simple task. A three-star EDGE from Richmond, VA, Byerson officially visited each of his four finalists — Rutgers, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Kentucky. In a conversation with KSR’s Zack Geoghegan, he gave nothing away. Each school could convince the other they were the choice.

We finally received some clarity on Wednesday when Kentucky added a commitment from another EDGE, Caleb Redd. Kentucky is still pursuing Brian Robinson and a couple others who could play either inside linebacker or EDGE. With the Cats seemingly out of contention, who could it be? His father’s alma mater, West Virginia.

Decision Date: Friday, 4 pm EST

Prediction: West Virginia

ATH Elijah Groves

Elijah Groves‘ stock is soaring. He’s still unranked by some recruiting services, but this week 247 Sports bumped him up to the No. 144 player overall. Groves is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound athlete that could be an EDGE or an inside linebacker.

The Tennessee native could keep Purdue’s recruiting momentum rolling. The Boilermakers have been hot over the last few weeks. He officially visited West Lafayette and Raleigh, where it appears to be a two-horse race between NC State and Kentucky. He only unofficially visited Kentucky, but sources indicate the visit to Lexington went better than expected. Groves’ recruitment seems to have gone quiet since his official visit to NC State, and that’s when Brad White is at his best. That’s why I ultimately believe the UK defensive coordinator will land another traits-heavy prospect with a ton of upside.

Decision Date: Saturday

Prediction: Kentucky

DL Dominic Kirks

Cleveland has not been kind to the Kentucky football recruiting operation. Last week Damarion Witten committed to Ohio State, making Darian Kinnard (a Knoxville native) the last contributor to come from The Land. Kentucky tried to reverse course with Dominic Kirks, but it’s not in the cards.

Kirks kept the Cats in his final six even after he canceled an official visit to take a trip to Wisconsin. Joining Luke Fickell looked like the obvious choice for awhile, but 247’s Allen Trieu recently logged a Crystal Ball for Kirks to travel across the country and commit to Washington.

Decision Date: Friday

Prediction: Washington