Recapping a busy week in Kentucky football recruiting

ZGeogheganKSR

On3 image — Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

Time for our weekly recruiting update presented by our friend Andy Luedecke at MyPerfectFranchise. Andy is a huge college sports fan and franchise veteran, having owned multiple franchises and businesses. Using his expertise, he helps others find their American Dream through a very thorough consultation and evaluation process.

Good evening, folks! Quite a week in the world of Kentucky football recruiting, eh? The Wildcat coaching staff snatched up a four-star and three-star prospect from the class of 2023 and have another three-star potentially on the way. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. Kentucky whiffed on a top-ranked in-state recruit, which spiralled into a massive name, image, and likeness debate that required the head coach to make a public statement about it.

Those are just the headline grabbers, too. It was a busy week from start to finish for the program. Let’s recap everything that went down.

Stuart, Keith commit; Keenum, Gilbert on the way?

Kentucky lands Avery Stuart and Khalifa Keith

Despite the week starting off with some tough recruiting news (which we’ll touch on soon), it was quickly remedied with arguably a more talented prospect. Four-star ’23 Avery Stuart committed to Kentucky on Wednesday over the likes of Florida State and Auburn. He immediately became the second highest-rated commit for the ‘Cats out of the ’23 class behind top 200 recruit Shamar Porter. Safeties coach Frank Buffano was all over Stuart in this one.

“I got a chance to visit Kentucky and was surprised that they have all that in Kentucky,” Stuart told On3 after narrowing his list. “Coach Buff (Frank Buffano) always keeps in contact with me. The players love their coaches just as much as the coaches love their players.”

Stuart’s commitment alone bumped Kentucky’s recruiting class up 16 spots from No. 58 to No. 42.

Avery Stuart Film Room

Just a couple of days prior to landing Stuart, Kentucky picked up its second three-star ’23 running back in Khalifa Keith. The Alabama native is considered the No. 997 overall rising senior per the On3 Consensus and chose the ‘Cats over the likes of Georgia Tech and Florida State. Keith plays both running back and linebacker at Parker High School but is being brought to Lexington as a bruising ball carrier. It was new offensive line coach Zach Yenser who scooped Keith up out of Alabama, too. Keith will join in-state RB Kaden Moorman in the future UK backfield.

Khalifa Keith Film Room

Kendrick Gilbert delays commitment, Koby Keenum deciding soon

There was a significant chance that Kentucky would secure four nationally ranked commitments by the week’s end, but the most the staff is looking at right now is three. Why? Four-star defensive lineman Kendrick Gilbert announced Wednesday through Instagram that a decision would not be happening on Thursday, July 7, as had been expected. The Indiana product is down to just four programs in Iowa, Kentucky, LSU, and Purdue, although no clear frontrunner had emerged heading into the week. There is no timeline for a new decision date as of right now.

Now you might be asking: who is the third potential commit this week? We should find out at noon EST on Saturday when ’23 three-star interior offensive lineman Koby Keenum announces his college decision. The Alabama native will decide between Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State, although UK has been the overwhelming favorite to land him with a decision right around the corner. Between On3, 247Sports, and Rivals, a combined 10 predictions have been logged in favor of the ‘Cats since July 2.

Conyer, English, Robinson, Reno go elsewhere

Cristian Conyer spurns ‘Cats for Vols

The conversation that has flooded message boards and call-in shows across the Big Blue Nation this week has been the loss of in-state cornerback Cristian Conyer to Tennessee. His recruitment was a constant back-and-forth between the Wildcats and Volunteers, but the three-star DB ultimately went with UT. In the immediate aftermath, this was seen as a major loss for Kentucky, considering how well UK has recruited out of its own backyard. However, the two commitments mentioned above (and one hopefully on the way) have helped make up for the loss.

4-star QB Dante Reno headed to Columbia

This one had been expected for a few weeks now. Dante Reno was trending towards South Carolina all the way up until his commitment. The ’24 four-star, blue-chip quarterback visited Columbia four times in the last three months and made it official on Saturday with his announcement. Reno holds an intriguing connection with four-star ’24 twins Jacob and Jerod Smith, as the trio plays together at Loomis Chaffee School (CT). The Smith brothers are originally from Kentucky. We’ll have to wait and see how Reno’s decision could affect those two — if it even does at all.

Jaden Robinson joining Reno at USC

Shortly after Keith committed to Kentucky, four-star ’23 LB Jaden Robinson followed Reno to South Carolina on Monday. The Florida native chose the Gamecocks over the likes of Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, and Michigan.

Karmello English decides early, picks Auburn

Although the landing spot wasn’t exactly unexpected, the timing of his decision sure was. Karmello English was expected to commit on July 2, however, the four-star ’23 WR scrapped that date the few prior. He eventually spilled the beans on Monday, July 4, choosing the home state Auburn Tigers as his new home. English was down to Kentucky and Auburn in the end, with Michigan lurking, but proximity ultimately won out. He’s considered a top 150 prospect in his class.

Top 10

View All

Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning

Kentucky cracking plenty of “top schools” lists

They obviously aren’t commitments, but making the top schools list is still a critical step of the process in the age of social media graphics. Kentucky cracked a few of them this week, including one from blue-chip prospect Neeo Avery out of Maryland.

Avery includes the ‘Cats among top 4

Joining Kentucky in the four-star EDGE rusher’s preferred list of schools are Maryland, Ole Miss, and Oregon, he announced on Wednesday. Considered the No. 224 overall ’23 prospect according to the On3 Consensus, Avery was once a Penn State commit before backing off that decision in March. He took official visits to both Kentucky and Maryland in June, an unofficial to Ole Miss in June, and an official to Oregon in May. Kentucky is in good shape as his recruitment winds down.

Colorado’s Naquil Betrand down to 6

Although a de-commitment announcement has yet to officially come, Naquil Betrand will not be joining Colorado in the future as it currently stands. The ’23 three-star offensive tackle out of Philadelphia announced a top six on Monday of Kentucky, Auburn, Georgia, Syracuse, Penn State, and Texas A&M. He took official visits to Auburn, UK, and Syracuse in June.

’24 safety CJ Heard drops top 12

It’s still early in the process for three-star ’24 safety CJ Heard, but Kentucky is at least showing significant interest from the jump. The Georgia product dropped a top 12 on Monday that included Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, and Tennessee, along with the ‘Cats.