Rounding up Kentucky football's scholarship offers since the turn of the new year

The Kentucky football coaching staff has kept themselves busy this offseason. With 23 Wildcats (among the highest numbers in the country) leaving the program through the transfer portal, Mark Stoops and company brought in 19 pieces via the portal, headlined by Incarnate Word quarterback Zach Calzada and several other immediate impact players. On top of that, UK is adding 21 prospects from the high school ranks, some already on campus as early enrollees.

With the 2025 spring roster essentially locked in, it will be a while before we see any more portal additions or subtractions. In the meantime, Kentucky assistants have been hitting the high school recruiting trail hard since the turn of the new year. Around 40 new scholarship offers have been sent out to recruits (15 of them being nationally ranked) from the 2026, 2027, and 2028 classes since January 1.

In particular, new wide receivers coach L’Damian Washington has been making his presence felt. Seven pass-catching prospects have been extended scholarships over the last few weeks. The same can be said for offensive line coach Eric Wolford. UK has offered nine different high school offensive linemen since the start of 2025.

Wolford and associate head coach Vince Marrow (who has also hosted plenty of highly-regarded recruits the last few weeks) have been making the rounds to visit recruits at their schools. Defensive backs coach Chris Collins, inside linebackers coach Mike Stoops, and defensive line coach Anwar Stewart have all been active on the recruiting trail, as well. Ohio, as always, remains a focal point for the staff with seven new offers going out in the Buckeye State. Florida is another spot UK has been invading with nine new offers down south.

One of the more notable offers extended since the new year went to four-star QB Matt Ponatoski (who picked up his offer while on a visit with Kentucky baseball) out of Archbishop Moeller — the same school attended by TE Josh Kattus. A trio of in-state prospects (2026 CB Hank James, 2028 OT Christian Bryant, and 2028 S Grayden Reid) have also received offers. Four of the players offered are currently committed to big-brand schools.

Dive in below to see the full list of recent Kentucky offers.

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2026 offers

Darryon Williams (ATH) 5-11, 165 | Plant (Tampa, FL) Florida State commit
4-star: No. 98 overall, No. 4 ATH

Ayden Pouncey (S) 6-1, 155 | Winter Park (Winter Park, FL)
4-star: No. 131 overall, No. 12 S

Kendall Guervil (DL) 6-4, 265 | Fort Myers (Fort Myers, FL)
4-star: No. 160 overall, No. 15 DL

Jayden Petit (WR) 6-4, 195 | First Baptist Academy (Naples, FL)
4-star: No. 175 overall, No. 28 WR

Kenny Darby (WR) 6-0, 175 | Airline (Bossier City, LA) LSU commit
4-star: No. 234 overall, No. 39 WR

Kentavion Anderson (S) 6-2, 180 | Dorman (Roebuck, SC)
4-star: No. 253 overall, No. 21 S

Shaun Scott (EDGE) 6-2, 235 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
4-star: No. 255 overall, No. 26 EDGE

Matt Ponatoski (QB) 6-2, 190 | Archbishop Moeller | Cincinnati, OH)
4-star: No. 303 overall, No. 19 QB

CJ Sanna (LB) 6-3, 225 | Olentangy (Lewis Center, OH)
4-star: No. 321 overall, No. 27 LB

Jack Fuchs (OT) 6-8, 280 | Lawrence Free State (Lawrence, KS)
3-star: No. 416 overall, No. 29 OT

Tamarion Watkins (S) 6-4, 200 | Northwestern (Rock Hill, SC)
3-star: No. 443 overall, No. 43 S

Devin Jackson (S) 6-2, 185 | The First Academy (Winter Garden, FL) Florida commit
3-star: No. 450 overall, No. 44 S

Larry Miles (WR) 5-11, 175 | Jones (Winter Garden, FL)
3-star: No. 492 overall, No. 80 WR

Tyran Evans (WR) 6-3, 180 | William Amos Hough (Charlotte, NC) Tennessee commit
3-star: No. 568 overall, No. 97 WR

Rico Schrieber (OT) 6-7, 345 | Marist (Chicago, IL)
3-star: No. 837 overall, No. 53 OT

Danny Odem (CB) 6-0, 175 | The First Academy (Orlando, FL)

Kealan Jones (S) 6-1, 185 | Sprayberry (Marietta, GA)

Hank James (CB) 6-0, 170 | Paducah Tilghman (Paducah, KY)

Charlie Edgeworth (OT) 6-7, 320 | Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN)

Ge’mir Johnson (EDGE) 6-3, 225 | Glenville (Cleveland, OH)

Landry Brede (OT) 6-5, 275 | Mentor (Mentor, OH)

Kamari Blair (OT) 6-6, 270 | Kirkwood (Clarksville, TN)

Kelsey Deriso (CB) 6-1, 165 | Whitewater (Fayetteville, GA)

Brady Marchese (WR) 6-1, 185 | Cartersville (Cartersville, GA)

2027 offers

Julian Baker (RB) 6-0, 200 | Miami Trace (Washington Court House, OH)

Patrick O’Brien (OT) 6-6, 260 | Archbishop Moeller | Cincinnati, OH)

Seth Tillman (EDGE) 6-3, 255 | South Pointe (Rock Hill, SC)

Davion Jones (WR) 6-0, 170 | West Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)

Charles Britton (WR) 6-0, 170 | Belleville (Belleville, MI)

Alex Bolar (OL) 6-4, 290 | Archbishop Moeller | Cincinnati, OH)

Amare Nugent (CB) 6-1, 170 | American Heritage (Plantation, FL)

Canaan Smith (OL) 6-2, 315 | Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, TX)

2028 offers

A’Mir Sears (ATH) 6-1, 160 | West Broward (Pembroke Pines, FL)

Christian Bryant (OT) 6-2, 275 | Boyle County (Danville, KY)

Tyzon Swann (EDGE) 6-5, 235 | Lackey (Indian Head, MD)

Giovanni Tuggle (ATH) 6-2, 175 | Winder-Barrow (Winder, GA)

Grayden Reid (S) 6-3, 185 | Atherton (Louisville, KY)

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