Rounding up this week's Kentucky football offers

ZGeogheganKSR

rounding-up-this-weeks-kentucky-football-offers-2 — Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

Another week, another fresh group of high school prospects with Kentucky football scholarships.

Head coach Mark Stoops’ staff has been hard at work on the recruiting trail once again this week. After sending out nearly 20 offers last week, another 20-plus offers went out throughout the course of this week. The majority of these scholarships went to prospects in the classes of 2025 and 2026, but there was also a handful of 2024s mixed in, along with a transfer prospect on the offensive line.

The staff dipped into the states of Texas, Mississippi, and even Arkansas, but mostly stuck with the familiar territories of Ohio and Florida. In particular, Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas felt Kentucky’s presence this week, with at least five underclassmen picking up offers from the Wildcats since Monday.

Who else did Stoops and company take a look at this week? Let’s find out together. But first, a word from our terrific sponsor!

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Transfer portal offers

Tyler Knaak (OT) 6-7, 300 | Utah Utes

Down to just six scholarship players at tackle thanks to the transfer portal, Kentucky is looking to beef up the Big Blue Wall. Tyler Knaak is one to keep an eye on, as he earned an offer from the Wildcats on Thursday. Knaak did not see game action in his first and only season with Kyle Whittingham‘s Utah program. The Cottonwood Heights (UT) Brighton product was a class of 2022 recruit that signed and enrolled early with the in-state Utes. A former low three-star recruit, Knaak picked Utah over Arizona State, Oregon State, USC, and Virginia.

Class of 2024 offers

Johann Cardenas (RB) 6-1, 215 | St. Thomas (Houston, TX)
4-star: No. 310 overall, No. 26 RB

A former Texas Tech commit, Johann Cardenas reopened his recruitment on April 20. Since then, the four-star tailback has picked up offers from the likes of Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and Tulsa. New running backs coach Jay Boulware extended the Wildcats’ offer on Monday. Cardenas is still working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in the fall. He’s also not ruling out a potential recommitment to the Red Raiders. The likes of Colorado, Oregon, SMU, and Vanderbilt have also reached out with offers.

Vincent Shavers (LB) 6-0, 205 | TRU Prep Academy (Miami Gardens, FL)
3-star: No. 661 overall, No. 72 LB

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Vincent Shavers was offered by Kentucky’s inside linebackers coach Mike Stoops on Monday, joining schools such as WKU, Maryland, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Illinois, Louisville, and several others that have already touched base with a scholarship. A pair of Big Ten schools, Maryland and Rutgers, are the ones to keep an eye on right now for Shavers.

Quintavious Johnson (EDGE) 6-5, 255 | Mays (Atlanta, GA)

It’s been a busy week for unranked Quintavius Johnson, who might be receiving some stars sooner rather than later. The Georgia product hauled in offers from the likes of Kentucky, LSU, Chattanooga, UAB, Georgia State, and South Carolina since the week began. Wildcats’ defensive line coach Anwar Stewart was who offered Johnson, which he announced on Monday. Tennessee, which offered in February, is the only school so far to lock him in for an official visit in June. The likes of Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and North Carolina have also offered him in recent months. Johnson tells KSR that he’s looking to get on Kentucky’s campus for a visit.

Jathan Hatch (ATH) 6-2, 190 | Biggersville (Corinth, MS) –> KSR+ interview

Kentucky’s defensive backs coach Chris Collins extended a scholarship to Jathan Hatch on Monday, not long before Missouri, Arkansas State, and Florida A&M did the same later in the week. Hatch is currently looking to lock in an official visit to Louisville, he tells KSR, but he’s also hoping to visit the Wildcats soon, which he told Jacob Polacheck of KSR+. Louisville and Ole Miss have been in consistent contact with Hatch so far in his recruitment.

Class of 2025 offers

Dallas Wilson (WR) 6-3, 180 | Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa, FL) OREGON COMMIT
4-star: No. 54 overall, No. 11 WR

Following a visit to Oregon back in January, Dallas Wilson committed to the Ducks almost immediately after. But most schools must not buy into him being 100 percent locked in. Since his commitment, Wilson has received offers from the likes of Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Auburn, Texas A&M, Miami (FL), and Louisville. Coach Boulware reached out to Wilson with an offer on Tuesday. Considering he’s already a top 60 prospect in the ’25 class, there will be plenty of interest in him until he signs on the dotted line.

Ben Hanks Jr. (CB) 6-1, 150 | Booker T. Washington (Miami, FL)
4-star: No. 109 overall, No. 12 CB

The son of former Florida All-SEC linebacker Ben Hanks, Ben Hanks Jr. received his offer from Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White and Coach Collins on Monday. Texas A&M offered on Monday, too. The likes of Alabama, Georgia, Miami (FL), Florida State, Auburn, Michigan State, and Louisville have also reached out with scholarships. The home-state Gators offered him back in September. Hanks Jr. is going to be a big-time recruit moving forward.

Tory Blaylock (RB) 5-11, 175 | Atascocita (Houston, TX)
3-star: No. 142 overall, No. 11 RB

Much like Wilson and Hanks Jr., Tory Blaylock already holds a lengthy offer sheet from some of the biggest football schools in the country, including Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Penn State, Oklahoma, and much more. Coach Boulware dipped into the Longhorn State on Monday to extend him Kentucky’s offer. Blaylock’s father is a former NFL running back while his brothers currently play college football at Wisconsin and Sam Houston.

Kamaurri Smith (WR) 6-6, 205 | Wayne (Cleveland, OH) –> KSR+ interview

Jussiah Williams-West (S) 6-3, 175 | Wayne (Dayton, OH) –> KSR+ interview

KJ Brown (LB) 6-3, 225 | Winton Woods (Monroe, OH) –> KSR+ interview

Travares Daniels II (S) 6-1, 185 | McArthur (Hollywood, FL)

Johnny Arneus Jr. (WR) 6-0, 175 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Pembroke Pines, FL)

Jaimier Scott (ATH) 6-0, 185 | Mt. Healthy (Cincinnati, OH)