Steven Soles, 3-Star Tennessee EDGE, Commits to Kentucky

Kentucky is adding juice to its pass rush by bringing in a weapon from the state of Tennessee. Steven Soles announced his commitment to Kentucky Wednesday afternoon, choosing the Wildcats over offers from Virginia Tech and Mississippi State, among others.

UK wide receivers coach Scott Woodward and inside linebackers coach Mike Stoops played a significant role in the recruitment of Steven Soles. Shortly after he unofficially visited Lexington last week, he was sold. He still has yet to take an official visit.

Steven Soles is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound athlete from just north of Knoxville in Powell, TN. A three-star talent, he’s considered the No. 915 overall rising senior and a top 90 linebacker by the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

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Steven Soles becomes the 15th player to join Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class. He’s the third commitment primarily recruited by Woodward, following WR David Washington Jr. and IOL Jadon Lafontant. Kentucky has a commitment from one EDGE, Caleb Redd, and the Cats are still pursuing Brian Robinson, Jerod Smith and Jacob Smith.

What Steven Soles is bringing to Kentucky

Kentucky is clearly targeting traits when pursuing three-star prospects from the high school ranks. Antwan Smith was ranked by most as an EDGE, but he’s expected to play off-ball linebacker at the next level. The same applies to Soles, but vice versa.

What Steven Soles lacks for in size he makes up for with athleticism. It makes him the ideal fit for Kentucky’s Sam position in the 3/4 defense. As Jordan Wright did for so many years in a Kentucky uniform, Soles just has a nose for the ball and a knack for making big plays. Like Wright’s interception of Anthony Richardson, few can turn a pass deflection at the line of scrimmage into an interception. Soles is also an exception to that norm. There’s plenty of room for growth in his game. As is the case for most high school players, he needs to lower his pad level and gain weight, but that quick first step can transform him into a weapon on the Kentucky defense.