"Strong relationship" with Kentucky led 3-star WR Cam Monteiro to schedule OV

Kentucky football is facing a rare opportunity — the staff can get selective with who they want to recruit at wide receiver. With a deep receiver room already in place that’s loaded with young and proven talent, the Wildcats should be set at that position for the foreseeable future. That doesn’t mean they still won’t go after talented pass-catchers, but it does mean they can be pickier than in past years (or past decades, for that matter).

With that in mind, three-star class of 2024 WR Cameron “Cam” Monteiro scheduling an official visit with Kentucky is a significant development. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound rising senior told KSR on Friday that an official visit to UK has been locked in for June 16-18. Justin Rowland of Cats Illustrated was first to report the news.

Monteiro’s upcoming trip to Lexington will be his second in roughly two months after he made his first-ever visit to campus just last weekend. Playing for Brockton High School out of Massachusetts, he holds a special relationship with UK’s offensive coordinator Liam Coen and wide receivers coach Scott Woodward, who are both very familiar with the northeastern area. That connection, especially the one with Woodward, plays a clear role in Monteiro’s recruitment.

“We have a strong relationship and them being from the Northeast just adds on,” Monteiro told KSR. “It adds on to the fact that I already got a great relationship with these guys that I feel like want the best for me.”

Had a great time a Kentucky this past weekend!! Can’t wait to get back up there. 💙🤍@CoachWoody7 @UKCoachStoops @LiamCoen @UKFootball pic.twitter.com/oJb24oBc5J

— Cameron Monteiro (@Cam_Monteiro5) April 10, 2023

Monteiro initially picked up his offer from Kentucky back in Oct. 2022. He’s been in constant contact with Woodward ever since and the two were glued at the hip when Monteiro visited last weekend. After mainly checking out ACC schools over the last few months, Monteiro was blown away by how impressive Kentucky’s SEC-level facilities were.

“Everything definitely was smooth, it went better than I expected,” Monteiro said. “It was great, they showed me love, it felt like I was home there when I got there. The facilities is amazing. The whole place overall, it was just a great experience being down there.

“It was mind-blowing, the facilities.”

As of right now, Monteiro only has one other official visit confirmed, a trip to Virginia set for June 4-6. He added that he would like to set up OVs this summer to Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and Pittsburgh with a commitment potentially coming as soon as early August. But he scheduled the Kentucky visit first for a good reason.

“It was the relationships. It all came down to relationships,” Monteiro said. “They’re definitely recruiting me hard, they’re showing me that they actually want me, and I loved it. I loved the place.”

According to the On3 Consensus, Monteiro is considered the No. 718 prospect in the ’24 class and the No. 103 overall wide receiver. Kentucky sees him as a “playmaker” who can suit up at any spot next to the quarterback. During his junior season at Brockton, Monteiro recorded over 1,500 receiving yards and 23 total touchdowns.