Tuesday afternoon Kentucky Football recruiting notes

Good afternoon, folks! Have we officially shifted over to football mode? Or have some of you been there for a while now? Regardless, spring practice is in full swing and there is plenty to discuss. KSR’s Nick Roush and Adam Luckett have you covered from the on-field portion of Tuesday morning’s open practice, but we need to discuss what’s happening away from the action.

Let’s dive right into today’s recruiting notes.

Tyler Steen cuts UK from list

Welp, it would appear that Kentucky is no longer in the running for Vanderbilt offensive line transfer Tyler Steen. A three-year starter for the Commodores, the Miami, FL native has taken visits to the likes of UK, N.C. State, Tennessee, LSU, and Alabama since his decision to put his name in the transfer portal. He was actually in Bama this past weekend for his final visit before he expects to make a decision. And of course, reports are that the trip to Tuscaloosa went swimmingly.

Despite speculation that Steen’s visit to Kentucky went just as smoothly, the ‘Cats have been knocked out of the race, according to an article over at BamaInsider. Senior recruiting analyst Andrew Bone spoke with Steen’s father and later wrote on Monday night that Steen’s top choices are down to Alabama, LSU, and Virginia. Steen’s brother, Blake, recently committed to Virginia last February, but Alabama appears to have the inside track here. A decision is expected to come by Monday.

Damn you, Eric Wolford!

Two key WR prospects on campus

A very important visitor arrived in Lexington on Tuesday and it didn’t take long at all for the coaching staff to throw an offer his way. Class of 2023 wide receiver Demitrius Bell is a fast-rising prospect who has picked up offers from the likes of Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Vanderbilt in just the last couple of weeks. Now Kentucky is getting in on the action. Bell clocks in at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds and plays his high school ball for Blackman down in Tennessee.

Blessed to receive an Offer from the University Of Kentucky 🔵⚪️!! @CoachWoody7 @CSmithScout @NCEC_Recruiting @ChandlerTygard @LoyaltyPerform @ELammers_Rivals #BBN🤟🏾 pic.twitter.com/CleBtZbOWg

— Demitrius Bell (@db1_1o) March 29, 2022

Possibly even more noteworthy than Bell is another elite pass-catcher, Springfield, OH product Anthony Brown, who arrived to UK’s campus on Tuesday. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound wideout is also considered a top 400 junior in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, and already holds offers from the likes of Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, and Tennessee, among several others. Brown has made campus visits to Michigan, Michigan State, and Tennessee since the beginning of March.

Associate head coach Vince Marrow is the lead recruiter in this one, so of course he made sure that Brown was able to meet with future NFL Draft pick Wan’Dale Robinson. Past, meet future.

Chillin with the big dog @vincemarrow and soon to be Superstar! @wanda1erobinson pic.twitter.com/lZaoaHgwHy

— Anthony Brown (@anthonybrownn_) March 29, 2022

Other recruiting notes

• Neeo Avery, a four-star class of 2023 EDGE out of Good Counsel (MD), has scheduled an official visit to Kentucky for June 17, he tells KSR. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound prospect recently de-committed from Penn State on March 27, where he had been a commit since Dec. 31, 2021. Kentucky was one of the top schools originally involved with Avery before he chose the Nittany Lions — he took a visit to Lexington for UK’s matchup on Nov. 6 against Tennessee. Miami (FL), Georgia, and Southern California are also in the mix for Avery.
• Cameron Calhoun will announce his college decision very soon. After taking a couple of trips to Kentucky over the last week, the Wildcats are in an excellent position to secure a commitment. A 6-foot-2 three-star cornerback from Cincinnati’s Winton Woods, the class of 2023 prospect shared on social media that he will be announcing his college decision, Wednesday, March 30 at noon EST. Calhoun has 19 scholarship offers from the likes of Boston College, West Virginia, and Georgia Tech. Kentucky appears to be the team to beat at this point.
• Speaking of Winton Woods, Kentucky is hellbent on keeping this pipeline going. Not only is Calhoun trending toward picking the ‘Cats, but the staff is also in a great position with his teammate, class of 2023 three-star CB Jermaine Mathews, who was in Lexington over the weekend with Calhoun for a visit. A third member of the 2023 Winton Woods class, running back Trey Cornist, was also in town for a visit. The 6-foot ball carrier has received offers from Georgia Tech and Massachusetts, both of which came this month. Kentucky could very well be the next school to extend an offer.

One final note: Much like last weekend, this coming weekend should be another important recruiting stretch for Kentucky with plenty of ranked recruits expected to arrive on campus. We’ll dive into those names later in the week though as they continue to surface.