Two Surprising 2023 Kentucky Football Recruiting Developments

National Signing Day was almost six weeks ago, yet the 2023 recruiting class is still giving us something to chew on during the college football offseason. A pair of former Kentucky football recruiting targets are back in the news.

The biggest shake up in the recruiting world happened in South Bend. Brandyn Hillman, a four-star athlete ranked as the No. 137 overall player in the On300, asked Notre Dame for a release from his National Letter of Intent. Marcus Freeman’s program granted the release, making Hillman the most talented free agent on the market.

“Due to personal reasons, I have asked for and been granted my release from my NLI with the University of Notre Dame,” Hillman shared on social media. “I would like to thank Coach [Marcus] Freeman and the Notre Dame staff for their interest.

“I ask you to respect my privacy and my family’s privacy as I explore my options on where to attend school this fall.”

Kentucky was one of four finalists for the Portsmouth, VA athlete when he announced his commitment to Notre Dame in December. The Wildcats will try to get back in the race, but the landscape is much different now than it was two months ago. In the 24 hours since he announced the move he’s already received offers from Michigan, LSU, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Boston College, Cincinnati, Wisconsin and Ohio State.

Prospects of this caliber are rarely available this late in the game. It’s been a wild 24 hours in his recruitment and will certainly get crazier as programs try to shore up their squad before the second transfer portal window becomes the final remaining roster building option.

Kaden Moorman Signs with Louisville

Franklin County running back Kaden Moorman was once the most vocal member of Kentucky’s 2023 recruiting class. Now he will be a Louisville Cardinal.

Moorman almost slipped through the cracks. A promising underclassmen, injuries prevented him from taking the next step in his development. When his Kentucky commitment fell through, few suitors came calling. He did not sign during the first or second period, leaving him without many options. Over the weekend Moorman made a surprise announcement that he will become the fourth Kentucky native to join Jeff Brohm’s inaugural recruiting class.

Similar to St. X’s Micah Carter, Moorman has a high ceiling if he can successfully rehabilitate and continue progressing as a player. Adding another in-state prospect is a low risk play that builds morale among the once jaded fan base after previous regimes refused to recruit locally.

Now a Cardinal, this picture of Kaden Moorman with Woo Spencer at a Kentucky football summer camp did not age well.