WR Karmello English, 4-Star Kentucky Target, Commits to Auburn

One of the top players on the Kentucky football recruiting big board is taking his talents to another SEC school. Karmello English shared with On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he has committed to Auburn.

BREAKING: Four-Star WR Karmello English has Committed to Auburn, he tells @On3Recruits

The 6’0 185 WR from Phenix City, AL chose the Tigers over Michigan, Kentucky, and othershttps://t.co/M72cqZFyVO pic.twitter.com/EeRDLhuLml

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 4, 2022

The July 4 announcement was unexpected. English initially scheduled a decision for July 2. That plan was scrapped last week. The move bought Kentucky some time, providing some optimism that the winds had changed in his recruitment. Ultimately, English had another change of heart and decided to pledge his allegiance to Auburn.

English is from Phenix City, Al., located just about 45 minutes away from Auburn. A frequent flyer to the nearby campus, Kentucky made some headway this spring by getting the receiver to Lexington for multiple visits. Michigan made a late play on his last official visit in June, but proximity won out for English.

A four-star prospect, English is the No. 128 player in America according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s widely considered one of the best 25 wide receivers in the country.

To land a player like Karmello English, a late flip near the start of the Early Signing Period always felt like the most likely avenue for Kentucky to take. The Wildcats did just that last year with Ja’Kobi Albert. Even though Jon Sumrall is no longer closing deals in Alabama for Kentucky, there’s also a good chance that a Bryan Harsin collapse could lead English back to UK, similar to what happened with Trevin Wallace when Guz Malzahn was abruptly fired.

The door is not completely shut on Kentucky, however, there’s no way to spin it: Mark Stoops’ program desperately needs some good news. Less than 24 hours after losing Cristian Conyer to Tennessee, another top prospect is off the board. A year after signing the highest-ranked recruiting class in school history, Kentucky is struggling to gain traction in the 2023 class.