Kentucky offers JUCO wide receiver JaVonta Payton

JaVonta Payton is a name that many Kentucky fans have not heard before, but it may be one they need to learn.

Payton is one of the top JUCO wide receivers in the country, and he announced that received a scholarship offer from Mark Stoops on Wednesday night.

Coming out of high school, Payton was a three-star receiver from Nashville headed to play his college ball at Ole Miss. But after not qualifying academically, he spent last year at Northwest Mississippi Community College.

In JUCO, he had 23 receptions for 331 yards and two touchdowns. He is now ranked as the No. 3 JUCO wide receiver, according to 247 Sports composite rankings.

The primary hangup with Kentucky landing the 6-2 receiver at this point is the fact that he committed to Mississippi State on November 19th. That was a big recruiting victory for the Bulldogs, especially considering that he had flipped to Mississippi State from their in-state rival Ole Miss.

As Kentucky fans know well, though, college football commitments are barely worth the tweets they are written on. Payton has not signed with Mississippi State, and he seems excited about the offer coming from Kentucky. He also visited Tennessee a month after picking the Bulldogs, so it’s clear his recruitment is still open.

Will Payton end up in Lexington? Given Kentucky’s recent momentum, I certainly would not rule them out.

Here are some highlights of JaVonta Payton showing what he could potentially contribute at Kentucky.

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