Kentucky trending with 4-star DB Jay Ward

It seems that Lexington treated Jay Ward well this weekend.

Heading into the weekend, the four-star corner from Georgia seemed bound for the LSU Tigers. At one point, the 247 Sports crystal ball had LSU getting 100% of the picks, while the Florida State Seminoles and Texas A&M Aggies remained in the mix.

The pursuit by big-name programs like that was a big reason why Ward decommitted from Kentucky back in November.

However, after an official visit with the Wildcats this weekend, which included watching Kentucky’s big win over Kansas, it seems that it’s Mark Stoops’ program with the edge.

The 247 crystal ball has taken a complete 180. Rather than LSU being the favorites Kentucky now had the edge with a 67% chance to land their man after getting a host of picks, including one from recruiting guru Steve Wiltfong.

Another pick was from LSU reporter Bill Embody, which is a pretty good sign that LSU is not who the talented DB is favoring. LSU still sits in second at 33%, while Florida State and Texas A&M seem to be on the outside looking in.

Over at Rivals, two predictions came in Monday for Kentucky to land Ward.

Not only would Ward landing in Lexington be a massive win for Kentucky Football to beat out powerhouse programs for a big prospect, but it would have an immediate impact on the shape of the 2019 Kentucky Football roster.

Kentucky’s secondary is the teams biggest question mark with Mike Edwards, Darius West, Lonnie Johnson, Chris Westry and Derrick Baity all NFL bound, while Michael Nesbitt, who was thought to contend for a starting cornerback spot in 2019, no longer with the program.

If Ward chooses Kentucky, he will have the chance to play a lot as a true freshman and bring a four-star presence to a young defensive unit. 247 Sports ranks Ward No. 282 overall in the 2019 class in addition to being the 30th-best cornerback prospect.

There’s no date yet set for Ward to announce his decision but, it seems Kentucky has a real chance to reel him in. Kentucky’s class is currently ranked No. 32 at 247, so a commitment from Ward and a few other recruits could propel them into the top 25 of the final rankings.

Ward was originally scheduled to officially visit Florida State this coming weekend, and it remains to be seen if it takes place.

National Signing Day is next Wednesday, so the Wildcats obviously hope they’re the final school he ends up visiting before his decision. Kentucky’s class currently has 23 commitments.

If Ward does pick Kentucky, it would also give them four commitments from four-star defenders in the 2019 class, joining linebacker Jared Casey, defensive end JJ Weaver and safety Moses Douglass.

Check out some highlights of Ward in action:

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