4-star RB Jutahn McClain signs with Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats have secured a national letter of intent from another four-star recruit.

Wednesday morning during National Signing Day, four-star running back Jutahn McClain signed with Kentucky. He’s one of the highest-rated players it what’s become a monsterous class for Mark Stoops and co.

A 5-10, 180-pound offensive playmaker, McClain is ranked 315th overall and seven among all-purpose running backs in 2020 via 247 Sports. He’s also the ninth-ranked prospect from Ohio.

McClain committed to Kentucky this past summer after completing a visit to Lexington in early June. The Fairfield (OH) native chose Kentucky while holding offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan among others.

In high school, McClain ran the ball out of seemingly every formation (mainly shotgun), and he was deployed as a traditional half-back as well as being sent out wide as a receiver. The smorgas-back can churn through piles of linemen, make men miss with his seasoned spin move and even catch passes out of the backfield—which hasn’t been a primary feature of Eddie Gran offenses; although, that could be product of not having the backs to catch them.

While guys like Kavosiey Smoke and Christopher Rodriguez will be bruisers who do a lot of damage between the tackles, McClain will bring an added dimension to the backfield as someone who can line up all over the field and be a safety valve for whoever is at quarterback.

This is a terrific long-term addition to the UK backfield.

Here is McClain’s UK Athletics profile:

In three seasons at Fairfield, rushed for 4,406 yards and 53 touchdowns while catching 48 passes for 680 yards and seven scores … As a senior, rushed for 1,947 yards and 21 touchdowns … Voted 2019 Offensive Player of the Year and First-Team Offense on the Division I All-Ohio team as voted on by the Ohio Prep Writers Association … In 2018, he totaled 1,754 yards with 25 touchdowns in addition to catching 24 passes for 415 yards and five scores and returning a kick-off 92 yards for a touchdown … Coached by Jason Krause … Krause said, ‘Not only does he have that high-class level of speed that you’ve got to have to play in the Power Five, but he gets to that top speed in two or three steps. He’s a guy that can go the distance any time he touches it.’ … Chose Kentucky over Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Cincinnati, Louisville and others … First name pronounced “ju-TAWN.”