Tuesday Headlines: Big Week for UK Football Recruiting Edition

It’s a big week on the recruiting front for Kentucky Football

By Zac Oakes@ZacOakes Aug 1, 2023, 6:40am EDT

We’re now less than five weeks until Kentucky hosts Ball State in the first game of the 2023 season, and while the Kentucky coaching staff is focusing on getting ready for the season that is just about a month away, a lot of focus is on the recruiting front.

Some of Kentucky’s top recruiting targets have scheduled announcements this week, while others could decide to make announcements this week.

Running back prospect Jason Patterson is set to announce his decision today. Patterson is rising in the recruiting rankings with On3 bumping him up to four-star status recently. Kentucky sits in a good spot with the state of Florida’s leading rusher, with Cincinnati being viewed as the other main contender.

Another prospect who could make a decision today is three-star linebacker Steven Soles from Tennessee.

Kentucky seems to be in a good spot for Soles, joining USF, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State.

Soles is a guy that can play inside or outside linebacker, providing a lot of versatility on the defensive side.

Kentucky is in pursuit of another linebacker too, four-star Nigel Glover who is backing out of his commitment to Northwestern in the wake of the hazing scandals. Glover visited Kentucky first, followed by visits with Ohio State and Michigan.

Glover doesn't have a date for an announcement, but he plans to be on campus this fall, so a decision will likely come this week. He’d be a major late win for the Cats if they can land him.

And finally, QB Stone Saunders is set to make his announcement on Friday.

Kentucky seems to be in a good spot with Saunders, with a big part being the connection to Liam Coen. Saunders is a three or four-star recruit depending on the service, but there’s no doubting his talent.

Georgia, Michigan, Miami and Nebraska are also contenders for the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year.

Kentucky seems to be in a good spot with all four of these prospects, but we all know recruiting can be a whirlwind. It’s definitely a big week for the UK coaching staff as they look to add key pieces to the future of the program.

Tweet of the Day

Carrington Valentine has made his way down to the “A group” portion of practice (just walkthrough). Nice step for thr 7th rnd rookie who has been nothing but impressive.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) July 31, 2023