Kentucky trending for 4-star WR Hardley Gilmore

Belle Glade (Fla.) Pahokee four-star wide receiver Hardley Gilmore is set to announce his commitment on Aug. 25. The 6-foot-1, 165-pounder has had the date in place for a month and named Kentucky, Penn State and UCF as his three finalists.

Of the trio, there’s a hefty favorite for the Sunshine State wideout, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Following a new pick logged by Kentucky Sports Radio insider Nick Roush on Wednesday, it’s the Wildcats that have the lead for Gilmore.

Roush’s pick was placed with a 75% confidence level and is the fourth total RPM pick made for Gilmore to land in Lexington. Kentucky now has a 97.1% chance to lock down Gilmore’s recruitment, while Penn State is way behind at 1%. All three finalists received a visit in June, but all signs are pointing toward a pledge to Mark Stoops and the Wildcats come Friday.

Gilmore is the No. 282 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 47 WR and No. 39 player in Florida.

Kentucky fighting for top-30 recruiting class

The Wildcats made a splash on the recruiting trail in May, as they landed the commitment of Hodgenville (Ky.) Lexington Christian Academy four-star quarterback Cutter Boley, the No. 9 signal-caller in the cycle, who reclassified from 2025. Aside from Boley, however, Cincinnati Withrow four-star cornerback Terhyon Nichols is the only other top-200 recruit in the class.

As a result, Kentucky’s class is No. 36 in the nation and No. 14 in the SEC, per the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking. That’s better than only Missouri and Vanderbilt in-conference. Gilmore would be UK’s fourth four-star pledge, joining Boley, Nichols and Cross Plains (Tenn.) East Robertson four-star linebacker Elijah Groves.

“Kentucky has been selective in wide receiver recruiting this cycle having seemingly passed on multiple targets who came to Lexington for official visits,” wrote KSR’s Adam Luckett. “I believe that was for a reason. The Wildcats would like the pair star recruit Cutter Boley with a big-time receiver, and Hardley Gilmore is that guy.”

Kentucky’s class features just one wide receiver commit: Philadelphia St. Joseph’s Prep three-star David Washington Jr. Alongside Boley and Washington, Kentucky’s top commits on the offensive side of the ball include Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Western three-star running back Tovani Mizell, Independence (Ky.) Simon Kenton three-star interior offensive lineman Aba Selm and Covington (Ky.) Catholic three-star tight end Willie Rodriguez.