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Four-star QB Matt Ponatoski announces Saturday

by:Justin Rowland07/03/25
Moeller Crusaders Matt Ponatoski (7) looks to throw in the first half of a second-round Division I OHSAA high school football game against the St. Xavier Bombers, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at St. Xavier High School s RDI Field in Cincinnati. | © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Moeller Crusaders Matt Ponatoski (7) looks to throw in the first half of a second-round Division I OHSAA high school football game against the St. Xavier Bombers, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at St. Xavier High School s RDI Field in Cincinnati. | © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Prized Kentucky quarterback target Matt Ponatoski will make his college decision public on Saturday, ending weeks of speculation about where he will end up and what his future will look like.

That’s according to a new report from On3/Rivals reporters Steve Wiltfong and Adam Gorney, with both analysts predicting that Kentucky is in the best position to land the Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller quarterback.

Ponatoski had narrowed his list to Kentucky, Alabama, Oregon, and Arkansas. The Crimson Tide and Ducks have landed quarterbacks, and the Wildcats have both proximity and a strong two-sport pitch to offer Ponatoski, who is also an accomplished baseball prospect.

At the recent Elite 11 against some of the top quarterbacks in the nation Ponatoski fared well, according to analysts present.

He’s a four-star with an On3 Industry Ranking of 90.40, making him the No. 17 quarterback nationally in the 2026 class.

Kentucky has been red hot on the recruiting trail with all of its commitments coming since the beginning of June.

The Wildcats brought Oscar Rios in for an official visit earlier this year but Ponatoski has been at the top of the board for a long time. If Ponatoski were to pick Kentucky he would have a nice cast of receiver commits to develop around him, as Denairius Gray, Dallas Dickerson, Davis McCray, and Prince Jean are already on board.

Ponatoski was Mr. Ohio and the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year after throwing for 4,217 yards, a school-record 57 touchdowns, and only three interceptions while hitting on 70% of his pass attempts.