3-Star DL Garrett Witherington Chose Kentucky Because of the 'Family-Like Atmosphere'
Garrett Witherington is a Kentucky Wildcat. The 2026 three-star defensive lineman announced his commitment on Sunday over the likes of Stanford, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, and Penn State. He took his fair share of official visits, but Kentucky ended up sealing the deal.
The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman from Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, AL) told KSR+ leading up to the commitment that Kentucky was “definitely a contender.” Now that the Cats are the choice, he’s excited for the future.
“It’s just the family-like atmosphere they have with the coaches and players,” he said. “It’s about how they all react to each other, especially with the coaches. Coach [Brad] White and Coach [Anwar] Stewart are so tight, and it’s really cool to see a relationship like that between a defensive coordinator and a defensive line coach.”
Breaking Down His Official Visit
Garrett Witherington took his official visit to Kentucky in mid-June. It was a big reason for his commitment just a few weeks later.
“The campus was awesome, just seeing all the cool buildings,” Witherington said. “The dorms were great. I got to hang out with some of the players. That was probably the best part.”
Witherington had conversations with the coaches while on campus about his fit. He sees himself “fitting in great there.”
“It’s all a three-technique,” he said. “I’ll be able to rotate between the three technique and anything else. I’ll fit in great. We watched some film on me and on some of their guys. I got to see how they would use me, and it was really cool to see.”
Garrett Witherington’s Game
Three-star defensive lineman Garrett Witherington of Birmingham (AL) Briarwood Christian is the nation’s No. 976 overall prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Witherington as the No. 64 defensive lineman and the No. 29 best player in Alabama.
“[My greatest strengths are] being able to hold a good gap, run-stopping, and obviously the pass rush,” Witherington said.
Witherington is looking to improve his entire game moving forward. However, there are three aspects he’s focusing on the most.
“I want to get bigger, stronger, and improve on a little more technique,” he said. “I’m looking to do those three things. I’ve been doing some pilates over the last few weeks, trying to get more flexible for my upcoming season.”
