4-star '24 TE Damarion Witten looking to visit Kentucky soon

Damarion Witten is being recruited by some of the biggest schools in the country, but Kentucky made a unique mark on his recruitment.

Witten, a four-star class of 2024 tight end out of Glenville, OH, received his first-ever Divison I offer from the Wildcats nearly two years ago in June 2021. It was months before another program reached out with a scholarship and nearly a year before powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan finally came around.

Now, Witten, who clocks in at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, is considered to be one of the nation’s top tight ends, ranking No. 321 overall in the On3 Consensus and as a top 25 prospect at his position. Along with Ohio State and Michigan, the likes of Oregon, Louisville, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Miami (FL), and Texas have all extended offers.

While his recruitment has seen a boom in popularity as of late, Witten is still in contact with Kentucky. In particular, he’s built a sound relationship with associate head coach Vince Marrow, who coaches tight ends at UK too. Quality control assistant CJ Conrad is also helping out with Witten’s recruitment, but Marrow has made the most notable impact up to this point.

“Me and Coach (Marrow) are close. He’s like a uncle to me,” Witten told KSR this week. “He’s 100 percent real all the time and he gives great advice. As a coach he’s awesome but as a person, he is the perfect coach, person to be around on and off the field.”

A finalized date has yet to be confirmed, but Witten tells KSR that he plans to visit UK either this month or at the beginning of May, possibly as an official visit. Witten places a big importance on Kentucky being his first-ever offer.

“They were the first school to believe in me and gave me motivation that I can really be something one day,” Witten added.

Ohio State has the clear advantage as the nearby, in-state school — Witten plans to take another visit (his fifth since last spring) to the Buckeyes on Saturday for the team’s Spring Game — and Michigan has been lurking, but Kentucky has its foot all the way in the door.