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Film Room: Matt Ponatoski

Adam Luckettby: Adam Luckett07/07/25adamluckettksr
Matt Ponatoski copy 1.jpg

Is Kentucky on a high school quarterback recruiting heater? The case could be made after Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller quarterback Matt Ponatoski became the fourth win at the position over the last three recruiting cycles when he officially joined UK’s 2026 class. The two-sport start is a legitimate MLB prospect at shortstop but one could argue his ceiling on the gridiron might just be higher after seeing all that he has accomplished over the last calendar year.

Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan and the Cats have recorded a monstrous recruiting win. I do not believe that can be overstated.

Kentucky will have a long wait until signing day, and even longer wait until the 2026 MLB Draft after that, but we can cross that bridge when we get there. Right now is about focusing what Kentucky is adding to the roster.

Matt Ponatoski is a clean cut evaluation as an accurate passer who plays with great pace, timing, feel, and projects to be a high-quality starting quarterback quickly during his collegiate career. The quarterback might just be scratching at the surface of what he could become. That should excite the Big Blue Nation.

Let’s roll the tape.

Accuracy plus arm strength combination shine on Matt Ponatoski’s tape

Matt Ponatoski turned into a Ohio high school football superstar during his junior season at Cincinnati Moeller. The quarterback led his team to state runner-up finish while throwing for 4,217 yards with 58 total touchdowns and only three interceptions in 16 games. Ponatoski completed 69.4 percent of his 25.3 pass attempts per game and consistently lit up defenses through the air.

The Kentucky commit did it all with accuracy and the arm strength he’s shows on the baseball diamond as a shortstop and pitcher who can dot 97 miles per hour.

Touch, small window throws, pinpoint accuracy, and dropping throws in the bucket all show up on Ponatoski’s junior tape.

Ponatoski consistently delivers a soft ball and that allows him to layer the football and deliver on the money throws at all three levels. The accuracy even shows up when the feet aren’t always in good position. The young quarterback even flashes anticipatory passes where Ponatoski shows the confidence to hit small windows in between defenders. Ponatoski can stretch the field vertically but does a very good job with pacing and not overthrowing open receivers on vertical concepts. There are a plethora of impressive throws that take real touch all over the film.

There is natural accuracy that shows up in a camp setting and in real game action. But there is also arm power that combines with accuracy that makes Ponatoski such an intriguing quarterback prospect.

Cover 2 hole shot? Check. A throw that travels 40-plus air yards from the opposite hash delivered on target? Check. Off-script creation in scramble drill? Check. The final rep clipped above shows the arm talent that Ponatoski possesses. Scrambling right towards the sideline, the quarterback delivers a strike across his body right on the money between the numbers.

The precision and arm strength combination are very impressive.

A potentially special prospect at the sport’s most important position

On3’s Charles Power named Matt Ponatoski the most accurate passer at this year’s Elite 11 finals. That showed up at a Kentucky camp workout at Kroger Field that KSR covered last summer. It definitely showed up on the junior tape.

The Kentucky target is a very clean evaluation. Ponatoski is what some would considered undersized (6-2, 190), and will never be the best athlete for the position, but this is a quarterback that very much oozes natural feel for the game. You have to contribute a lot of that to his raw athletic profile. Ponatoski shows good pocket mobility and play extension skills on scrambles. No matter the throwing platform, this is a quarterback who delivers strikes with accuracy and can hit different velocity levels. The game just seems to come easy to a player who is just learning how to play quarterback.

Matt Ponatoski has yet to go all-in on being a quarterback. That could occur in college. The development is already ahead of schedule and that could continue to be the case as this four-star recruit grows into the position. This is a real deal prospect who can help impact winning quickly during his collegiate career.

A case can be made that Ponatoski is one of the best recruiting wins of the Mark Stoops era due to his natural passing ability and decision-making plus processing growth potential at the quarterback position.

This is one that is worth getting excited about.

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2025-08-02