Hardley Gilmore welcomed back to Kentucky with open arms: 'I don't think he really wanted to leave'

Nov 16, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Hardley Gilmore IV (17) carries the ball during the second quarter against the Murray State Racers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The start of Hardley Gilmore‘s college career has certainly been unique.

One of the youngest players in all of college football as a true freshman in 2024, the 6-foot-1 wide receiver came to Kentucky as a highly ranked high school recruit out of Florida. A broken collarbone in his first offseason forced him to miss the Wildcats’ first five games, but Gilmore returned halfway through the season and played in the final seven. He totaled 153 receiving yards and a touchdown, averaging 25.5 yards per catch.

Now with some continuity at offensive coordinator, Gilmore was expected to be a pivotal piece to the future of the program — until he shockingly entered his name into the transfer portal in December and soon committed to Nebraska, where he joined Dane Key and former UK wide receiver coach Daikiel Shorts.

Months went by, everyone moving on from Gilmore’s time in Lexington. However, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule announced in early April that Gilmore was dismissed from the program for reasons he did not get into. Less than two weeks later, Gilmore was back on UK’s campus and is now preparing for his sophomore season.

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“Hardley is a great young man,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops told local reporters at SEC Media Days on Thursday. “I don’t want to speak for him, I think he’s on the record of saying I don’t think he really wanted to leave. There’s sometimes things that happen that I don’t need to get into and speak for him, but I’ve always had a strong relationship with Hardley and he has with our staff, and he’s a great young man that’s young and that’s continuing to mature, and continuing to get better. Just like all our players in our program to some level, right?

“We’re glad to have him. He came back and fit right in and is trying to improve.”

From strictly a football perspective, having Gilmore back in the blue and white is a positive. He’s still very young but is developing his game at a fast rate. Kentucky brought in another new wide receivers coach, L’Damian Washington, and some talented pass-catching pieces from the portal. Gilmore could play a significant role as one of the top wide receivers on the depth chart in 2025 alongside quarterback Zach Calzada.