Intel from the Kentucky Football Sunday Showcase

The Kentucky football program sent home ten official visitors from the 2026 recruiting class, then hosted approximately 300 underclassmen for the Sunday Showcase Camp. KSR had boots on the ground for the spectacular Sunday afternoon at Kroger Field. You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. You’re probably asking what I learned from the event. Allow me.

Calendars have Killed Summer Camps

This is an unintended consequence of the drastic changes in college athletics. What was once used as a proving ground for rising seniors is now an afterthought. It wasn’t that long ago that we watched Jordan Watkins and Andru Phillips compete in one-on-ones to earn the right to be a “take.” Those are NFL players. That kind of competition rarely happens at camps any more.

The Early Signing Period started it all, but the transfer portal has drastically moved up the high school recruiting calendar. In the old model, rising seniors used this period to showcase their skills and get noticed by coaches, who used it as a vital evaluation tool. Relationships were created at camps, setting up official visits for the fall, but most likely in December.

In the new recruiting calendar, rising seniors already have official visits scheduled for the month of June. Camps are now reserved almost exclusively for rising sophomores and juniors. We often talk about the budgets and super conferences that complicate a coach’s job. Their biggest in-person evaluation tool for coaches has seemingly been eliminated.

Impressive Testers

There were quite a few eye-opening underclassmen KSR will be monitoring moving forward. Jett Jewers is an unranked running back prospect from New Albany, Ohio. The 2027 talent clocked a 4.3 that turned heads in the building.

The Frederick Douglass football program has been kind to the Cats over the years. Tacori Fields could be the latest prospect to play college football in a power conference. The 6-foot-2 athlete has good size and moves well with it, posting a 4.6 40-yard dash.

Big-Name Kentucky Targets

Not every player who attends these camps actually camps. Many schools will take players on week-long college tours across the country. There were two players from Corvian Community School in Charlotte who will have high-profile recruitments.

Nate Kamba already has a loaded offer sheet. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman is ranked by On3 as the No. 103 player in the 2027 recruiting class. His offer sheet includes Florida, Ohio State, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Jesiah Fields is newer to the game of football, but his recruitment is starting to pick up steam. The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder is a three-star talent in 2027 with offers from South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Michigan State. They’re each leaving Lexington with offers.

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Burying the Lede

This is for the folks who were diligent enough to read to the bottom of this post. The summer camps aren’t just an opportunity to watch high school players, but to talk to people close to the program about the upcoming team.

The early returns on Seth McGowan are outstanding. The spring transfer portal players have not been here long, making it difficult to gauge their potential impact, but the New Mexico State running back is leaving no doubts. He’s a playmaker who will make an immediate impact this fall.

A Few Silly Observations from the Kentucky Sunday Showcase

Sunday served as a reminder that the best sports drink is yellow Gatorade mixed in a giant cooler. I don’t know what it is about that powdery mix, but it’s hit better than anything you can buy at the store.

One more thing: The music playlist at the summer camps far exceeds the ones played during practice. This is probably my age talking, but I have no idea what’s going through the speakers at a normal practice. Today I heard some old Jay-Z, Lloyd Banks, and even some Dr. Dre. Fortunately, these youngsters are getting educated on much more than football fundamentals.