Jake Nawrot, Nation's No. 2 Quarterback, Commits to Kentucky

Will Stein was never going to beg and plead for top players to come to Kentucky. He recently said, “Why wouldn’t you want to play in this offense?” Jake Nawrot agrees.

Nawrot, the second-ranked quarterback in America, announced that he has committed to Kentucky. This is a decision that will send shockwaves around the college football world for multiple reasons.

First and foremost, the second-ranked quarterback in the country is going to be a Wildcat. It’s so crazy, it was worth saying again. He’s the No. 32 overall player in the Rivals300. Significant.

It’s also jarring because of who the Cats beat out for his services. Oregon was making a strong play to land a commitment from the Chicagoland athlete. There were other suitors, but Iowa was always penciled in as the team to beat. His father played linebacker for the Hawkeyes and his sister is currently a member of the rowing team. Despite those connections, Kentucky still got it done.

Let’s go BIG BLUE NATION!! I am so blessed for all the support and encouragement through this all, as well as every team that took a chance on me and I’ve built a relationship with. Go Cats!! 💙💙 @Hersey_Football @TNelson_9 @TNTignite @CoachWillStein @CoachJoeSloan https://t.co/tbwyRW2hrD

— Jake Nawrot (@JakeNawrot) April 12, 2026

Nawrot was blown away during his unofficial visit to Lexington during spring practice, one that generated headlines when he posed for a picture with Lamar Jackson’s Heisman Trophy.

“Just the offense and the scheme, I thought it’s a great system and very NFL-style pro football,” he told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong. “The facilities and stadium were super cool and the SEC is different for sure.”

Last fall, Nawrot led the state of Illinois in touchdown passes with 41. He completed 71% of his passes for a school record 3,078 yards. He’ll compete in the Elite 11 Finals later this summer.

In his introductory press conference, Will Stein said the best players in the country want to play for him at Kentucky. He’s quickly living up to that promise.

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