Jordan Anthony on committing to Kentucky: "I can be a great young man and a great athlete"

His cousin may be committed to Ole Miss, but Jordan Anthony has already developed a special bond with the coaches in Lexington.

Anthony, a class of 2022 three-star wide-receiver from Tylertown High School in Mississippi, announced earlier today that he will attend the University of Kentucky. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound speedster is a big-time get for the Wildcat coaching staff for multiple reasons as he injects some life back into Kentucky’s recruiting momentum heading into August. Anthony is the first class of 2022 commitment for the ‘Cats since offensive tackle Nikolas Hall chose UK on June 26.

There are now 12 commits on board for 2022.

DaD we finally did it🕊‼️. #Committed #Wildcats🔵⚪️ @CoachJonSumrall @Scottlindsey15 @UKFootball pic.twitter.com/oNtleT4Zmx

— Jordan Anthony🌊 (@Jordananthony_6) July 27, 2021

Anthony’s speed is what sticks out first when evaluating the still-rising pass-catcher.

He is a world-class athlete despite having one more year of high school remaining. Anthony jetted his way to a Nike Outdoor Nationals Boys’ Track and Field Championship earlier this summer, finishing with an elite time of 10.21 seconds in the 100-meter dash. For reference, the fastest time in college this past season was 10.05 seconds in the 100-meter. Anthony was also named the 2021 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year in track and field.

Not only was he being heavily recruited to play on the gridiron, but he also had as many scholarship offers to run track and field. Anthony will continue his track career at Kentucky while also playing football, he told KSR.

The cousin of Anthony, Jeremiah Dillon, who is a fellow three-star receiver from Tylertown High School, recently picked the Ole Miss Rebels over Kentucky. Anthony, on the other hand, formed a strong connection with the Wildcat coaching staff after camping in June. It was during that trip when Anthony knew Kentucky was the spot for him.

“I’m an all-around athlete,” Anthony recently told KSR. “People just look at me because I got speed, they don’t look at my traits. I can do anything that needs to be done. The coaches–Coach Jon Sumrall and Coach Liam (Coen)–they understand me as a person and that’s what I’m looking for. After the camp, I just knew where I was going to be.”

His lead recruiter from Kentucky has been co-defensive coordinator Jon Sumrall.

“Jon Sumrall, that’s my boy,” Anthony said. “He coaches me as a person, not just a regular athlete.”

Anthony will immediately bring a level of speed and agility that doesn’t typically come through the Kentucky program. He’s skinny but incredibly dangerous in the open field. Anthony is a playmaker and new offensive coordinator Liam Coen wants to put the ball in the hands of those types of prospects.

Until recently, Anthony had been viewed as a heavy lean to join his cousin in Oxford. But over the last few days, Crystal Ball and FutureCast projections began to flood in favor of Anthony choosing UK. Anthony said that he and Dillon didn’t talk too much about which school they were going to pick, either. In the end, it came down to relationships and fit–Kentucky just happened to win this round over Lane Kiffin and company.

“I know I can be a great young man and a great athlete also,” Anthony said about Kentucky.