Kentucky football hosting high-profile recruits for season opener

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The 2023 Kentucky football season is officially less than 24 hours away. Actually, as of the time this post went live, we’re now under the 18-hour mark. The Wildcats will kick off the schedule with a matchup against the Ball State Cardinals at noon EST on Saturday afternoon. It’s going to be an early tailgate for those who plan on making the trip to Kroger Field, but you should consider the noon kick-time as a blessing — it’s gonna push 90 degrees by the third quarter.

The start of the season is also an important time for what’s happening off the field. ABC — Always Be ‘Crootin — is still the motto heading into the fall for Kentucky coaches. With plenty of massive home games on the schedule this season, expect loads of big-name high school recruits (including some already committed) to make a trip to Lexington this fall.

Although Ball State isn’t exactly a primetime matchup, there still expects to be two handfuls of need-to-know high school recruits on campus this Saturday — one will even stay throughout the weekend. So who will be in Lexington for the season opener? Let’s dive right in and find out, but not before a quick shoutout from our weekly sponsor…

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Class of 2024 visitors

Brian Robinson (EDGE) 6-5, 250 | Westerville North (Austintown, OH)
4-star: No. 131 overall, No. 7 EDGE

Don’t look now, but Brian Robinson’s recruitment might be picking back up. KSR’s Adam Luckett can confirm that the top 150 prospect will visit Kentucky for Saturday’s game. Robinson went quiet ever since transferring high schools not long ago, and this is the first real news we have on his recruitment in some time. Maryland and Pittsburgh (and possibly Ohio State) continue to hang around as UK’s top competition.

Cutter Boley (QB) 6-5, 200 | Lexington Christian Academy (Hodgenville, KY) KENTUCKY COMMIT
4-star: No. 140 overall, No. 9 QB

The prize of Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class, Cutter Boley will soak in the Kroger Field atmosphere as a commit for the first time on Saturday. It’ll be the perfect way to keep his mind busy throughout the day, as Lexington Christian Academy is locked in for a top-15 showdown against Pikeville (at LCA) on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Aba Selm (IOL) 6-4, 295 | Simon Kenton (Independence, KY) KENTUCKY COMMIT
3-star: No. 616 overall, No. 48 IOL

After Aba Selm and Simon Kenton host fellow Kentucky commit Willie Rodgriguez (3-star TE) on Friday night, he’ll turn right around and head to Lexington for Saturday’s game. Selm is one of this class’s more underrated prospects but is arguably among the most talented of the bunch. On3’s own rankings slot him at No. 261 overall in the 2024 class. On a similar note, Rodriguez will not visit UK on Saturday, but he does have intentions to attend multiple games this season.

Hayes Johnson (IOL) 6-3, 295 | Taylor County (Campbellsville, KY) KENTUCKY COMMIT
3-star: No. 1,082 overall, No. 96 IOL

Hayes Johnson will make another trip to Lexington on Saturday, not long after he’s featured as the headliner in this week’s Kroger KSR Game of the Week between Taylor County and Elizabethtown. KSR will have boots on the ground for that matchup, which is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at Taylor County. As long as any geese don’t need to be hunted, Johnson will be in attendance for Saturday’s season opener.

Jerod Smith (DL) 6-2, 255 | Corbin (Corbin, KY) MICHIGAN COMMIT
4-star: No. 256 overall, No. 26 DL
Jacob Smith (EDGE) 6-4, 230 | Corbin (Corbin, KY) MICHIGAN COMMIT
4-star: No. 276 overall, No. 18 EDGE

The Smith twins, Jerod and Jacob, are still committed to Michigan, but the tides appear to be slowly turning in Kentucky’s favor. They’ll already be in Lexington on Friday night when No. 5 Corbin goes into Lexington Catholic for a big-time showdown. UK linebackers coach Mike Stoops is expected to be in attendance to watch them play. The fact that the Smiths will stick around town to check out Saturday’s game is no small note. The smoke surrounding a possible flip from both prospects is beginning to turn into a flame.

Devin Smith (LB) 6-1, 215 | Brunswick (Brunswick, GA)
3-star: No. 606 overall, No. 62 LB

It wasn’t until Friday morning that Devin Smith announced on social media that he’ll be taking an official visit to UK this weekend. He’ll arrive on Friday and leave on Sunday. But more importantly, this is the first official visit Smith will have taken to any school. His top five consists of Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, LSU, and Auburn. Southern California recently offered as well and is trying to wiggle into the race. UK being his first OV is significant.

Class of 2025 visitors

Jaylen Mosley (S) 6-0, 185 | Jackson Christian (Jackson, TN)
4-star: No. 313 overall, No. 25 S

This will be the first visit to Lexington for four-star Jaylen Mosley, who is being recruited to Kentucky as a wide receiver despite being listed as a safety. The likes of Ole Miss, Tennessee, Auburn, and many more have already offered. Notably, the linebackers coach at his high school, Jackson Christian, is former Kentucky linebacker Avery Williamson. Williamson has been in Mosley’s ear trying to hype up the ‘Cats. Although Mosley had not yet been offered by UK, expect that to change by the end of the weekend.

Tucker Kattus (IOL) 6-5, 290 | St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH)
3-star: No. 490 overall, No. 35 IOL

The younger brother of sophomore tight end Josh Kattus, Tucker Kattus might actually be the better prospect of the two. Considering their dad played tight end (and did it quite well) at Michigan, the Wolverines are lurking in Tucker’s recruitment, but Kentucky has the proximity advantage and a sibling already on the roster. Getting him on campus for the opener is meaningful.

Isaac Sowells Jr. (IOL) 6-2, 290 | Louisville Male (Louisville, KY)

Another talented offensive lineman coming to Lexington on Saturday is Louisville Male’s Isaac Sowells Jr., who earned an offer from UK in May and then came in for a camp the very next month. His father played football at Indiana, but Louisville and Kentucky are leading the charge early on. Sowells is good friends with current UK safety Ty Bryant. As a side note, Male will take on St. Xavier (Louisville) on Friday night in a matchup between two top-five teams in the state.

Maddox Arnold (LB) 6-2, 220 | Elder (Cincinnati, OH)

Maddox Arnold might only hold a ranking from one national recruiting service (247Sports has him as a three-star), but he’s a prospect to keep an eye on, especially with him coming to Lexington on Saturday. He holds close to double-digit scholarship offers, but only one from a Power Five school, Purdue. Arnold was at UK for a camp earlier this summer and could be in line for a scholarship down the road.