Kentucky named a finalist for a top 400 football recruit out of Louisville

The new Kentucky football staff continues to prioritize in-state recruits.

Atherton‘s Garyon Hobbs is the latest to get in touch with the Wildcat coaches. On Saturday, the junior defensive back announced that he’s down to a top 10 list of Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Notre Dame, Missouri, Louisville, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Vanderbilt. According to Justin Rowland of CatsIllustrated, UK assistant general manager Pete Nochta has been the one talking with Hobbs.

Listed at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Hobbs is considered a three-star recruit and the No. 389 overall class of 2027 prospect in the nation. He expects to play safety at the college level.

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The previous Kentucky staff began recruiting Hobbs back in the fall of 2023. Former assistant coach Vince Marrow extended him an offer in November 2023, just his second at the time from a Power 4 school. Hobbs visited UK for Junior Day in February of this year and was in attendance for the Kentucky-Ole Miss game in September.

Hobbs played an important role in Atherton having the best season in school history in 2025. The Ravens finished 12-2 on the year and made it all the way to the semifinals of the Class 5A state championship before falling to Pulaski County 17-0. Hobbs played both offense and defense, recording 218 rushing yards and three touchdowns in addition to 583 yards and seven more touchdowns through the air. On defense, he registered 71 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), and one fumble recovery. He was named First Team All-State by The Courier Journal.

Along with Hobbs, the new Kentucky staff has also made it a point to recruit other talented in-state prospects. Four-star 2027 defensive backs Allen Evans (Trinity) and Jordan Haskins (Bryan Station) announced this week they’ve been re-offered by Kentucky. Those offers came from new assistant James Gibson, who is expected to coach the defensive backs in Lexington.

It’s still early, but head coach Will Stein appears to be putting a real focus on in-state recruiting.

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