Kentucky Quarterback Commit Transfers to Football Powerhouse

A future Kentucky quarterback is going to get vital experience beneath some of the brightest lights in all of high school football.

DJ Hunter is a three-star prospect in the class of 2027 who committed to play for Kentucky in April. He spent his sophomore season playing quarterback for Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. Hunter got on the Cats’ radar by completing 76-142 passes for 1,431 yards and nine touchdowns in ten games as a starter. The exceptional athlete also rushed for three more scores.

Following the season, his head coach was dismissed after a state investigation into the Bearden High School Booster Club revealed that it had improperly paid two coaches under the table. After the coaching change, Hunter told the Knoxville News he was ready for a change of scenery, seeking out his third high school in three years. He started his career in Horn Lake, MS.

Hunter considered transferring to a school in Central Kentucky. After all, he is committed to Kentucky and has family in the area. Instead, he will transfer to Buford High School in Georgia. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the school went viral earlier this year. Buford will be playing in a $62 million coliseum this fall.

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🚨🚨THIS IS CRAZY🚨🚨

Buford High School is opening a new 62 million dollar stadium for the 2025 season.

🤯🤯🤯

The stadium will seat around 10,000 fans. This high school has a nicer facility than some #NFL teams.
pic.twitter.com/4lKHlzgcrt
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 22, 2025

Buford is a powerhouse program with 14 state titles, including three straight from 2019-21. They went 12-2 last fall and will open their new stadium in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Buford is hosting another regularly nationally ranked program, Milton, on August 14.

You probably won’t be able to see Hunter in action during that game. In January, he suffered a knee injury that may sideline him for the entire season. Buford also already has a pretty good starting quarterback, Dayton Raiola. He’s the younger brother of the Nebraska QB and he’s planning on following those footsteps to Lincoln after the 2025 season.

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