Louisville on the Verge of Landing a Former Kentucky Commit

Mark Stoops (left) and Jarvis Strickland - @coachthomp9

The writing was clearly on the wall. Now, the inevitable is approaching.

Jarvis Strickland was the first commitment in Kentucky’s 2026 recruiting class. Vince Marrow played an integral role in securing his services. When Marrow made the move to Louisville, it did not take long to connect the dots. Strickland would likely take a similar path.

Ten days after news broke of Marrow’s move, Strickland decommitted from Kentucky. Less than two weeks later, Steve Wiltfong submitted an RPM pick for the Cards to land the offensive tackle.

A four-star talent, Strickland is the top-ranked prospect in the state of Kentucky and the No. 356 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class. He plays high school football for Paducah Tilghman, the defending 4A State Champs, however, he’s originally from Chattanooga.

Strickland is one of a handful of players from Tennessee who transferred to the Western Kentucky school. Another prolific player is Martels Carter, who is suiting up for the Wildcats this fall. When he was introduced to the media this spring, Carter said they’re like brothers. Hopefully, that familial connection does not give Carter any crazy ideas down the road. After all, the former four-star talent should play a vital role as a true freshman for the Wildcats this fall.

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Kentucky Wide Receiver Board Clears

Kentucky had three wide receiver commitments 24 hours ago. When Denairius Gray announced his decision to flip from Auburn to Kentucky, the Wildcats closed up shop recruiting wide receivers.

At almost the exact same time, another wide receiver who took an official visit to Lexington revealed his decision. Larry Miles committed to Nebraska, or as he put it, Flobraska. That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

No offense to Miles by any means, but Kentucky got its guy to get a fourth wide receiver in the 2026 class. With 14 players on the Big Blue Boat, UK can focus on other positions in the future, with one big one on deck, quarterback.

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