Mark Stoops extends scholarship offer to walk-on WR Cole Lanter
Danville’s own Cole Lanter earned scholarship offers from Murray State and Eastern Kentucky out of high school. The Boyle County standout racked up 2,253 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns across four seasons, including 1,288 yards and 21 scores on 78 catches while adding 227 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground as a senior.
The All-State member and Kentucky Mr. Football Award finalist helped lead the Rebels to a 52-3 overall record, highlighted by back-to-back state championship runs in 2020 and 2021.
Academic All-American, track & field standout — you name it, Lanter accomplished it in high school. Rather than choose a full-ride path to early playing time, though, the 5-foot-11 receiver instead decided to sign with Kentucky as a preferred walk-on in January of 2022. He bet on himself, hoping his work would pay off in the form of a scholarship at some point as a Wildcat. Now entering his sophomore season in Lexington, that decision has paid off.
At the conclusion of practice on Monday, head coach Mark Stoops called Lanter up in front of the team to share the big news: the Danville product was officially a scholarship football player at the University of Kentucky.
“Come on up here Cole. This guy came to us from Boyle County, good ole Kentucky guy right here. Been here a year and a half, busting his ass,” Stoops said. “Passed on opportunities, scholarship opportunities — he came here. He bet on himself, he wanted to be a part of this program. And we wanted to reward him with a scholarship.”
As one could imagine, his teammates went nuts in celebration.
Lanter was a mid-year enrollee last January and was named to the Dean’s list during the Fall semester while also earning First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll honors. He made an early impact on the field as a Wildcat, as well, scoring a touchdown in his first spring game and busting out a backflip celebration right there at Kroger Field.
Now, he can add ‘scholarship player’ to that list of accolades.
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