Recapping a noteworthy week for Kentucky football recruiting

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As the old saying goes, recruiting never sleeps. That was especially true during the last week of July for the Kentucky football program. Let’s recap an unexpectedly busy week for the Wildcats’ recruiting efforts.

Nigel Glover, Steven Soles visit

Official visit season is over for Kentucky, but the staff still brought in two interesting prospects this week.

The first was transfer linebacker Nigel Glover, a former four-star recruit who spent only a few months at Northwestern before hitting the portal following the program’s fallout from a hazing scandal. He arrived in Lexington on Tuesday before heading off to Ohio State for a quick stay in Columbus. Glover’s final pitstop will be to Michigan this weekend. Outside of those three visits, not much else is known about this recruitment or which way he might be leaning. But considering he’s a transfer, expect the process to move rather quickly once he wraps up his trip to Michigan.

The second visitor was three-star class of 2024 linebacker Steven Soles Jr., who came to Lexington on Thursday. Soles’ recruitment has been in flux for months it seems. His official visit schedule was constantly changing and it was a surprise to see him make it to UK’s campus when he did. Soles initially planned to take an official visit in June, but that ultimately did not happen. Instead, he stopped in for an unofficial and will likely save that OV for the fall.

As things stand right now, Kentucky is in good shape to land both Glover and Soles. UK having the first shot at Glover is significant, but the allure of two powerhouse schools in the Big Ten could be a tough battle to beat for the Wildcats. Soles is the more likely to commit out of the two, although there is no decision timetable for either.

Could UK flip the Smith twins?

Jacob and Jerod Smith, a set of ’24 four-star twins currently committed to Michigan, have recently moved back home to the Bluegrass State after spending the last two years in the northeast. They’ll play for the Corbin Redhounds in their final high school season with the intention to enroll early at college in January. But will that be for the Wolverines? It could come down to the wire.

KSR’s Matt Jones indicated on Friday morning that fans should “Learn about these guys. Kentucky is making a move,” in reference to the Smith twins, who are originally from Somerset. “Kentucky might be about to flip these guys in the very near future,” Jones said on this morning’s radio show. Both players still have the ability to take official visits to UK. Stay tuned on these two — it could potentially impact the Brian Robinson recruitment, which is still up in the air. Jacob Smith and Robinson are both EDGE prospects.

Gilmore, Saunders set commitment dates

Get those dice ready, BBN. August is shaping up to be a potentially massive month for the future of the program. We already knew about three-star running back Jason Patterson‘s commitment date, which has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 1. Kentucky is the frontrunner for Patterson’s services and it will likely come down to a battle between the Wildcats and Cincinnati Bearcats for his commitment. But two more high-profile UK targets also expect to announce next month.

Class of 2024 four-star WR Hardley Gilmore and class of 2025 three-star QB Stone Saunders have locked in commitment dates for August. Gilmore will announce on Friday, August 25 while Saunders will announce a few weeks earlier on Friday, August 4 at 6:25 p.m. EST. Both are considered heavy Kentucky leans.

The addition of Gilmore would give Kentucky 15 commits for the 2024 class. He would be the second receiver to join the group along with three-star David Washington Jr. Gilmore is down a final three of UK, Penn State, and Central Florida. As for Saunders, he would be the first commit for the 2025 class if he does land with the ‘Cats. He’s down to a top five of UK, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, and Miami (FL). Offensive coordinator Liam Coen has laid the groundwork for both recruits and has UK in good shape.

A side note on Gilmore real quick: he posted a picture of himself on a visit to Miami (FL) on Friday. Despite that, we at KSR still believe Kentucky is firmly in position to ultimately land his commitment. But it’s worth monitoring as we’re now under a month out from a final decision.

New offers going out

Isaiah Groves (’25 RB) 6-0, 185 | East Robertson (Cross Plains, TN)
Zach Groves (’26 EDGE) 6-4, 225 | East Robertson (Cross Plains, TN)

The Groves siblings of Isaiah and Zach hold a significant connection to Kentucky football — their older brother, four-star linebacker Elijah Groves, has already committed to the program. The staff then went and offered both of Elijah’s talented younger brothers on Wednesday. NC State has already offered both Isaiah and Zach with Purdue offering the latter as well. All three Groves brothers plan to visit UK this fall for a gameday trip.

Peter Langi (’25 IOL) 6-6, 350 | Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, CA) –> KSR+ article

Peter Langi is bursting on the recruiting scene as of late. He’s picked up offers from LSU, Ole Miss, Purdue, Kentucky, and Texas A&M this week. The west coast product also holds offers from the likes of Southern California, Washington, Arizona, UNLV, Arizona State, and Utah, among others. But now his presence is being felt in the Midwest and beyond. Langi told Jacob Polacheck of KSR+ that a visit to UK is in the works.

Glasgow WR commits as PWO

On Wednesday morning, Rico Crowder Jr. out of Glasgow High School announced on social media that he will continue his athletic career at the University of Kentucky. Clocking in at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, the rising senior is a multi-positional prospect for the Scotties, suiting up at wide receiver, running back, and defensive back. In addition to football, he also runs track and plays basketball for Glasgow.

KSR has learned that Crowder, who took a visit to UK on Tuesday, will join the program as a preferred walk-on and that he intends to play wide receiver. He will graduate from Glasgow in December and enroll early at UK in January. Associate head coach Vince Marrow has been his main contact. Crowder ran a 4.2-second 40-yard dash during a camp at UK earlier this summer.

“He’s a great person,” Crowder told KSR of Marrow. “He’s giving me an opportunity of a lifetime and I’m so grateful.”