REMINDER: Matt Ponatoski Throws GAS

It’s been a little more than a month since Matt Ponatoski pledged his allegiance to Big Blue Nation. Now is as good a time as ever to remind Kentucky fans that this man has a cannon.

The Cincinnati Moeller duel-threat star is one of the best high school football and baseball prospects in the country. You rarely see a national high school football recruiting analyst go to tape from the diamond to evaluate a player. Rivals’ Cody Bellaire is turning over every rock to ensure that Ponatoski can sling the rock.

A senior-to-be, Ponatoski was clocked throwing a baseball 101 mph over the summer. ONE HUNDRED AND ONE.

Kentucky football and baseball commit, QB Matt Ponatoski touched 101 mph throwing across the diamond this summer at the @PerfectGameUSA National showcase.

Ponatoski is a @Rivals rankings outlier and Top 100 national prospect in 2026.

Industry Comp: https://t.co/z5zICmXGCh pic.twitter.com/i4TXBvG3oQ

— Cody Bellaire (@CodyBellaire) August 13, 2025

From the mound, Ponatoski was throwing fastballs at 95 mph with a changeup that dips down to 86 mph. Oh, and he’s got an 80 mph curve in his arsenal. This guy is good at throwing balls.

Ponatoski is a Top 15 overall baseball talent in the class of 2026. On the gridiron, Rivals ranks him as the No. 9 quarterback and No. 99 player overall. He plans on playing both sports at the University of Kentucky.

“I’m going to try and do both for as long as possible. The goal for me is to be drafted in both [sports]. It sounds crazy, but Kyler Murray did it not too long ago,” he told KSR after committing.

Ponatoski Scouting Report

“Matt Ponatoski is a prospect who came on our radar last fall. He had an awesome junior season at Archbishop Moeller and is one of the most productive passers we’ve seen in the cycle. He threw for over 4,200 yards with 57 touchdowns and just three interceptions while playing top competition. This guy is one of the top dual-threat athletes in all of high school sports. Ponatoski is also an All-American-caliber baseball player and was heavily recruited in both sports. He has a legitimate shot to be an impact player in football and baseball at the college level. What stands out to me about Ponatoski on the football field is his accuracy and his feel for the passing game. He’s a cool customer, one that’s hard to fluster. He has that natural feel for finding open receivers and spaces in the defense. He has a strong understanding of his high school offense and we saw his accuracy at the Elite 11 Finals. He’s a high-volume rhythm passer who’s super accurate. I feel, with very good conviction, that he’ll be a productive college quarterback, just based off what we’ve seen from his thus far.” — Charles Power, Director of Scouting and Rankings

Watch the Future Cat against a Kentucky School

Cincinnati Moeller plays in arguably the most competitive league in Ohio, in the largest division/class of football in Ohio. There are big names on this year’s schedule — like Princeton, St. X, and St. Ed’s — but the one you’re probably most familiar with is Trinity. The Shamrocks from Louisville will make the trek up I-71 to play the future Kentucky Wildcat at Mount St. Joseph on Friday, Sept. 5. It’s a great opportunity to see Ponatoski making plays in person before he’s carving up defenses at Kroger Field.