'Sky is the limit' for Kentucky's 17-year-old freshman WR Hardley Gilmore

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Hardley Gilmore should be in class at Pahokee High School in Florida right now, half-listening to his chemistry teacher while simultaneously fielding texts from college coaches about their interest in his football skills. Just 17 years old, he should be enjoying his junior year and looking to earn more Division I scholarships.

But Gilmore has already been through that process. Originally from the class of 2025, the 6-foot-1 wide receiver moved himself up to 2024 prior to committing to Kentucky. With offers from the likes of Penn State, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and many more, there wasn’t a need to stick around in high school for much longer.

So when he chose the Wildcats back in August, Gilmore decided it was in his best interest to enroll early. By the time he arrived in Lexington in November, he was still just 16 years old. He recently turned 17, but it’s not every day that a kid who is barely old enough to drive a car is turning heads during spring practice for an SEC program.

“One of the best high school juniors who’s a college freshman I’ve been around,” Kentucky offensive coordinator said of Gilmore on Tuesday. “There’s just something about him and his approach to how he works in practices. There’s this play in mind: he caught an out-breaker to the sideline, 99 percent of guys would have ran out of bounds — he stuck his foot in the ground, pushed vertical, and got extra yards for us. I just think his talent level, but the way he works and the type of person he is, if he can keep that combination going, he’s gonna be an exciting player for us for a long time.”

Even after reclassifying, Gilmore held onto his four-star status. He left high school as the No. 370 overall prospect from the 2024 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Kentucky coaches have high hopes for the Florida native, who will look to follow in the footsteps of juniors Barion Brown and Dane Key, who both excelled as freshmen pass catchers a couple of years ago.

“Hardley is a remarkable kid, if I’m being honest,” UK wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts added. “His parents did a great job with him. He’s very fun to coach. He’s got a lot of swag and charisma with him. His talent, the sky is the limit for him. But one thing about Hardley is he works hard, every play he goes 100 percent. If you told him to run 10 routes in a row he’ll run 10 routes in a row the best he can.”

“Hardley is a Florida kid,” Shorts continued. “Those Florida kids got some stuff to them. They’re a little different. But one, he works hard. You can kinda get after him, he takes the coaching. He goes hard. He’s extremely talented. He’s fun to be around. He’s got a big bright smile that you guys will see the more you get around him. It’s just fun to be around him.”

Gilmore says he’s comfortable playing either outside or in the slot. He’s been taking plenty of pointers from the likes of Brown and Key, along with sophomore Anthony Brown-Stephens and junior Ja’Mori Maclin. Transfers Brock Vandagriff (QB) and Chip Trayanum (RB) have also played a significant role in helping Gilmore get up to speed over his first few months as a college athlete.

“They’ve been on me,” Gilmore said. “They tell me don’t get frustrated about the small things, take your time with everything… I’ve always been a guy who works hard because of my mom. My mom pushed me a lot since I was small, so I’ve had it installed in me.”

Kentucky has found success as of late with young pass-catchers. Gilmore is the youngest one yet, but he couldn’t ask for a better starting path.