There's a Crowd in the Middle of the Kentucky Wide Receiver Room

Wide receiver has never been a position of strength under Mark Stoops. That’s not to say there haven’t been outstanding players. Juice Johnson is a Top Five pass-catcher in the Kentucky football record books, Wan’Dale Robinson rewrote the single season records, and Lynn Bowden is Lynn Freaking Bowden. The issue has been consistency and continuity. That’s once again the case in 2025.

Ahead of his 13th season in Lexington, Mark Stoops hired his seventh wide receiver coach, L’Damian Washington. He’s inheriting a room that returns four players who caught 33 total passes a year ago. That’s not exactly an ideal scenario.

The wide receiver room has been completely flipped with nine newcomers, five of which are true freshmen. Despite all of the changes, we have a good idea who will be the top two targets. Ja’Mori Maclin proved to be a reliable deep threat in the waning moments of the disastrous 2024 campaign. Alabama transfer Kendrick Law looked the part at slot receiver this spring.

Zach Calzada needs more than two targets. Who is up next? Let’s weigh his options.

Handicapping the Wide Receiver 3 Competition

Hardley Gilmore might be the biggest wild card on this roster. During his shortened true freshman campaign, the talent was evident. The question is the consistency, particularly off the field, a topic that came up during his move to Nebraska this spring. If everything hits right, Gilmore should be WR3, with a chance to be the most productive pass-catcher on the Kentucky football team.

Things don’t always go according to plan. Frankfort native Fred Farrier wowed during fall camp a year ago. He is consistent, yet limited athletically, providing others an opportunity to potentially pass him by.

David Washington Jr. was a surprise in spring practice. Primarily a special teams player, he was arguably the best pass-catcher at the spring showcase, reeling in a touchdown from Calzada.

The rest of the incoming transfers all have something on their resume that makes you question if they can consistently be counted on. J.J. Hester and Troy Stellato have dealt with injuries throughout their careers. Ashton Cozart showed promise as a high school recruit, but is on his third school in as many years without any production to his name.

A true freshman wide receiver is an impact player at Kentucky once every three years. They sprayed the board with five newcomers, increasing those odds. Montavin Quisenberry is a ball player who has the skills, just not the size. Like Quisenberry, Cameron Miller has some juice that could be used out of the slot. DJ Miller has the most upside and his skillset as a lengthy outside receiver sets him apart from his peers.

Is the Competition Enough?

I’m counting down the days until we hear quotes about “iron sharpens iron” as the wide receivers compete for playing time. Surely, each one of the aforementioned nine players will have a great day, followed by days where they’re unremarkable.

For the Kentucky offense to be successful, the Wildcats need one of these wide receivers in the middle of the pack to step up and consistently create big plays. At this point in May, I don’t know who I would bet on to be that guy.

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