Kentucky football recruiting: A look at every commit in the Wildcats' 2024 class

LEXINGTON — Two of Kentucky coach Mark Stoops' best signing classes have come in the past four years.

In 2020, the Wildcats inked the nation's 25th-best class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. In 2022, UK's class ranked 14th nationally. And the 2023 class ranked No. 31 nationally.

The only other time the Wildcats signed a top-25 class was 2014, when they ended up No. 22.

At the outset of Wednesday, the final day of the early signing period, UK is on the precipice of the top 25, slotting in 26th nationally in the composite rankings.

In-state offensive linemen Hayes Johnson and Aba Selm committed to the Wildcats at the beginning of the year. High-profile four-star quarterback Cutter Boley became the third commit May 18. UK added six more recruits in June. The Wildcats' first wide receiver commitment came July 8 with a pledge from David Washington Jr. Three more defenders joined the class in September: twin brothers Jacob Smith and Jerod Smith along with Devin Smith (no relation). Highly touted edge Brian Robinson joined the haul Oct. 4, while UK added two more players (running back Jason Patterson and offensive lineman Marc Nave) in November, boosting the class to 20 commits.

Kentucky lost a trio of pledges along the way, though: Edge Lorenzo Cowan flipped to Southern Cal, linebacker Elijah Groves joined N.C. State and offensive lineman Jadon Lafontant became part of Boston College's class.

Here's a look at all 20 members of the Wildcats' 2024 class:

Kentucky football recruiting 2024 commitments

Cutter Boley

Position: Quarterback

High School: Lexington Christian Academy

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed May 18

What to know: Boley is a generational commit for the Wildcats. Per 247Sports all-time rankings, which date to 2000, he's the second-most highly regarded signal-caller to commit to UK, behind only Drew Barker. He picked Kentucky over his four other finalists: Florida State, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee. "They've got something special going on over there with the offense and everything, and I just want to be a part of it," Boley said after his announcement May 18. "I grew up a Kentucky fan. I've always bled blue since I was young." Boley, who will enroll in January, had been part of the 2025 class. At that time, all four major recruiting services (Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports and On3) ranked him as the No. 1 player in the state in 2025. Boley completed 63.5% (254 for 400) of his attempts last season for 3,901 yards and 36 touchdowns (against 15 interceptions). He also scored six times on the ground. Boley led Lexington Christian Academy to the Class 2A semifinals, finishing with a 9-5 record in 2022.

Hardley Gilmore

Position: Wide receiver

High School: Pahokee High School (Pahokee, Florida)

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Aug. 25

What to know: The 6-foot-1, 165-pound wideout committed to the Wildcats over his other two finalists, Penn State and Central Florida. According to the 247Sports Composite, Gilmore is the No. 44 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 297 overall player in the country. Gilmore, who reclassified from the 2025 class to 2024 earlier this summer, finished last season with 43 catches for 1,003 yards and nine touchdowns. Also playing defense, he added 21 tackles, three interceptions and eight passes defended in 12 games, helping Pahokee reach the Class 1R region finals.

Hayes Johnson

Position: Offensive lineman

High School: Taylor County High School (Campbellsville)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Jan. 26

What to know: Kentucky's first head-to-head meeting on the recruiting trail with new Louisville coach Jeff Brohm went the Wildcats' way. "For a boy growing up in Kentucky playing sports, he's got two dreams. He either wants to be a Louisville Cardinal or a Kentucky Wildcat," Johnson said at his announcement ceremony. "I wear Kentucky blue." Aside from Louisville, Johnson's other finalists were Baylor, Michigan State and Tennessee. Johnson is ranked as the state's No. 8 overall prospect in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite. He earned third-team all-state honors in Class 3A last year, as Johnson helped Taylor County rank among the top 15 in its classification in points per game (31.7) and rushing yards (2,873 total, 261.2 per game).

Jacob Kauwe

Position: Kicker/punter

High School: Billings West (Billings, Montana)

Kohl's rating: 5 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed June 20

What to know: A 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect from Montana, Kauwe committed to Kentucky on June 20, giving Jay Boulware his first pledge from a specialist since he was hired as the Wildcats' special teams coordinator in December. Kohl's Professional Camp, which trains kickers, punters and long snappers year-round, rates Kauwe as a five-star prospect at both kicker and punter. "His leg strength is unique and as strong as some in the NFL," Kohl's wrote on Kauwe's profile page. "Kauwe still needs refinement with his hands in punting and improvement on his repeatability on field goals." At the Kohl's spring ranking event in March, Kauwe had multiple 80-yard kickoffs and made 12 of 15 field-goal attempts in windy conditions. He also launched a 70-yard punt with 4.4-second hang time. Kauwe would be the first Montana high school player to sign with UK this millennium.

Jiquavious Marshall

Position: Defensive back

High School: Westside High School (Macon, Georgia)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed June 21

What to know: Marshall committed to the Wildcats on June 21, hours after running back Tovani Mizell. Marshall is listed as an athlete, playing both wide receiver and defensive back for Westside High in Macon. But UK recruited him to play defense. Per 247Sports, which lists Marshall at 6-foot-3 ½, he caught 35 passes for 548 yards and six touchdowns to go along with 31 tackles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions last season as Westside finished 7-4 in Georgia's Class 4A. He is a consensus three-star prospect. His pledge came a week after he visited Lexington. Marshall also visited Florida State, N.C. State, Ohio State and West Virginia earlier this year. He held offers from that quartet as well as numerous other Power Five schools, including Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

Tovani Mizell

Position: Running back

High School: Western High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed June 21

What to know: Mizell, a 6-foot, 200-pound running back from Florida, announced his commitment to Kentucky on June 21, during an appearance on Kentucky Sports Radio. He later confirmed his pledge to UK on his personal Twitter account. Mizell committed to Georgia, the two-time defending national champion, in August 2022 before decommitting this spring. He took an official visit to North Carolina in June before picking Kentucky. During his sophomore season at Cardinal Newman High in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2021, Mizell tallied 1,097 yards (616 rushing, 481 receiving) and 14 touchdowns, per 247Sports. Athletic talent is in his bloodlines: His cousin, Aiden Mizell, was a four-star receiver prospect in the 2023 class who is now enrolled at Florida.

Marc Nave

Position: Offensive lineman

High School: Central Catholic High School (Toledo, Ohio)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Nov. 16

What to know: The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Nave committed to in-state powerhouse Ohio State in March. But he decommitted from the Buckeyes in September. A month and a half later, he became a Wildcats pledge. A consensus three-star prospect, Nave earned first-team all-state honors from the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association in Ohio's Division III. Nave is the No. 25 player in Ohio in the 2024 cycle, per the 247Sports Composite.

Terhyon Nichols

Position: Cornerback

High School: Withrow (Cincinnati)

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed July 2

What to know: Nichols became the Wildcats' third four-star recruit the night of July 2, and the first from Ohio this cycle. The 6-foot, 180-pound junior is the 20th-ranked corner in the nation and ninth overall in Ohio, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He has 69 career tackles, three forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery, according to Cincinnati.com, and was named first-team All-Ohio last season. Nichols had 30 offers and had narrowed his finalists to Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and UK in May.

Jason Patterson

Position: Running back

High School: Sneads High School (Sneads, Florida)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Nov. 14

What to know: UK had been a finalist for Patterson's services when he made his original commitment in August; back then, he picked Cincinnati. But Kentucky never stopped recruiting him, and its persistence paid off — he decommitted from the Bearcats on Nov. 14 and joined the Wildcats' class that same day. A 5-foot-11, 200-pound tailback, Patterson led the state of Florida in rushing yards (2,721) in 2022, according to MaxPreps.

Caleb Redd

Position: Edge

High School: De Smet Jesuit High School (St. Louis)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed June 28

What to know: The Wildcats picked up their first pass rusher of the 2024 recruiting class with Redd's verbal commitment June 28. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound defensive end/outside linebacker is the No. 15 prospect in Missouri and 69th overall edge rusher in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He held offers from 21 schools, including Cincinnati, Kansas State, USC, Oregon and multiple Big Ten programs. An all-state first-team defense honoree by the Missouri Football Coaches Association in December, Redd had 21 sacks, 60 tackles and a defensive touchdown as a junior, according to his Hudl page.

Brian Robinson

Position: Edge

High School: Westerville North High School (Westerville, Ohio)

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Oct. 4

What to know: The crown jewel of the Wildcats' 2024 haul, Robinson is the top-ranked player in Kentucky's class, committing Oct. 4. And per 247Sports' all-time recruiting rankings, he's one of the highest-ranked prospects to commit to UK; his rating (0.9437) is the ninth best among Kentucky signees since the beginning of the century. A 6-foot-5, 255-pound defender, Robinson is the No. 7 player in Ohio (regardless of position), the No. 9 edge prospect nationally and the country's No. 128 player in the 2024 cycle, per 247Sports' Composite rankings.

Willie Rodriguez

Position: Tight end

High School: Covington Catholic High School (Park Hills)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed June 23

What to know: His June 23 commitment made him the fifth pledge in five days for the Wildcats’ 2024 class. Prior to breaking his elbow last season, Rodriguez caught 14 passes for 295 yards and five touchdowns in six games, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. He also collected 10 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Rodriguez officially visited Kentucky during a major recruiting weekend for the program June 9-11. Rodriguez is a consensus three-star recruit, per 247Sports, Rivals and On3. Before committing to UK, Rodriguez also held offers from a plethora of Power Five schools, including in-state rival Louisville and SEC rivals Arkansas, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Quaysheed Scott

Position: Defensive back

High School: Marion High School (Marion, South Carolina)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed July 4

What to know: Scott, a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back, provided some fireworks for the Wildcats on July 4, making his commitment on Independence Day. He earned an offer from UK after participating in one of the team's camps in June. "I was happy but I was not shocked because I was going for it. Most people probably wouldn't have went that far to get an offer," Scott told CatsPause.com. "They like that I was greedy. I wanted to get an offer and I came out to compete." During his camp visit, Scott clocked a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, according to Kentucky Sports Radio. Scott played both ways at Marion High School last season. Per KSR, he scored 26 touchdowns and tallied 1,480 yards (940 receiving, 540 rushing) of total offense. He added 64 tackles, seven interceptions and four pass breakups. Two of his cousins have played in the SEC: Cam Smith was an all-conference defensive back at South Carolina (2019-22) before the Miami Dolphins selected him in the second round of this year's NFL draft; defensive tackle T.J. Sanders had a breakout season in 2023 with the Gamecocks. Sanders had 43 tackles, including 10 ½ tackles for loss and 5 ½ sacks.

Aba Selm

Position: Offensive lineman

High School: Simon Kenton High School (Independence)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Feb. 2

What to know: One of the only in-state prospects ranked ahead of Johnson in 2024 is Selm. The 6-4, 295-pound Selm is the Bluegrass State's No. 4 recruit in his class, per the 247Sports Composite. He committed to UK on Feb. 2, one week after Johnson. "They’re a big O-line school," Selm told Kentucky Sports Radio. "I love the way their offensive line plays, especially the technique that’s used to teach their players and help them develop for the next level." Selm also held offers from U of L, Cincinnati, Illinois, Missouri and Penn State. He was an all-state selection in 2022, playing both offense and defense for Simon Kenton. Offensively, the Pioneers averaged 39.1 points and 298 rushing yards per game. Though he's shown talent as a defender (35 tackles, four tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two sacks as a junior), the Wildcats recruited Selm to play on the interior of the offensive line, where he'd line up at center or one of the guard positions.

Antwan Smith

Position: Linebacker

High School: Westlake High School (Atlanta)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed June 11

What to know: After three offensive players committed to start the 2024 class, Smith got the ball rolling for the defense June 11, shortly after an official visit. The 6-3, 195-pound Smith is a three-star recruit, according to Rivals, 247Sports and On3. He comes from a family of college athletes. His half brother, Deon Jackson, tallied more than 3,000 all-purpose yards (2,267 rushing, 534 receiving and 611 kickoff return) and 22 total touchdowns at Duke from 2017 to 2020. Smith's father, Dadra Smith, played basketball at Utah State, while Smith's mother, Tiffani Smith, ran track at Miami, earning All-American honors after placing 13th at the 1995 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Smith stars for Westlake High in Atlanta, which went 9-4 last season and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Class 7A state playoffs. Smith also held offers from Boston College, Duke, Minnesota, N.C. State and Vanderbilt, among others.

Devin Smith

Position: Linebacker

High School: Brunswick High School (Brunswick, Georgia)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Sept. 23

What to know: Smith, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker, picked UK over his other finalist, LSU, on Sept. 23. In the summer, he included those two, as well as three other SEC schools (Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina) in his top five. But according to 247Sports, his only known official visit was to Kentucky, traveling to Lexington for the weekend of the team's 2023 opener versus Ball State. Smith had a standout season for Brunswick High in 2022, tallying 63 tackles (10 for loss), six sacks and three forced fumbles en route to capturing the Coastal Georgia All-Area Defensive Player of the Year award, per 247Sports. Smith is the No. 77 player in Georgia, and the No. 58 linebacker nationally, in the 2024 class in 247Sports' Composite rankings.

Jacob Smith

Position: Linebacker

High School: Corbin High School (Corbin)

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Sept. 15

What to know: Jacob Smith, along with his twin brother, Jerod Smith, committed to Michigan. Jacob was the second, joining his brother in July. But on the same night, Sept. 15, the brothers both flipped from UM to Kentucky. A member of The Courier Journal's 2023 first-team All-State football defense (selected by a statewide vote of coaches), Jacob was Corbin High's leading tackler (103) for a team that notched a 12-1 record and advanced to the third round of the Class 4A playoffs. He also recorded four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Per the 247Sports Composite, Jacob is the No. 2 player in Kentucky (behind his brother) in 2024 and the country's No. 15 edge prospect.

Jerod Smith

Position: Defensive lineman

High School: Corbin High School (Corbin)

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Sept. 15

What to know: Ranked as the state's No. 1 prospect in 2024, per the 247Sports Composite, Jerod Smith lived up to the billing this season at Corbin High. Joining his brother on The Courier Journal's 2023 first-team All-State football defense, Jerod totaled 90 tackles, which included a team-best 20 tackles for loss. He added nine sacks and two fumble recoveries, returning one of those fumbles for a touchdown. Jerod won the Kentucky Football Coaches Association's Class 4A, District Eight Player of the Year award. 247Sports' Composite rankings tabbed Jerod as the country's No. 27 defensive lineman.

Steven Soles Jr.

Position: Edge

High School: Powell High School (Powell, Tennessee)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed Aug. 2

What to know: After nearly a month between commits, Soles committed to Kentucky on Aug. 2, during an appearance on the NO PLAYBOOK Podcast. His commitment came a week after an unofficial visit to campus. Soles put up staggering numbers last season: 135 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 47 quarterback pressures, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three blocked kicks, per the Knoxville News Sentinel. That sterling statistical line earned him the Region 3-5A Defensive Player of the Year. In 2021, Soles helped Powell win its first football state championship in school history. The four major recruiting services all grade Soles as a three-star prospect: 247Sports, Rivals, On3 and ESPN. Though many of those recruiting services list him as an edge, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Soles is expected to play as an off-ball linebacker in the Wildcats' 3-4 scheme.

David Washington Jr.

Position: Wide receiver

High School: St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars

Commitment status: Verbally committed July 8

What to know: Washington went above a normal pledge July 8, writing on Twitter that he was "103% committed" to the Wildcats. The Philadelphia star committed a month after taking an official visit to Lexington; Virginia was the only other school that earned an official visit from Washington. He also held Power Five offers from Louisville, Cincinnati, Maryland, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Wisconsin and West Virginia. "It's SEC football, so you can't go wrong with that," Washington told CatsPause.com. "It's the best conference in college football. Going to compete against the best in the games, and every day in practice, so (I'm) going to be developed a lot." Though 247Sports, On3 and ESPN rate him a three-star prospect, Rivals tabbed him a four-star recruit. The 6-foot, 180-pound receiver was an all-state first-team selection in Pennsylvania last season, according to Kentucky Sports Radio, after he caught 46 passes (including six touchdowns) for almost 700 yards. In the Class 6A state championship game, Washington had four receptions for 123 yards in helping St. Joseph's Prep capture the title over Harrisburg, per KSR.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football recruiting 2024 class: See every Wildcat commitment