2021 early signing period: See who’s made it official with the Kentucky Wildcats
Wednesday marked the start of the early signing period for college football players who intend to enroll at Division I schools.
Below you’ll find a list of every player who signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Kentucky, along with some additional facts about them:
Wilson Berry, Punter, 6-4, 200, Australia (ProKick Australia): Hailing from the same kicking organization that brought reigning Ray Guy Award winner Max Duffy to Kentucky, Berry’s a former Australian-rules football professional who in the last few years has made his living as a fast-food employee at Grill’d, a burger chain based out of Melbourne. His brother, Jordan, has been a punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2015. He’ll have four years of playing eligibility at Kentucky, where he hopes to pursue a master’s degree in physical therapy. Recruiting service 247Sports rates him as a three-star prospect in its composite ranking.
Jager Burton, Guard, 6-4, 271, Fr.-HS, Lexington, Ky. (Frederick Douglass): Both 247Sports and Rivals rate Burton as a four-star prospect and a top-200 player in the country, making him one of the biggest “gets” in this year’s recruiting class. Burton’s final five also included three perennial national-title contenders — Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State — as well as Oregon, a program he’s held in high regard since his childhood. At one of UK’s recruiting camps when he was a freshman, the late John Schlarman encouraged him to switch from the defensive line to the offensive line because of his skill set. Burton is the headliner among six highly regarded in-state high school prospects who committed to the Wildcats as part of this recruiting cycle.
Dekel Crowdus, Wide Receiver, 5-10, 165, Fr.-HS, Lexington, Ky. (Frederick Douglass): After spending a season at IMG Academy in Florida, Crowdus returned to Lexington and starred again for Douglass, finishing with 397 yards and 10 touchdowns on 31 receptions. Both 247Sports (47th) and Rivals (74th) rank Crowdus as a top-100 receiver and the former rates him as a four-star prospect. His top 10 included several prominent programs — Ohio State, Oklahoma and Texas among them — and he had offers from most schools in the Southeastern Conference.
Jordan Dingle, Tight End, 6-4, 235, Fr.-HS, Bowling Green, Ky. (Bowling Green): The last in-state prospect to join the class, Dingle is rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. His recruitment came down to Kentucky and a host of schools with esteemed academic reputations — Georgia Tech, Purdue, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech — but Wildcats recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow, who will be his position coach in Lexington, won him over. Dingle won’t enroll in January due to a school policy at Bowling Green.
Justice Dingle, Defensive Line, 6-3, 280, Jr.-TR, Bowling Green, Ky. (Georgia Tech): A four-star prospect coming out of high school and the older brother of Jordan Dingle, Justice comes to UK via the NCAA transfer portal. He played in only four games for Georgia Tech this season but started once in 11 appearances as a redshirt freshman in 2019. He was touted as a top-20 inside linebacker coming out of high school but, for now, is considered a defensive line prospect for the Wildcats. His signing was rumored, but he had not previously made it known that UK would be his destination.
Jamarius Dinkins, Defensive End, 6-6, 255, Fr.-HS, Columbus, Ohio (Walnut Ridge): Kentucky went all-in on the defensive line as part of last year’s recruiting cycle but that didn’t stop it from adding a couple of prospects in this one. Dinkins, a consensus three-star prospect and regarded a top-30 player in Ohio, is among the higher-rated players in UK’s 2021 class and was one of its latest additions, committing on Oct. 22. His final five also included Cincinnati, Michigan State, Virginia and West Virginia. Walnut Ridge fell in the second round of the regional playoffs but ended its 2020 campaign on a four-game win streak culminating in a 14-6 win over Eastmoor Academy for the Columbus city championship. Dinkins had a team-high 11 tackles for loss and 44 total tackles (23 solo) as a senior, and also led the Scots with five sacks.
Maxwell Hairston, Defensive Back, 6-1, 175, Fr.-HS, West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield): Michigan has been fruitful for Kentucky recently but Hairston is the only prospect in this class to hail from the Great Lake State. Rivals insider EJ Holland recently called Hairston the most under-appreciated player in Michigan and said that Kentucky is getting “a steal.” Hairston committed to UK in August from a final seven consisting of the Cats, Kansas, Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and Washington State. West Bloomfield was 8-1 and set to play in the fourth round of Michigan’s Division I playoffs, but the state on Nov. 15 suspended all high school sports as part of a statewide order to combat the spread of the coronavirus. As of Wednesday that order had been extended through at least Dec. 20, and Hairston has indicated that he won’t play if play resumes.
Adrian Huey, Defensive Back, 5-11, 160, Fr.-HS, Nashville, Tenn. (Hillsboro): Several other Southeastern Conference schools, juggernaut Georgia among them, offered Huey, a three-star prospect and top-25 player in Tennessee. He posted a 34.4-inch vertical jump at a regional event for The Opening in 2019, and during his junior year did not have a touchdown scored against him. Huey is considered the No. 74 cornerback in the country by 247Sports.
Christian Lewis, Wide Receiver, 6-3, 190, Fr.-HS, Pleasant Grove, Ala. (Pleasant Grove): Considered one of the top prospects available in Alabama — 247Sports ranks him 11th overall and Rivals has him 10th — Lewis spurned several big brands (Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Texas A&M at the top of the pile) to join the Wildcats. Rivals ranks him as a four-star prospect and the best player joining Kentucky in 2021 (Burton took that honor from 247Sports). His senior season ended with a loss in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Class 5A championship game; he helped lead the Spartans to an 11-3 record and finished with 917 yards and 12 touchdowns on 50 receptions.
Chauncey Magwood, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 187, Fr.-HS, Leesburg, Ga. (Lee County): Kentucky is getting a top-50 Georgian in Magwood, whom 247Sports and Rivals each rate as a top-100 receiver in the nation. His final six schools also consisted of Arkansas, Florida State, Louisville, Nebraska and South Carolina. Magwood has won two state titles at Lee County, for whom he started a 56th straight game last Friday in Georgia’s Class 6A quarterfinals. He’s played quarterback this season for the Trojans, but up until last week as a receiver had accumulated 2,187 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Jordan Lovett, Defensive Back, 6-2, 195, Fr.-HS, Radcliff, Ky. (North Hardin): Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Missouri and West Virginia were the six schools Kentucky beat out for Lovett, a three-star recruit whom 247Sports rates as the No. 54 safety in the nation. He had 46 tackles and two interceptions this year for the Trojans, who finished 9-1 after falling to St. Xavier in the Class 6A quarterfinals. North Hardin only lost two games over Lovett’s junior and senior seasons, a banner run for a program not often mentioned among the state’s elite.
Paul Rodriguez, Offensive Tackle, 6-6, 305, Fr.-HS, Mason, Ohio (William Mason): The first player to commit as part of the 2021 class? Rodriguez, who chose the Wildcats on Feb. 19 of this year. He was a Third Team selection to the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s 2020 all-state team after helping William Mason reach the second round of the postseason and finish with a 5-3 record. Rodriguez, a three-star recruit whom both 247Sports (38th) and Rivals (28th) project as a top-40 player in Ohio, reported offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa State, Maryland and Purdue.
Devonte Ross, Wide Receiver, 6-0, 170, Cartersville, Ga. (Cartersville): A surprise signing, Ross was not a known commit prior to the start of the early period but inked with Kentucky despite a verbal commitment to Marshall made less than a month ago. Ross is unranked by recruiting services but held offers from Akron, Gardner-Webb and Liberty throughout his recruitment, and this week earned an offer from Washington State, which wanted him to play defensive back. Fun fact: Ross’s high school is the same one that Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the likely No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, attended. Ross would have been a freshman during Lawrence’s senior season at Cartersville. The Hurricanes, for whom Ross has racked up 774 yards and 10 touchdowns on 36 receptions, will play in Georgia’s Class 5A state semifinals on Friday.
Kahlil Saunders, Defensive End, 6-5, 260, Fr.-HS, Huntsville, Ala. (Grissom): Kansas and Virginia Tech were among the other Power Five suitors for Saunders, who played both offensive and defensive line at Grissom. Four years removed from a stretch that saw them go winless in consecutive seasons, the Tigers finished with a 6-6 record, their first .500 or better finish since 2005. Saunders recorded a team-high 14 tackles for loss, 80 total tackles (36 solo), eight sacks and 17 quarterback hurries as a senior. He also blocked a field goal for the Tigers. Both 247Sports and Rivals rate him as a three-star prospect and as a top-50 player in the state of Alabama.
Kaiya Sheron, Quarterback, 6-4, 195, Fr.-HS, Somerset, Ky. (Somerset): Not every high school quarterback wins a state championship, and fewer still do it in the fashion Sheron did as a junior, when he delivered the game-winning touchdown on an untimed down to give the Briar Jumpers their first title in school history. The three-star recruit followed that up with an impressive senior season that saw him throw for more than 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns while scoring 10 times on the ground. He’s the only quarterback committed in this class, and had only one other reported offer (Marshall).
Martez Thrower, Outside Linebacker, 6-1, 220, Fr.-HS, Rochelle, Ga. (Wilcox County): Kentucky bested several other Power Five schools for Thrower’s commitment, including SEC institutions Arkansas, Mississippi State and Tennessee. He’s considered the 38th best outside linebacker in the country by 247Sports. Selections for the 2020 season weren’t yet available, but Thrower following his junior year was a Class A-Public First Team selection in Georgia. Wilcox County’s season ended at 11-3 following a second-round playoff loss. It was the first time the Patriots finished with double-digit wins since 2012.
David Wohlabaugh, Offensive Tackle, 6-6, 295, Fr.-HS, Stow, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit): One of the earliest players to commit as part of the 2021 cycle, Wohlabaugh recently was named to the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Division II All-Ohio squad as a First Team selection. The Warriors went 5-2 this season, their first winning campaign since 2014, and won their first postseason game since 2011 when they won 49-14 over Garfield Heights (the alma mater of current Wildcats freshman Torrance Davis) on Oct. 16. Walsh Jesuit’s offense generated nearly 400 yards per game. Wohlabaugh is the son of former NFL center Dave Wohlabaugh, who spent nine years in the league and started in the 1997 Super Bowl for the New England Patriots against Green Bay.
La’Vell Wright, Running Back, 6-0, 204, Fr.-HS, Radcliff, Ky. (North Hardin): Despite missing three games due to injury, Wright still rushed for 884 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 127 carries, an average of 126.3 yards and nearly two touchdowns per game. Rivals considers him the No. 12 all-purpose back in the nation while 247Sports tabs him as the country’s 49th best running back; both rate him as a three-star talent. Numerous Power Five schools were after Wright, including Indiana, Missouri, Purdue, Tennessee and Northwestern.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 7:54 AM.
