Biggest win? Instant impact? Sleeper to watch? Breaking down UK football’s 2024 class.
A year after multiple freshmen played key roles for Kentucky football in 2022, only a handful of freshmen played enough to burn a redshirt in 2023. Kentucky again relied heavily on transfers in 2023, but the season also offered a stark reminder that not all transfers live up to their signing day hype.
So, how do we apply those lessons to Kentucky’s 2024 signing class, the bulk of which was announced Wednesday? Caution is likely needed, but if the Wildcats are to improve on back-to-back seven-win seasons next fall, many of the signees from both the transfer and high school classes will probably need to play important roles.
Here is what you need to know about the Wildcats’ 2024 class:
Biggest win: Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Less than a week after losing linebacker Trevin Wallace to the NFL draft, Kentucky signed a former All-American and two-time national champion to replace him. Dumas-Johnson was not quite as productive in 2023 for Georgia as he was in 2024, but he brings a resume to Lexington that few Wildcats in program history can match. Dumas-Johnson was a perfect 24-0 in games he started at Georgia across the last two seasons and should immediately step into a key leadership role in the heart of UK’s defense.
Instant impact: Brian Robinson
Kentucky will need most of its transfers to contribute immediately in 2024, but among the high school signees none needs to fill a bigger role than Robinson, who at least physically already looks the part of a college edge rusher. Recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow thinks Robinson could play outside linebacker if needed, but he already has the size to play on the defensive line. With no transfer edge rushers in the fold yet, the freshmen will be needed for more pass rush. Robinson, who was pursued heavily by Michigan and Penn State, might be the most college-ready of that group.
Biggest loss: Lorenzo Cowan
Three UK commitments flipped to other programs in December, but the loss of Cowan might end up stinging the most. The recruiting services only rated him as a three-star edge rusher, but he was a late riser. All you need to know about the Savannah, Georgia, native’s potential is Southern California liked him enough to recruit him from across the country. Cowan signed with USC on Wednesday.
Sleeper: Willie Rodriguez
Rodriguez is the second-lowest rated recruit in UK’s 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, but Kentucky had to hold off a late charge from Tennessee to retain his commitment. Rodriguez took an official visit to Knoxville the weekend before signing day, but stuck with his UK commitment from June. As a senior at Covington Catholic, Rodriguez totaled 29 catches for 488 yards and 12 touchdowns. UK has plenty of experience returning at tight end, but Rodriguez could offer another dynamic receiving option to the position.
Best NFL prospect: Brock Vandagriff
Vandagriff is now three years removed from when he was rated as a five-star prospect in the high school class of 2021, but his potential to develop into an NFL draft pick remains. By prioritizing Vandagriff in the quarterback transfer market this offseason despite his lack of game experience at Georgia, UK offensive coordinator Liam Coen appears to be making a bet on being able to repeat his success with Will Levis. That means going for the less proven option with NFL-level tools rather than the experienced college veteran as Kentucky did with Devin Leary a year ago.
Hometown heroes: Cutter Boley, Willie Rodriguez, Aba Selm, Jerod Smith, Jacob Smith, Hayes Johnson
Three of UK’s in-state signees were among the highest-rated in the class with Boley and the Smith twins holding consensus four-star status. Boley arrives in January as the most hyped quarterback recruit from Kentucky since Tim Couch. The Smith twins, who started their high school careers at Somerset and finished them at Corbin after a detour to a Connecticut prep school, could both play as freshmen on defense. While Rodriguez and Selm are rated as three-star prospects, both received late interest from SEC rivals. Johnson’s signature shows UK’s best path to retaining its early commitments in a cycle is to focus on in-state prospects first.
Inside the rankings
As of Wednesday afternoon, Kentucky boasted a top-25 high school class and top-10 transfer class according to the 247Sports composite rankings. UK’s transfer class ranking deserves particular note because the transfer class is not nearly as large as some other schools. The transfer class includes the No. 1 available linebacker, the No. 6 available running back and the No. 8 available quarterback, according to 247Sports’ rankings.
At the finish line
While most of the high school class had been in the fold for months, Kentucky still managed to provide a few signing day highlights. Alabama prep defensive back Cam Dooley, a four-star prospect according to 247Sports, picked UK over Missouri. Dumas-Johnson picked the Wildcats after completing a visit to Auburn. Kentucky also held off a late charge from Tennessee for Rodriguez, who took an official visit to Knoxville over the weekend.
This story was originally published December 20, 2023 at 12:39 PM.