Kentucky football adds highly touted WR recruit just days after Liam Coen’s departure
The future of Kentucky football’s offense remains uncertain after the departure of coordinator Liam Coen to the NFL.
But that upheaval apparently did not scare one of UK’s top offensive targets in the high school class of 2025.
Four-star Cincinnati prep wide receiver Quintin Simmons committed to Kentucky on Monday, two days after Coen’s departure was made official. He is the second verbal commitment in UK’s 2025 class, following four-star Pennsylvania prep quarterback Stone Saunders.
UK is in the market for a new offensive coordinator — and possibly a schematic overhaul — after Coen returned to the NFL as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many of UK’s top high school and transfer recruits on offense over the last year have pointed to Coen’s pro-style scheme as one of the reasons they committed to Kentucky.
UK coach Mark Stoops and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow must have given Simmons enough confidence in the future of the offense to overlook the current uncertainty though. The fact that Simmons was recruited by Marrow, the Wildcats’ longtime Ohio recruiting ace, likely also decreased the importance of the offensive coordinator opening.
Simmons picked UK over finalists Michigan, Penn State, West Virginia, Syracuse and Cincinnati. If he sticks with his commitment through signing day in December, he would give UK a commitment from Withrow High School for the second consecutive class. Withrow Defensive back Terhyon Nichols signed with UK in December and enrolled in January.
247Sports ranks Simmons as the No. 15 wide receiver in the class of 2025.
This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 5:19 PM.