Kentucky football adds to top-10 2027 recruiting class with Lexington tight end
Will Stein’s first full Kentucky football high school recruiting class added some local flair Friday.
Lexington Christian Academy tight end Conrad Hart committed to UK one day after landing a scholarship offer from the Wildcats’ new coaching staff. Kentucky is the first power conference program to offer a scholarship to Hart.
Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Army, Western Kentucky, Troy, Ohio and Eastern Kentucky were among the smaller programs that had extended him scholarship offers.
As a junior, Hart caught 16 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns for LCA. He scored a touchdown in LCA’s 2A state championship win over Owensboro Catholic in Kroger Field in December.
Hart is the second tight end to commit to UK’s 2027 high school class, following three-star Florida high schooler Trae Proctor. He is the fourth in-state recruit to pick the Wildcats in the class and the first from Lexington.
Thanks in large part to the pledge of four-star quarterback Jake Nawrot, the 247Sports Composite ranks UK’s class seventh nationally.
“I think when people come here they see authenticity from the coaching staff,” Stein said after the spring game last week. “They see a real connection from the team. They love Lexington, they love the University of Kentucky. They love what we do on offense, defense, and special teams.
“Just a bunch of real dudes, man, that coach football here that guys don’t have to feel on edge talking to. I don’t wear a quarter zip and khaki pants at work. I dress like a football coach. So, I think when they come in our building, they are like, these are just normal dudes that love ball.”
The bulk of UK’s 2026 high school class committed to the previous coaching staff. Those players signed on the same day Stein was introduced as coach.
The new staff had some catching up to do in the 2027 cycle too since most coaches start building those connections before players’ junior seasons. That late start was reflected in multiple high-profile Kentucky high school 2027 stars picking other programs, including five-star Boyle County tight end Seneca Driver, but Stein and company have built momentum in the class this spring.
“We are going to recruit the best players in America,” he said. “Our job is to sign the absolute best players that we can, and we are not going to back down to anybody. So, I think when they get that vibe and when they see the confidence from our entire staff and our players, they are like, man, I want to be a part of this. It’s been great so far.
“Winning in the spring is one thing. It’s about winning games on Saturdays come fall.”
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 1:09 PM.