Four-star UK QB signee now says his top goal is to sign pro baseball contract
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Ponatoski described being drafted as his 'Option 1A' choice.
- Ponatoski said his Kentucky commitment was 'baseball first' while valuing football.
- Baseball America lists him 55th among HS prospects and No.139 overall.
The bulk of the 2026 Kentucky football roster is back on campus participating in summer workouts in advance of Will Stein’s first season as coach.
But the most prominent member of UK’s 2026 high school recruiting class has yet to arrive in Lexington.
And the chances that he never makes it to campus appear to be increasing.
“I think people who don’t talk to me face to face might get an idea that I want to go play college football,” four-star quarterback signee Matt Ponatoski said in an appearance on Overslotbaseball.com podcast that published over the weekend. “I do, but that’s option 1B.
“Option 1A is to go be a (MLB) draft pick and go get drafted and go be in an organization at 18 rather than go to college and be in an organization at 21, which is not a bad option either. I want to be drafted. That’s 1A for sure.”
Ponatoski, who committed to UK to play both football and baseball, had previously been adamant in interviews that he planned to pursue both sports in college rather than sign a professional contract in baseball directly out of high school.
In the podcast, he described his commitment to UK as a “baseball first” decision. He picked Kentucky when Mark Stoops was still coach but signed with the Wildcats shortly after Will Stein, who had also recruited Ponatoski as Oregon offensive coordinator, was hired in December.
“I think he has elite arm talent,” new UK offensive coordinator Joe Sloan said of Ponatoski in December. “I think he has toughness in the pocket. He’s really creative. And I think he’s a really good athlete in terms of his balance, his mobility and his ability to create power.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Matt.”
In February, UK baseball coach Nick Mingione said his staff had already coordinated with the new football staff to develop a plan for Ponatoski to play both sports in college. At the time, Baseball America ranked him as the 56th-best 2026 draft prospect, but those rankings have slipped over the course of his senior season.
Now, Baseball America ranks him as the 55th-best high school prospect in the draft, but outside the top 100 eligible players at No. 139.
Ponatoski has generally been projected as a shortstop at the professional level, but he spent most of the podcast promoting himself as a pitching prospect. He has a 0.83 ERA in 251/3 innings this season with 44 strikeouts. He has not played shortstop, according to Moeller High School’s online statistics, but he has hit .314 with one home run in 86 at-bats as a pitcher and designated hitter.
“A team is going to get somebody that’s very raw if they do decide to draft me,” Ponatoski said.
During his senior football season, Ponatoski completed 66.1% of his passes for 2,395 yards, 28 touchdowns and one interception in 12 games. Those numbers were down from 4,217 yards and 57 touchdowns in 16 games as a junior.
While UK football players reported to campus last week for summer workouts, Ponatoski remained with his high school baseball team, which is scheduled to play in semifinals of the Division I Ohio state tournament Thursday in Akron.
If he enrolls at UK, Ponatoski would compete with redshirt freshman Brennen Ward and Marshall transfer JacQai Long for the backup quarterback job behind projected starter Kenny Michey. Minchey has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so it is unlikely Ponatoski would be in a position to compete for a starting job until 2028 by the earliest.
By then, blue-chip quarterback commitment Jake Nawrot will be entering his second year on campus, assuming he follows through with his pledge to Stein and signs with Kentucky. The No. 2-ranked quarterback in the high school class of 2027, Nawrot appears to be the quarterback the new staff is planning to build around moving forward.
Because of Nawrot’s commitment and the timing of the Ponatoski interview — just more than a month from the start of the MLB draft July 11 — the decision to go public with a desire to be drafted might also be a leverage play from Ponatoski and his agent.
If Ponatoski is drafted, but not in a range where he would be considered a lock to sign a professional baseball contract, his recent comments could be used in negotiations with UK about his NIL and revenue sharing contracts in hopes of earning more to attend college.
“I came on late with the recruiting with football,” Ponatoski said. “Now, I think it (was portrayed) that I want to be a football player.
“Yes, that’s a great option if I don’t go to the draft, but I want to be a professional baseball player as fast as possible. That’s where my heart’s been, and it’s always been.”
This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 2:10 PM.