UK recruiters have sent one opposing fan base into a tailspin
Fastbreak points from the Keeneland burgoo stand:
21. Iowa Hawkeyes fans. Judging by the Internet message boards, Hawkeyes backers have been sent into a bit of a tailspin by Kentucky Wildcats sports recruiters.
20. Jake Nawrot. When the 6-foot-4, 200-pound, 4-star quarterback from Arlington Heights, Illinois, announced his recruiting commitment to Kentucky on Sunday, it marked the second time in recent months when UK successfully wooed a heralded high school athlete with strong family ties to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
19. Nawrot’s Hawkeyes’ connections. The new Kentucky quarterback commit’s father, Paul, was a defensive lineman/linebacker for Iowa from 1995 through 1997. The QB’s older sister, Leah, is currently a sophomore on the Hawkeyes’ women’s rowing roster.
18. Maddyn Greenway. The prized Kentucky women’s basketball point guard signee, fresh off playing in the Nike Hoop Summit and the McDonald’s All-America Game, was also an Iowa Hawkeyes legacy recruit.
17. Greenway’s Hawkeyes’ connections. The soon-to-be UK guard’s father, Chad, was a star linebacker for Kirk Ferentz at Iowa from 2003 through 2005 before going on to a 10-year career with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. The point guard’s mom, the former Jenni Capista, was a standout cross country and track & field performer for the Hawkeyes from 2001 through 2005.
16. Will Stein. With the commitment of Jake Nawrot, the new Kentucky football coach has secured a pledge from a highly-touted quarterback in each of his first two UK recruiting classes.
15. Nawrot’s recruiting profile. The Class of 2027 QB is rated a 4-star prospect by both Rivals and 24/7. He is considered the second-rated quarterback in the country by Rivals, the sixth best by 24/7.
14. Matt Ponatoski. The Class of 2026 UK QB signee from Cincinnati’s Archbishop Moeller High School is rated a 4-star prospect by both ESPN and Rivals and carries a 3-star ranking from 24/7.
13. The baseball question. Ponatoski is a two-sport star who is also a shortstop and pitcher in baseball. Earlier this year, Ponatoski told Cincinnati television station WCPO that he has spoken with 27 of the 30 major league teams in reference to the 2026 MLB draft.
12. How worried should Kentucky fans be? Regarding the fear of losing Ponatoski to MLB, keep in mind the top 32 picks in the 2026 draft will all carry a suggested slot value in excess of $3 million.
11. Ponatoski in the ESPN rankings. The Moeller star is projected as the No. 48 prospect for the 2026 MLB draft by ESPN. The suggested bonus payment for the 48th pick is $2,081,900.
10. Ponatoski in the FloBaseball rankings. The UK signee was rated No. 81 among 2026 MLB draft prospects. The suggested slot payment for the 81st pick is $1,018,500.
9. Ponatoski in the Baseball America ratings. BA projects Ponatoski as the No. 73 prospect in the 2026 draft — which carries a slot value of $1,156,400.
8. Kenny Brooks. The Kentucky women’s basketball coach is in the midst of what has, mostly, been a strong run of positive publicity for the UK program since the Wildcats’ season ended in a NCAA Tournament round of 16 loss to Texas.
7. Three McDonald’s All-Americans. It was a new record for UK women’s basketball when Wildcats’ signees Maddyn Greenway, Emily McDonald and Savvy Swords all played in the 2026 Mickey D’s game.
6. Four WNBA draftees. It was a new record for UK women’s basketball when Wildcats players Teonni Key (No. 22 overall to Toronto), Tonie Morgan (No. 32 to Chicago), Amelia Hassett (35th to Los Angeles) and Jordan Obi (44th to Las Vegas) were all chosen in Monday night’s draft.
5. Ayanna Patterson. With the announcement that the now-former UConn forward will be transferring to Kentucky, Brooks and his coaching staff will be trying to replicate their success with Teonni Key. Like what happened with Key at North Carolina, Patterson was a lavishly-hyped high school recruit whose career at Connecticut was undermined by injuries.
4. Kaelyn Carroll. The one downside to the postseason so far for Kentucky women’s basketball was the Wildcats freshman forward entering the transfer portal. Carroll projected to inherit one of the starting forward positions for UK in 2026-27.
3. The 2025-26 Kentucky men’s basketball roster. Of the seven players off of last season’s UK team who have so far hit the transfer portal, everyone that has committed to a new school is moving to another power conference team.
2. Tracking the ex-Cats. Kentucky is sending players to other SEC teams, the Big East, the Big Ten and the Big 12: Denzel Aberdeen (Florida, where he will need an eligibility waiver to continue playing); Andrija Jelavic (Ohio State); Collin Chandler (BYU); Brandon Garrison (Alabama); Jaland Lowe (Georgetown). Still to announce their new homes (as these words were written) are Mo Dioubate and Jasper Johnson.
1. Kentucky’s main problem. That other high-major programs value the departing UK players suggests that Kentucky’s main issue this past season was poor roster fit, not a straight-up lack of power-conference talent.
