Kentucky has officially signed their entire high school recruiting class for early National Signing Day. At the time of every fax being received, Kentucky acquired the #27 recruiting class in the country. High end talent is all over the board as Kentucky signed eight top-500 recruits, including four in the top-300 according to the On3 Industry Rankings. While Kentucky did lose commitments from Tucker Kattus and Marquise Davis on the week of signing day, they accomplished some flips of their own with Cameron Miller and Grant Grayton choosing and signing with the Cats today. There was a clear emphasis on size and athleticism at premium positions such as defensive line and tackle in an attempt to keep Kentucky from having to pursue these positions in the portal down the line. Let’s take a deeper look at who Kentucky added in the first wave of 2025 recruiting.
Mikkel Skinner
Skinner is a four-star tight end from Riverside High School in Greer, South Carolina. He is the #13 tight end in America which places him at #222 overall. Skinner falls into the new-age style of tight end that excels split out wide as a receiving option more than in-line as a blocker. Skinner will probably never be an effective blocker in Lexington, but he has explosiveness from the tight end position we don’t see very often. Skinner has a huge catch radius and finds a way to get open despite not being a crisp route runner. His hands and body control stand out as he fights through and over defenders for contested catches. Flipping Skinner from the Cincinnati Bearcats was crucial to filling in this class and the tight end projects to being an impact starter after a couple of years in Lexington.
Martels Carter
Carter is a four-star safety from Paducah Tilghman High School in Paducah, Kentucky. He is ranked as the #21 safety and #256 player in America. Carter got a lot of attention heading towards National Signing Day as a potential flip candidate, but Vince Marrow was able to hold off Nebraska and Auburn for the blue-chip recruit. Carter added over 20 touchdowns in the other two phases of the game, but his speed and reaction time make him an even better secondary prospect. He flies all over the field making plays only so many safeties in the country can get to. Not only does he get to the point of action quickly, but he shows strong tackling and ball skills to make plays when given the opportunity. Carter was a hard-fought recruiting win, and the tape shows someone who could be worth every bit of effort the staff put in.
Andrew Purcell
Purcell is a four-star cornerback from Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama. He is the #31 corner and #257 player in the country. Purcell does not fit the typical mold of a Mark Stoops corner at under six feet tall, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in ball production. Purcell has great positioning in coverage and has the athleticism to recover and make a play when he does get beat. PBU’s and interceptions are common for Purcell on tape as the versatile corner has a nose for finding the football. Georgia and Miami were able to get the corner on campus, but Chris Collins locked him down and gave Kentucky a valuable young piece in the corner room.
Javeon Campbell
Campbell is a four-star defensive lineman from Western Hills High School in Frankfort, Kentucky. He is the #24 defensive lineman and #297 player in the country. Campbell is a twitched up and explosive athlete that sometimes runs straight past the opposing offensive lines because of his get-off. The burst in the open field helps him pursue defenders and bring them down before they get a chance to make a move. He could probably play inside or outside depending on the direction they want to go with his weight, but no matter what his technique needs to find consistency to continue winning reps against more athletic tackles.
Cedric Works
Works is a four-star defensive end from Frederick Douglas High School in Lexington, Kentucky. He is the #34 defensive lineman in America placing him at #312 in the country. Works has all the physical tools in the world at 6’5 but needs to add a bunch of weight to his lighter 230-pound frame. The explosiveness, effort, and speed in pursuit creates havoc all over the field for opposing offenses. Works has a long way to go as far as hand fighting and pass rushing moves, but he is able to win around the corner with hip and ankle bend (the least common way to win for an edge). Works is probably a couple of years away from being an effective pass rusher, but he has the frame and explosiveness to change a game on any given snap.
Darrin Strey
Strey is a four-star offensive lineman from Paw Paw High School in Paw Paw, Michigan. He is ranked as the #24 offensive tackle and #364 overall player in the class. He is a legitimate left tackle prospect that is oozing with potential. At 6’6 and nearly 300 pounds, Strey is remarkably athletic and has great flexibility for a high school tackle. This can probably be attributed to his basketball and track backgrounds, and the athleticism makes him a versatile piece that should move well in pass protection. As with every high school offensive lineman he needs to gain strength and experience, but Strey has the physical tools to be a cornerstone left tackle if things go well in Lexington.
Kalen Edwards
Edwards is a tree-star defensive tackle from Dyersburg High School in Dyersburg, Tennessee. He is the #36 defensive lineman and #404 player in America. Once committed to Hugh Freeze and Auburn, Edwards is a true nose tackle that bullies high school offensive linemen. He can really move blockers with his bullrush and doesn’t get moved off his spot in the run game. He needs to work on his finesse moves and develop more as a pass rusher, but Edwards has the size and strength to absorb double teams and stay effective.
Cameron Miller
Miller is a three-star wide receiver from Winslow Township High School in Winslow, New Jersey. He is ranked as the #73 wide receiver and #457 player in America. The long-time Wisconsin commit went back on the market earlier this week and Kentucky completed the flip on National Signing Day. Miller is very small, only listed at 5’10 and 155 pounds, but he is a game changer with the ball in his hands. He averaged 23.4 yards per reception last season due to his long speed and ability to make people miss in the open field. Miller is a pure slot receiver with game-breaker athleticism if he can find a way to put on the size to stay effective in the SEC.
Dejerrian Miller
“DJ” Miller is a three-star receiver from Cardinal Ritter College Prep in St. Louis Missouri. He is the #74 receiver and #461 player in the class of 2025. Miller is from an atypical recruiting area for Kentucky, but Frank Buffano scored the win for the 6’3 receiver over Ole Miss, Tennessee, and others. His best skill is ball tracking as he consistently wins on deep go and post routes. He has a great catch radius and ball skills at the point of catch. He has some work to do as a route runner, but he has the ball skills to win 1-on-1’s on contested catches.
Demarcus Gardner
Gardner is a three-star corner from Cedartown High School in Cedartown, Georgia. He comes in as the #54 corner and #565 prospect in the country. Defensive Backs Coach Chris Collins pulled off the flip from UCF after getting Gardner on campus, then held off Ole Miss and others as Gardner became a late riser in the rankings. Gardner shows great ball skills and range resulting in a lot of havoc plays when targeted. Bowman plays receiver and competes in multiple track events at Cedartown, and this shows in the ball skills he possesses. He needs to add some weight (listed at 165), but this is a highly athletic player who could be a big piece if things work in Kentucky’s development program.
Quintin Simmons
Simmons is a three-star wide receiver from Withrow University High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the #94 receiver and #578 player in America. Simmons committed to Kentucky in the middle of the offensive coordinator search before the hiring of Bush Hamdan, something you don’t see often in recruiting. The name of the game is speed with Simmons. The track athlete doesn’t show much route running on tape, but the speed and agility with the ball in his hands makes it clear why Vince Marrow made him a priority. Simmons’ speed could make him a valuable piece early in the return game, and with some development this could be a legitimate weapon at receiver.
Dyllon Williams
Williams is a three-star safety from Demopolis High School in Demopolis, Alabama. He is ranked as the #57 safety and #659 overall player in the 2025 class. Williams was once committed to Missouri but flipped his commitment to Kentucky in October. The 6’2 frame stands out immediately as he looks like a prototypical Mark Stoops secondary piece. He uses this frame to fly all over the field and is a forceful tackler coming downhill. He can use some work in coverage, but the range and play recognition are traits that will translate well to Lexington.
Preston Bowman
Bowman is a three-star wide receiver from Pickering High School North in Pickering, Ohio. He is ranked as the #107 wide receiver and #650 player in the country. Bowman committed to Kentucky over Michigan and Louisville and stayed committed despite an Ohio State offer coming in the day after his commitment to Kentucky. Bowman is a strong receiver who projects to be a slot in college. He shows quick change of direction and burst to get open then consistently runs away from defenders. Averaging over 20 yards per reception, Bowman is someone who can make a big play on every snap.
Stone Saunders
Saunders is a three-star receiver from Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is ranked as the #47 quarterback and #754 player in the country. Saunders was a Liam Coen commit, but has surprisingly stuck with the Cats despite the change at OC. The staff is very high on this kid’s future, and for very good reason. He is the Pennsylvania High School record holder in touchdown passes in a career and is top three in yards for a career, all while winning a state championship. He can make every throw on the field including a strong arm to stretch the field. He is only 6’1, but Saunders looks like a high-level quarterback prospect on tape.
Montavin Quisenberry
Quisenberry is a three-star wide receiver from Boyle County High School in Danville, Kentucky. He has made a big jump through this recruiting cycle and has found himself as the #123 wide receiver and #758 in the country. A West Virginia flip, Quisenberry is an exceptional playmaker highlighted by over 1600 yards and 35 touchdowns as a receiver, running back, and returner his junior season. There is a lot to work on as far as being a complete receiver, and he is very small (5’9, 175), but the playmaking ability is impossible to argue against.
Jayden Clark
Clark is a three-star offensive tackle from Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio. He is rated as the #49 offensive tackle and #855 player in America. Clark tends to be on the more physical side when it comes to offensive linemen and sometimes can struggle in space. He has good movement skills and excels as a puller on tape, often finishing blocks by pushing people completely away from the play. If the lateral quickness doesn’t improve a move to guard could be possible as he would be able to get downhill and work in closer quarters than he currently does on the outside.
Brennan Ward
Ward is a three-star quarterback from Gahanna-Lincoln High School in Gahanna, Ohio. The Columbus-area prospect is the #57 QB in the country making him the #941 player in America. Bush Hamdan’s first quarterback recruit at Kentucky shows a lot of talent on tape throwing the ball all over the field. Accuracy and downfield touch are consistently shown on tape, creating an explosive offense that connects on passes at every level. Ward is not the most mobile quarterback in the world, and we have seen stronger arms in Lexington, but he has good timing and accuracy that can allow him to succeed with a couple years of development.
Jermiel Atkins
Atkins is a three-star offensive tackle from Trotwood-Madison High School in Trotwood, Ohio. He comes in as the #58 tackle and #981 player in the country. Immediately you notice the size of Atkins, coming in at 6’8 with long arms. He needs to add a lot of weight (currently at 270) and strength to be an effective SEC lineman, but he moves like very few 6’8 people do. Good footwork and flexibility give Atkins a start on technique, but hand placement and timing are going to need work at the next level. A clear “traits” prospect with a ton of room to grow.
Grant Grayton
Grayton is a three-star safety from Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. He is the #103 safety and #1117 player in the country. Kentucky pulled off the National Signing Day flip for the former Minnesota commit after getting him on campus this past weekend. Grayton has an excellent frame (6’2.5, 195) and good movement skills in open space. Playing mostly corner in high school, Grayton shows great coverage skills and an ability to quickly change directions to stay with receivers. He does not appear to be the fastest player, and he could use some strength, but Grayton feels fairly underrated given his size and athleticism.
Bryan Auguste
Auguste is a three-star offensive tackle from Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida. He is ranked as the #71 tackle and #1135 overall player in the country. Auguste has great movement skills and excels on pulls and getting in front of blockers in space. He needs to add weight and get more powerful at the point of attack, but his agility and frame (6’6) project him to be a good pass blocking left tackle at the college level if he continues to develop.
Nicholas Smith
Smith is a three-star defensive lineman from Walton Grove High School in Loganville, Georgia. Anwar Stewart added the #118 defensive lineman and #1179 player in America because of the positional size and versatility shown on tape. At 6’6, 275, Smith has the mobility to play on the outside of the defensive line or bulk up and move inside. He is an angry run defender who needs some work in pass rush technique, but Smith has the potential to be an effective defensive lineman at the next level.
Photo Credits to 247 Sports
