FB Recruiting
Top 10 In-State Prospect Willie Rodriguez to Take Official Visit to Kentucky
Published
2 years agoon

With Cutter Boley recently committing to Kentucky and reclassifying, the next domino to fall could potentially be class of 2024 Covington Catholic Tight End Willie Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has told KY Insider that he is going to take an official visit at Kentucky on June 9 with Boley and another commit from Kentucky offensive line Aba Selm. Rodriguez says he is excited to see Boley and Selm.
“I can’t wait to meet to everyone on the official [visit],” says Rodriguez.
Rodriguez also adding since Boley has committed to Kentucky, that they have been communicating together.
“For sure,” Rodriguez says. “[I] have already talked to him, it’s definitely very intriguing and very cool.”
During his visit, there are certain goals that he has in mind that he wants to accomplish when visiting the team.
“[I] definitely want to check out everything and see really how I will fit in the offense and how I will be used,” Rodriguez tells A Sea Of Blue. “I am very excited for the visit.”
As for other official visits he has planned, he tells KY Insider that he will also be visiting Virginia Tech and he is still scheduling two other official visits with Ole Miss and Purdue, but at this time they have not been scheduled.
Rodriguez also tells us he plans to commit to a school during the summer, but once he is done with all of his official visits. Once we learn more details on his upcoming visit we will keep you all informed.
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FB Recruiting
Déjà Blue: Two Former Wildcats Find Their Way Back to Lexington
Published
1 month agoon
April 18, 2025Just one day after the spring transfer window opened on April 16, Kentucky football landed two familiar names: former commits Lorenzo Cowan and Hardley Gilmore IV, who both found their way back to Lexington after brief stints elsewhere.
Cowan, a 6-foot-3 edge rusher from Savannah, Georgia, originally committed to Kentucky on Sept. 10, 2023, but after picking up an offer from Southern California just three months later, he decommitted and left Lexington for Los Angeles.
As originally reported by Pete Nakos, Cowan turned back for Lexington after a redshirt season with USC and Gilmore came back after transferring to Nebraska in the winter portal.
USC EDGE transfer Lorenzo Cowan has signed with Kentucky, @On3sports has learned. https://t.co/wMrfFrcNOy pic.twitter.com/SFUYajx4t8— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 17, 2025
Gilmore, a 6-foot-1 wide receiver, committed to play for Mark Stoops and the Wildcats on Aug. 25, 2023, but after just one season in the blue and white, transferred to Nebraska alongside Dane Key, who both followed former Kentucky wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts Jr. to Lincoln. Nebraska transfer wide receiver Hardley Gilmore has signed with Kentucky, @On3sports has learned.
The former four-star recruit transferred out of UK to Nebraska in the winter window.https://t.co/FILenYV2nU pic.twitter.com/KFRnWgyDM0— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 17, 2025
Now, nearly two years since their original commitments, Cowan and Gilmore find themselves reunited with coach Stoops and BBN once again.
Amid a landscape of college football where players often take off without looking back, Cowan and Gilmore’s returns are rare. These guys didn’t commit to Kentucky just once – they made the decision to do it again.
So, what kind of impact will their return have, and how do they fit into the Wildcats roster?
After the end of a disappointing 4-8 season, Kentucky’s wide receiver room has undergone a complete overhaul. The loss of starters Dane Key and Barion Brown via the transfer portal to Nebraska and LSU respectively, along with the loss of Anthony Brown-Stephens has left plenty of room for competition heading into camp this summer.
Adding to the disaster, former Louisiana Tech wide receiver, Tru Edwards, who committed to Kentucky in January, will also not be able to suit up for the 2025 season as the NCAA declared that he has used up all of his eligibility.
With that in mind, it’s looking that Gilmore will likely be taking on a significant role as the Z receiver in the Wildcat offense lining up alongside J.J. Hester at X and Ja’Mori Maclin at Y. This expanded opportunity likely played a key role in luring him back to Lexington after transferring to Nebraska for just a three month stint.
In his true freshman season at Kentucky, Gilmore turned heads in fall camp before a broken collarbone sidelined him for the first half of the season. Over the five games he played, he totaled six receptions for 153 yards and one touchdown – a 52-yard score in Kentucky’s blowout win against Murray State in week 10.
On the other side of the ball, Lorenzo Cowan could also take on a meaningful role within Kentucky’s defensive front.
The versatile edge rusher fits well into defensive coordinator Brad White’s scheme, particularly as the ‘Cats look to replace key departures and reload their pass rush following a wave of departures – Deone Walker to the NFL, Keeshawn Silver to the transfer portal and J.J. Weaver, Tre-Vonn Rybka and Octavious Oxendine to graduation.
Preserving his redshirt status, Cowan didn’t appear in a game during his stint at USC, meaning that the high-upside pass rusher will return to Lexington with four full years of eligibility remaining.
Cowan is expected to line up opposite Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, a 6-foot-4 265 pound junior transfer from South Dakota and the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Together, the duo will bring a blend of youth and experience on the edge, and both are expected to play pivotal roles in helping reshape a defensive front that lost several key veteran contributors in the offseason.
As Kentucky looks to bounce back from an underwhelming season and a turbulent offseason, the returns of Cowan and Gilmore offer more than just depth – they bring familiarity, upside and a sense of unfinished business to Lexington.
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Four-Star Commit Andrew Purcell Talks About Why He Chose Kentucky, “They Truly Care About Me as a Person”
Published
8 months agoon
September 19, 2024
With Kentucky Football coming off an excruciating one-point loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, let’s look ahead to some recruiting. The 2025 Recruiting Class is already taking place for Mark Stoops and company. The class is currently sitting at #25 in the country and #11 in the conference.
This past week Kentucky Insider had the opportunity to sit down with four-star ATH/CB Andrew Purcell. Andrew attends Enterprise High School located in Enterprise, AL. He is ranked as the 25th-best ATH in the Country.
Purcell was also on campus this past weekend for an official visit and in attendance for the showdown against Georgia.
Andrew Purcell comes in at just 5-foot9, 185 Pounds. However, he is very explosive with huge, big play ability. He is a dual sport athlete who is a successful basketball player and track runner. He attributes a lot of this to his incredible athleticism on the field.
Purcell had offers from many Blue Blood programs such as Georgia, Miami, Clemson, and Florida among many others. When asked about what separated Kentucky from these other programs, Purcell said “Just the communication part, my connection with the Coaching Staff. They contacted me daily and that really separated them.”
This is a common statement from many recruits on Mark Stoops and the rest of the coaching staff. When asked about his lead recruiter he said that Defensive Backs coach, Chris Collins was primarily the guy whom he remained in close contact with.
There were many factors going into his ultimate decision to attend the University of Kentucky. However, when asked what made the decision much easier, he said, “I just loved everything about the school. They didn’t just care about #4, but they truly cared about me as a person.”
Purcell also described himself as a “hard worker” and with these qualities, it will be hard for the Big Blue Nation not to enjoy getting to see him on the field.
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Four-Star Safety, Top 200 Recruit Martels Carter Jr. Commits to Kentucky
Published
1 year agoon
May 25, 2024
YAHTZEE!
The Kentucky Wildcats have added the top-ranked player in the state and one of the top safeties in the country to their 2025 recruiting class.
On Saturday, Martels Carter Jr. announced his commitment to the Wildcats!
“BBN I’M HOME”
A unanimous 4-star prospect and top 20 safety nationally, Carter chose the Cats over finalists Auburn Tigers, Colorado Buffalo, and Louisville. He also held offers from some of the biggest programs in the sport, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Oregon among others.
Originally from Chattanooga, TN, Carter moved to Paducah last summer where he starred for Paducah Tilghman High School, helping them to an undefeated regular season and a deep run in the 4A state playoffs, falling in the semifinals.
While it’s okay to celebrate his commitment, it will still be a battle until signing day. Auburn is seen as Kentucky’s biggest threat with Carter planning multiple visits, and he also has a family connection to Deion Sander’s Colorado program.
That said, he will almost certainly take an official visit to Kentucky this fall. Vince Marrow has made Carter a priority of this class and will do everything in his power to retain the talented defensive back.
Carter makes the sixth commitment for Kentucky’s 2025 class, to go along with two talented offensive players and fellow four-star recruits Quintin Simmons Jr (WR) and Marquise Davis (RB).
Also published on A Sea of Blue.
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