Two Major Pickups For Kentucky
For members of the Big Blue Nation the word “Yahtzee” has its own meaning. Not only is it a classic game but for the Wildcat fans it’s a term coined by Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow when Kentucky receives a commitment. Those dice were hot as the Wildcats got two recent commitments, one on each side of the ball. Let’s introduce you to them as we begin recapping Kentucky’s big recruiting week.
Big Time Quarterback
With Liam Coen returning as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator, players remember the performance from two years ago. As a result, more and more highly-rated recruits are looking at Lexington. It certainly paid off over the weekend as highly touted 2025 quarterback Stone Saunders picked Kentucky.
In a ceremony live streamed on a local TV station Saunders chose Kentucky over some heavy hitters. In fact, his final list included two-time defending national champions Georgia along with Miami, Michigan, and Nebraska.
The moment Stone donned the UK hat @UKFootball @Stone_Saunders8 pic.twitter.com/6ADRX2udJW
— abc27 Sports (@abc27Sports) August 4, 2023
Hailing from Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Saunders ranks as the top signal caller in the state by 24/7 Sports. In addition, he’s the first sophomore in Pennsylvania to win Gatorade Player of the Year.
Heading into his junior year at the football powerhouse, Saunders has thrown for 6,620 yards, 100 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. Furthermore, both seasons have ended in 4A state title games including a championship 41-18 last year. Last year he threw for 3,584 yards and 54 touchdowns. He’s the second Keystone State player in the 2024 class as David Washington, Jr. a wide receiver from Philadelphia pledged to the Cats on July 8th. The quarterback says he’s “100 percent committed to Kentucky.” Now he’s trying to flip his teammate, wide receiver Rico Scott, who’s committed to Alabama.
He joins another star quarterback, Cutter Boley, the Lexington Christian Academy star who was originally in the 2025 class but reclassified to 2024.
Saunders isn’t the only big-time recent pick-up for the Cats. As we continue recapping Kentucky’s big recruiting week let’s look at an elite player on the defensive side of the ball.
Another From the Volunteer State
Over the last few years, Kentucky has had a great deal of success recruiting in Tennessee. Destin and Keaten Wade, Barion Brown, and Shamar Porter all came from their neighbor to the south. Two days before Saunders’ commitment they added another Tennessee native. Steven Soles from Powell High School in Powell Tennessee chose Kentucky.
The 29th-best player in Tennessee, and the 55th-best edge rusher in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite ranking, Soles picked the Cats over Mississippi State and Virginia Tech among others. Last season Soles recorded 135 tackles and an amazing 17 sacks. While he plays on the defensive line in high school, Soles is expected to play linebacker for the Wildcats.
With Soles’ commitment, Kentucky’s 2024 class sits 40th in the nation with 15 pledges. The Wildcats have three four-star players and 11 three-star. Saunders is the Cats’ only player for the 2025 class. However, on his commitment alone Kentucky sits at 23rd in the rankings.
Thanks for Recapping Kentucky’s Big Recruiting Week with us here at Last Word On College Football. The 2023 season is almost here and we’ll get you ready for the season opener against Ball State.
Photo courtesy: Jamar Coach/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
