Take 5: Kentucky’s top targets heading into official visits
The early signing day is just over six months away. A critical part of the recruiting calendar is just around the corner with college football programs gearing up for a June filled with official visitors. Once those visits occur, that will kick off the biggest commitment window of the 2025 cycle with decisions quickly rolling in, highlighted by the monstrous Fourth of July week, which has become one of the biggest periods during the recruiting cycle.
In May, we saw Kentucky make a pair of big moves. Two top targets came off the board when Cleveland (Ohio) Heights tailback Marquise Davis and Paducah (Ky.) Tilghman safety Martels Carter committed to the Wildcats giving Vince Marrow a pair of top-200 recruiting wins. The Wildcats now have six players in the fold and a top-25 recruiting class entering June.
Now it’s closing time for the coaching staff.
KSR+ is taking a look at five players who enter their official visits with Kentucky at the top of the recruiting board.
1. Darrin Strey
3-star (No. 458 overall)
T (6-6, 295)
Paw Paw (Mich.) High
Skinny: Key target for Kentucky who is also considering Wisconsin, Illinois, Cincinnati, Stanford, and Illinois.
Darrin Strey has a busy few weeks on the schedule with official visits locked in with Cincinnati (May 31-June 2), Kentucky (June 7-9), Wisconsin (June 14-16), and Stanford (June 21-23). Strey got an early official visit complete with Illinois. Strey is one of the top targets on Kentucky’s board for offensive line coach Eric Wolford. The race is wide-open race.
Kentucky has made the massive tackle a clear top target and should make a strong commitment push for Strey during his June trip to Lexington that will include multiple other offensive line recruits.
2. Javeon Campbell
4-star (No. 230 overall)
DL (6-5, 260)
Frankfort (Ky.) Western Hills
Skinny: The four-star defensive lineman is having an elite recruitment.
Javeon Campbell did not start playing high football until 2023, but that has not stopped teams from aggressively pursuing the defensive line prospect. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, and Ohio State are all progressively pursuing this blue-chip prospect.
Campbell will have a busy month with trips planned to Miami (May 31-June 2), Kentucky (June 7-9), Auburn (June 10-12), Alabama (June 14-16), and Georgia (June 21-23). The prospect has postponed his planned Ohio State official visit. With a July commitment planned, Vince Marrow has the Wildcats in a good position, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Kentucky is getting Campbell on campus during its big official visit weekend and will attempt to lock up a recruitment that could see some twists and turns even after the planned summer commitment.
3. Isaac “Spike” Sowells Jr.
3-star (No. 494 overall)
iOL (6-1, 290)
Louisville (Ky.) Male
Skinny: Kentucky is fighting off multiple ACC schools for this in-state prospect.
Tackle is a massive need for Kentucky in the 2025 high school recruiting cycle, but an interior offensive line prospect remains one of the biggest priorities for the Wildcats currently.
Isaac “Spike” Sowells has had a popular recruitment. South Carolina (May 31-June 2), Kentucky (June 7-9), Miami (June 14-16), Louisville (June 19-21), and NC State (June 21-23) have all locked in official visits with the center prospect.
Recording recruiting wins at Louisville Male has not happened very often for the Kentucky football program in the past. The Wildcats have a great chance to land one this cycle. Getting the prospect on campus for the program’s big official visit weekend along with Darrin Strey is significant.
4. Brody Lennon
3-star (No. 693 overall)
TE (6-4, 220)
Gates Mills (Ohio) Gilmour Academy
Skinny: Kentucky will look to lock their top tight end target up during Lennon’s official visit in June.
Brody Lennon could give Kentucky two recruiting wins in Metro Cleveland over the summer. The tight end has emerged as the top target for recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow. Lennon has taken an unofficial visit to Lexington and received a visit from Marrow at Gilmour Academy.
Penn State is seen as the top competition for Kentucky, but Ohio State is lurking. The three-star prospect is expected to attend a Buckeyes camp on June 5 and go through a workout. That is the week before Lennon’s official visit to Lexington. If an offer comes from Ryan Day‘s program during that one-day camp that could change the dynamics of this recruitment.
5. Cedric Works
4-star (No. 136 overall)
EDGE (6-5, 230)
Clayton (Ohio) Northmont
Skinny: A wide-open battle for a top-150 prospect at a premium position.
Cedric Works is a high four-star prospect with a recruitment that could go anywhere. The Dayton area native has official visits locked in with Penn State (May 31-June 2), Cincinnati (June 7-9), Florida (June 14-16), and Kentucky (June 21-23). But no one leads.
Vince Marrow has the Wildcats firmly in the hunt, but this could be a recruitment that leaks into the season. Works plays a premium position and will likely see his recruitment grow in popularity as the cycle inches closer to signing day.
Every team in college football wants twitchy pass rushers. Expect Kentucky to make a very big push for Works over the next couple of months.
The post Take 5: Kentucky’s top targets heading into official visits appeared first on On3.
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