Kentucky football lands first 2024 commitment. Why local ties could be key in keeping him.

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Kentucky football’s most reliable path toward creating early momentum in a recruiting cycle has been sticking close to home.

So, UK’s Thursday commitment from three-star Taylor County offensive lineman Hayes Johnson to open its 2024 class has to be considered good news.

In December, Frederick Douglass defensive back Ty Bryant ended a six-year stretch where the first verbal commitment in Kentucky’s class ultimately decommitted before signing day. None of those recruits were from Kentucky though.

Since the 2014 class, Mark Stoops’ first full recruiting cycle at Kentucky, the Wildcats’ opening pledge has stuck through signing day just three times. Two of the three opening commitments who ultimately signed with the Wildcats were Kentucky high school graduates: Landon Young in 2016 and Bryant in 2023.

Johnson picked Kentucky over finalists Louisville, Tennessee, Michigan State and Baylor. The 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 3 prospect in the Bluegrass State class of 2024 and the No. 38 offensive tackle in the country.

Only three of the opening commitments in Mark Stoops’ first 10 full recruiting cycles at Kentucky ended up signing with the Wildcats.
Only three of the opening commitments in Mark Stoops’ first 10 full recruiting cycles at Kentucky ended up signing with the Wildcats.

Here is a closer look at the first verbal commitment in each of Stoops’ full recruiting cycles at Kentucky.

2023: Ty Bryant

Bryant committed to his hometown school more than a year before signing day on Aug. 19, 2021. He ultimately stuck with that commitment after a stellar senior season that saw him win the Paul Hornung Award as the top high school player in the state. Bryant enrolled at UK in January and will be available for spring practice.

2022: Jeremiah Caldwell

A four-star defensive back from Michigan, Caldwell committed to Kentucky in January 2021 then reopened his recruitment in August of that year. He ultimately signed with Louisville, where he redshirted as a freshman last season.

2021: Devon Williams

A three-star linebacker from Ohio, Williams pledged to Kentucky in January 2020 but lasted in the class for less than three months. Williams flipped his commitment to Minnesota in April 2020. He has appeared in eight games across two seasons for the Golden Gophers, totaling two tackles.

2020: Richie Leonard

A three-star offensive lineman, Leonard committed to Kentucky in October 2018. He took an unofficial visit to Lexington in April 2019 then decommitted eight days later. Leonard eventually signed with Florida. In three seasons with the Gators, Leonard has appeared in 19 games with two starts. He played in 11 games last season.

2019: Keontra Smith

A four-star safety, Smith committed to Kentucky in June 2017 then flipped his commitment to Miami just less than a year later. After signing with the Hurricanes, Smith moved to linebacker where he has started seven of 38 appearances across four seasons. In his college career, Smith has totaled 95 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

2018: Jarren Williams

Williams was hyped as Kentucky’s quarterback of the future when he committed to the Wildcats as a four-star Georgia prep star in June 2016. He actually decommitted from Kentucky twice, moving on from the Wildcats for good in November 2017. He signed with Miami, where he appeared in 13 games across two seasons before transferring to Garden City Community College. He never played there due to the COVID-19 pandemic before transferring to USF. Williams stayed with USF for just a few months before transferring again, this time to Alabama A&M. Last June, Williams announced he was giving up football to prioritize his “mental health and happiness.”

2017: Mac Jones

The highest profile of the Stoops era’s opening commitments, Jones committed to Kentucky as a unheralded three-star Florida prep quarterback in July 2015. After a breakout summer before his season year of high school saw Jones land multiple high-profile scholarship offers, he flipped his commitment to Alabama in June 2016. Jones had to wait his turn with the Crimson Tide, but his patience paid off. Jones was college football’s top quarterback in 2020, when he led Alabama to the national championship before being drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots.

2016: Landon Young

No opening commitment pledged to Kentucky earlier in the cycle than Young, who committed to his hometown school the summer after his freshman year of high school. Young eventually blossomed into a five-star prospect before signing with the Wildcats. He played in 48 games for Kentucky, starting the final 24 games of his career at left tackle. Young still plays in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2021.

2015: Montrell Custis

A four-star defensive back from Georgia, Custis started Stoops’ second full recruiting cycle with a commitment in November 2013. He flipped his commitment to Alabama in April 2014, but he never took an official visit to Tuscaloosa and ended up signing with Ole Miss. Custis played in 22 games across three seasons for Ole Miss before a knee injury ended his 2018 season early. He left Ole Miss without playing another game.

2014: Dorian Hendrix

The opening commitment in Kentucky’s first class, Hendrix, a three-star Ohio prep linebacker, stuck with his pledge through signing day. Hendrix never appeared in a game for the Wildcats though, transferring shortly before what would have been his second season on campus. Hendrix landed at Bowling Green where he played in 28 games across four seasons. Hendrix moved to offense before his senior year, tallying 10 catches for 68 yards and three touchdowns.

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