Three 2025 commits choose Kentucky football in two days

The additions put UK's 2025 recruiting class into the top 40 in the nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- Three new Wildcats made their decision to join Head Coach Mark Stoops’ team in 2025 on Friday and Saturday.

Nicholas Smith, a defensive lineman from Monroe, Georgia committed on June 21. A day later, wide receiver Preston Bowman and cornerback DeMarcus Gardner committed to Kentucky.

All three players are ranked as three star prospects by 247 Sports. The trio of commitments catapulted Kentucky’s latest recruiting class to 34th in the nation, which has 12 players total.

The Cats were ranked 30th on June 22, but fell four spots a day later.

Stoops’ 2025 group features three four star commits, Quinton Simmons Jr., Martels Carter Jr. and Marquise Davis. The remaining nine players are all three star talents.

Carter Jr., a safety from Paducah, is the only in-state player recruited for the 2025 class thus far. Five hail from neighboring Ohio including offensive tackle Tucker Kattus, who is the younger brother of current Kentucky players Justin and Josh.