The recruiting race for college football is heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2027 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2027 football recruits from Kentucky using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by their 247Sports composite ratings. Here's the players from Kentucky set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
You may also like: Spicy insights in Kentucky for National Hot Sauce Day from Instacart data
Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock
1 / 20#20. Kade Goodin (QB)
- National rank: #1,510 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #84
- College: Ball State
- Offers: Ball State, Marshall, Southern Miss, Bowling Green, Bethune-Cookman
- High school: Martha Layne Collins (Shelbyville, KY)
Hannah Leigh Barnes // Shutterstock
2 / 20#19. Darrian Tomlin (LB)
- National rank: #1,460 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #132
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Miami, Kent State, Toledo
- High school: Woodford County (Versailles, KY)
WoodysPhotos // Shutterstock
3 / 20#18. Emmett Queen (QB)
- National rank: #1,444 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #79
- College: Wake Forest
- Offers: Wake Forest, Arizona State, Kentucky, Southern Miss, Charlotte
- High school: Beechwood (Fort Mitchell, KY)
Stuart Monk // Shutterstock
4 / 20#17. Zai'Vion Meads (DL)
- National rank: #1,339 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #154
- College: West Virginia
- Offers: West Virginia, Arkansas, Baylor, Cincinnati, Kentucky
- High school: Atherton (Louisville, KY)
David Lee // Shutterstock
5 / 20Ron Alvey // Shutterstock
6 / 20#15. Conrad Hart (TE)
- National rank: #1,125 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #49
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Troy, Army, Miami (OH), Ohio
- High school: Lexington Christian Academy (Lexington, KY)
David Lee // Shutterstock
7 / 20#14. Brady Hull (IOL)
- National rank: #1,054 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #71
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State, Duke, Georgia Tech
- High school: Pulaski County (Somerset, KY)
zoff // Shutterstock
8 / 20#13. Elijah Burns-Crump (S)
- National rank: #876 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #91
- College: Duke
- Offers: Duke, Stanford, Arizona State, Auburn, Cincinnati
- High school: Trinity (Louisville, KY)
SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock
9 / 20#12. Jordan Holman (S)
- National rank: #749 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #72
- College: not committed
- Offers: Purdue, Kentucky, Missouri, Liberty, Toledo
- High school: Woodford County (Versailles, KY)
Bobby Stevens Photo // Shutterstock
10 / 20#11. Ty Ashley (LB)
- National rank: #701 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #54
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State
- High school: Owensboro (Owensboro, KY)
You may also like: Best colleges in Kentucky
Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock
11 / 20#10. Sebastian Blue (DL)
- National rank: #625 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #76
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Georgia Tech, Appalachian State, Southern Miss, FIU
- High school: Trinity (Louisville, KY)
Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock
12 / 20#9. Dre'Mail Carothers (QB)
- National rank: #594 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #33
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, North Carolina, Oregon State, South Florida, Troy
- High school: Owensboro Catholic (Owensboro, KY)
Pell Studio // Shutterstock
13 / 20#8. Garyon Hobbs (ATH)
- National rank: #575 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #39
- College: Indiana
- Offers: Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Clemson
- High school: Christian Academy of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Guzel Studio // Shutterstock
14 / 20#6 (tie). Larron Westmoreland (S)
- National rank: #467 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #45
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, South Carolina, West Virginia
- High school: Jeffersontown (Louisville, KY)
aspen rock // Shutterstock
15 / 20#6 (tie). Jordan Haskins (S)
- National rank: #467 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #45
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri
- High school: Bryan Station (Lexington, KY)
You may also like: How much does assisted living cost in Kentucky?
MaverickZ85 // Shutterstock
16 / 20#5. Malachi Brown (DL)
- National rank: #378 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #43
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana, Louisville, Miami
- High school: Corbin (Corbin, KY)
kuzmaphoto // Shutterstock
17 / 20#4. Tyler Fryman (WR)
- National rank: #205 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #31
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa
- High school: Beechwood (Fort Mitchell, KY)
HY-DP // Shutterstock
18 / 20#3. Ja'Hyde Brown (WR)
- National rank: #138 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #23
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Indiana, Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati
- High school: Christian Academy of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Ron Alvey // Shutterstock
19 / 20#2. Allen Evans (CB)
- National rank: #92 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #9
- College: Vanderbilt
- Offers: Vanderbilt, Louisville, Alabama, Arkansas, Cincinnati
- High school: Trinity (Louisville, KY)
Andy Dean Photography // Shutterstock
20 / 20#1. Seneca Driver (TE)
- National rank: #39 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #3
- College: Oklahoma
- Offers: Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati
- High school: Boyle County (Danville, KY)
You may also like: Most popular girl names in the 50s in Kentucky
