Kentucky Commits Shine in High School Football Opening Weekend

Kentucky Class of 2023 Commits Shine in High School Football Opening Weekend

It's the end of August, meaning that high school football is upon us. The Friday night lights are back, and so are some future Kentucky Wildcats. 

Building off an impressive 2022 class, Mark Stoops has been hitting the recruiting trail hard and already has a good-looking class of 2023 in the works. With 15 hard commits in the bank, UK's class currently stands as the 33rd best in the nation, per 247Sports. 

Here's how some of those commits performed as they commence their senior campaigns:

Shamar Porter (4-Star WR, Ensworth High School, Nashville)

The current No. 26 wide receiver of the 2023 class tore it up in game one of his senior season, collecting six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, leading his Ensworth Tigers to a 44-0 win on opening night. 

Breakin News Senior Season Debut✌🏿💙 pic.twitter.com/cwl5vfO9NQ

— Shamar Porter (@porter_shamar) August 20, 2022

At 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, Porter is going to be a problem for opposing secondaries in Tennessee this season. The wideout pipeline to Kentucky continues to grow, as he is currently the top-ranked recruit for Stoops' class next year. 

Grant Godfrey (4-Star LB, North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, GA)

Godfrey was named to the Butkus Award high school watchlist earlier this week, and he delivered in his first game for North Gwinnett. The linebacker recovered a fumble and collected 13 tackles as his Bulldogs defeated McEachern 32-20 in Atlanta. 

Jaremiah Anglin Jr (3-Star S, Lake Wales High School, Lake Wales, FL)

Anglin was critical in Lake Wales' 27-20 win over Winter Haven, notching two interceptions to open his senior campaign. Anglin is the latest addition to UK's 2023 class, and as we know, Mark Stoops has a way with acquiring some top-notch secondary pieces.

DB No.0 @jaremiah3jr with the INT and long return puts an end to Winter Haven’s attempt to get points before the half ends.#FLHSFB Week 0@lwhs_f 13
vs
@WH_BlueDevils 7
1:27 2Q@polk_way @BigCountyPreps1 @theledger @SpecSports360 @H2Athletes @SBLiveFL @FlaHSFootball pic.twitter.com/iGHq5eWqBn

— Hasani (H2) | Football Recruiting (@H2_Recruiting) August 19, 2022

DB No.0 @jaremiah3jr with ANOTHER INT for Lake Wales defense.#FLHSFB Week 0@lwhs_f 20
vs
@WH_BlueDevils 7
2:26 3Q@polk_way @BigCountyPreps1 @theledger @SpecSports360 @H2Athletes @SBLiveFL @FlaHSFootball pic.twitter.com/U9g5T2TInN

— Hasani (H2) | Football Recruiting (@H2_Recruiting) August 19, 2022

Kaden Moorman (3-Star ATH, Franklin County High School, Frankfort, KY)

Moorman was stymied in Franklin County's 20-17 loss to Scott County on Friday. The 5-foot-10 running back gained just 46 yards in 15 rushing attempts, while losing eight yards on his only two completions of the night. Franklin County gained just 210 yards as a team in the loss. 

Malachi Wood (3-Star OT, Madison Central High School, Richmond, KY)

Wood was apart of an offensive line that acquired 203 rushing yards and 114 passing yards in Madison Central's 38-34 win over Lexington Christian Academy. He also added four tackles on the defensive end. 

At 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, Wood is the biggest lineman in Kentucky's 2023 class. 

Kentucky 2023 OT commitment Malachi Wood of Madison Central in action Friday for his season opener... #BBN pic.twitter.com/p3HQQh8CuI

— Jeff Drummond (@JDrumUK) August 20, 2022

Ty Bryant (3-Star ATH, Frederick Douglass High School, Lexington)

It was an easy 52-7 bruising for Frederick Douglass over Bryan Station, and Ty Bryant played a vital role in the victory. 

He scored a rushing touchdown and returned a punt for over 80 yards on Friday, while also collecting a tackle. Douglass continues to be a home pipeline for Kentucky, as Bryant will look to follow in the footsteps of current UK freshmen Dane Key and Jager Burton. 

TOUCHDOWN! 🚨 How about an 80-some yard punt return? @Ty_Bryant32 obliges. @FDouglassFB 28, Bryan Station 0. 7:55 1Q #ukcommit pic.twitter.com/49q0pCLwgU

— Jared Peck (@HLpreps) August 19, 2022