Kentucky Hosts South Alabama in Week 4 While 2027 Recruits Hit the Road
The short version
- Kentucky hosts South Alabama in Week 4 at Kroger Field, 12:45 PM ET on SEC Network.
- 21 members of Kentucky's 2027 recruiting class play this weekend across seven states; several others are on bye.
- QB commit Jake Nawrot misses game reps after Hersey receives a forfeit win over Wheeling.
- Notable matchups include Princeton (5-0) at Lakota East and Pulaski County at South Warren.
The Wildcats welcome South Alabama to Kroger Field on Saturday, while 21 members of Kentucky's 2027 recruiting class suit up across seven states.
The Kentucky football program has a busy weekend on two fronts. While the varsity Wildcats prepare for their Week 4 home game, the program's 2027 recruiting class will be in action across seven states, with 21 committed players scheduled to take the field and four others on bye weeks.
Kentucky's college team returns to Kroger Field in Lexington for an early-afternoon nonconference matchup against South Alabama, kicking off at 12:45 PM ET on Saturday. It marks the fourth week of the Wildcats' season.
Among the high-profile prep games on the weekend docket, several stand out. Quarterback commit Jake Nawrot of Hersey High School in Illinois will not see game action after all — Hersey was awarded a forfeit win over Wheeling, meaning the class's most closely watched passer loses a week of Friday-night reps.
Defensive line commit Jaylen Mercer leads unbeaten Princeton (Ohio) into a road game at Lakota East. Princeton improved to 5-0 with a 27-24 win over Lakota West and now faces another Greater Miami Conference opponent in what shapes up as a significant test of that undefeated record.
The top in-state matchup among the commits features offensive lineman Brady Hull, whose Pulaski County team travels to South Warren. Pulaski County is coming off a 42-14 win over Johnson Central, while South Warren has reeled off three consecutive wins while scoring 42, 49 and 42 points along the way.
Edge rusher Antwoine Higgins Jr. and Anderson (Ohio) visit Milford. Higgins has been productive this season with 7.2 tackles per game and four sacks, and his team's offense has been rolling as well, putting up 101 combined points in wins over Lebanon (52-13) and Kings (49-33).
Other notable names on the schedule include tight end Tank Proctor, a 6-foot-5 two-way prospect at American Heritage in Florida who faces Miramar; running back Mason Ball of Jacksonville, Arkansas, who earlier this season scored four touchdowns on nine carries; and offensive lineman Reed Gerken, whose Perrysburg team plays at Northview in Ohio.
Four commits are idle this week on byes: defensive linemen Elijah Brown (Prattville, Alabama) and Malachi Brown (Corbin, Kentucky), safety Larron Westmoreland (Corbin), linebacker Drew Williams (Sequoyah, Georgia), wide receiver Austin Coles (St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida) and tight end Conrad Hart (Lexington Christian Academy).
Kentucky fans can catch the Wildcats' next game when South Alabama visits Kroger Field in Lexington on Saturday, September 26 at 12:45 PM EDT, televised on the SEC Network.
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