Mark Stoops has brought the Kentucky football program to the point where he typically is not recruiting high school players to come in as immediate starters.

There may be exceptions, but there's enough depth and talent in the program for Kentucky to redshirt most of its first-year players.

Nonetheless, each year there are a handful of true freshmen who push to make an impact. While fall camp hasn't started, here are five Wildcats who could make some kind of splash in their first year in the program.

RB Jason Patterson

Patterson was not one of the higher-ranked members of Kentucky's 2024 signing class but the offensive coaching staff really seemed to zero in on him and coveted him more than you would have thought based on his ranking.

Patterson is an every-down back with the juice to run away from people when he gets to the next level. He had tremendous production at the prep level in Florida and the depth chart is actually very inviting for a first-year player. UK had some interest in adding another portal back this offseason but they didn't do that. That could suggest Patterson has a prime opportunity to make a name for himself in Year 1.

WR Hardley Gilmore

Gilmore got to Lexington in the spring and he turned heads. The coaches had good things to say about his immediate impact, but that wasn't a huge surprise given Gilmore's recruiting profile before he picked Kentucky last year. He's someone who can get separation and has good ball skills. He was one of the better pass-catching prospects in the state of Florida last year. Kentucky has four or five receivers already on the roster who are locked into playing time but the room isn't so deep and some older guys transferred out, clearing the way for a potential impact if Gilmore tackles fall camp with the right mindset.

DL Brian Robinson

Robinson was one of Kentucky's biggest recruiting wins in Ohio during the Mark Stoops era. While Michigan had zeroed in on Robinson, as had several other programs, UK's efforts paid off and he arrived early on campus to put in work. Robinson is a massive guy for a freshman. You don't see too many first-year college football players who are as big as he is. Given the injuries on the defensive line and Robinson's sheer size, there could be an opportunity for him to log a few snaps at some point. But finding the best spot for him will be important and it's asking a lot of guys to play in the trenches in the SEC right away.

DB Quaysheed Scott

As it turned out, Scott was one of UK's most impressive recruiting victories of the cycle even though Rivals.com didn't rank him as one of the top players in the class. It's a good sign that South Carolina made a big push for Scott but he opted to remain with the Wildcats. That means another rival SEC program, and a local one at that, viewed him as an up-and-coming prospect but UK was able to fend him off. He should be ready to go to work and is one of the more talented and college-ready players on the defensive side of the ball from last year's class. Because Scott is very versatile it adds to the likelihood that he can work his way onto the field this year.

K Jacob Kauwe

He won't go into the season as the starting place-kicker right away but there are several kicking duties and Kauwe's on scholarship so the specialists always warrant a mention on these immediate impact pieces.