LSU flexes recruiting muscle, lands two top UK targets

National Signing Day started off going very well for Kentucky with four-star cornerback MJ Devonshire picking the Cats.

But the day's big announcements didn't go so well for Kentucky after that.

Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County cornerback Jay Ward had been rumored to be leaning to Kentucky in recent days but LSU defensive back coach Corey Raymond sold the "DBU" angle late with success and Ward picked the Tigers in an early afternoon announcement at his high school.

Ward had previously been committed to Kentucky and is regarded as one of the South's top pure cover corners.

Then at 1:45 pm ET on an ESPN2 broadcast, Rivals250 athlete and four-star prospect Devonta Lee of Amite, La., picked LSU instead of Kentucky or Texas A&M.

That wasn't as surprising as Ward's decision, but it made Ed Orgeron the No. 1 enemy of Kentucky's football recruiting efforts to close out the 2019 class.

Both Lee and Ward had officially visited Kentucky in recent weeks.

As it stands after those three announcements, Kentucky has 22 commitments and its class is ranked No. 31 in the country according to Rivals.com.