Asheboro, N.C., running back Kaleb Cheek is one Class of 2020 football commitment for Kentucky who you might not have heard about before.

That's because he's a preferred walk-on for the Wildcats, or he will be when he enrolls this summer, probably in the next couple of weeks.

Dan Berezowitz and Josh Estes-Waugh are the staff members who have been in contact with the North Carolinian, through the recruiting process and lately for the purpose of communicating the program's plan for coming back from the COVID-19 shutdown, as it unfolds.

In many cases recruiting consists of a player communicating with coaches from various schools who are competing with one another for his attention. In Cheek's case, he was the one doing most of the reaching out.

"My recruiting story is crazy," Cheek told Cats Illustrated. "During the football season I was 5'9, 170. I've gained 20 pounds of muscle since then. I'm a late developer. I've been texting coaches non-stop for the last two years on Twitter. I've been on all these visits.

"I saw that Kentucky had offered four-star running back Kaemen Marley, who committed to Tennessee. So I followed Coach (Josh) Estes-Waugh on Twitter and he followed me back."

That's how the relationship or at least the communication began.

"I sent him my grades, weight, ACT, SAT, everything," Cheek said. "He asked me about the schools that were recruiting me and about visits. He was like, 'You can always come up here and walk on if you want to.'"

That was all Cheek needed to hear, although he did think it over to make sure he was sure about how he felt.

At the time he was committed to Virginia Military Institute, also as a preferred walk-on.

"But my heart and soul wasn't really invested in VMI," he said. "VMI was more expensive than Kentucky. It took me about two months to commit.

"As a preferred walk-on it's a lot different, you know. You have to trust in yourself, that you're going to perform the way you should. I'm betting on myself, hoping that I can get a scholarship. I had scholarship offers from the D2 level but I know my worth as a player. I know my work ethic."

As a preferred walk-on Cheek isn't going to be taking anything for granted and he has a chip on his shoulder.

"It's not even just the chance to play in the SEC," he said. "It's the chance to work out and practice in the SEC. I know it's a whole different beast. But I know my work ethic. Being around four-stars and five-stars, all those great athletes, competing against them will bring out the best in me."

Cheek was averaging 99.5 total yards per game (699 total) through seven games as a high school senior until he was injured and missed the rest of his season. He scored seven touchdowns in those seven games, one of which was receiving.

"I played a little on defense, too," he said. *I mostly played running back but Coach Estes-Waugh talked to me about switching to slow receiver."