Kentucky Football announces 13 mid-year enrollees
Kentucky announced the addition of 13 new players into the football program on Wednesday.
Among the mid-year enrollees are nine high school prospects who helped make up the highest-rated recruiting class in school history, including: offensive linemen Grant Bingham and Kiyanta Goodwin; defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye; wide receivers Cole Lanter and Dane Key; defensive backs Elijah Reed, Jackson Schulz and Andre Stewart; and tight end Jack Monday.
The Wildcats also welcomed transfers Deuce Hogan (QB, Iowa), Darrion Henry-Young (DL, Ohio State), Tayvion Robinson (WR, Virginia Tech), and Tashawn Manning (OL, Auburn).
All 13 players are expected to participate in off-season workouts and spring practice.
Kentucky media relations offered updated bios on each of the new players:
Grant Bingham, Offensive Lineman, 6-5, 325, Fr-HS, Paintsville, Ky. (Johnson Central HS) – A four-star recruit, considered a top-300 college football prospect in the country … Listed as the No. 3 overall recruit in the Commonwealth via 247Sports and on3.com. … Helped lead Johnson Central to a 51-5 overall record during his four-year prep career, learning under the tutelage of the late and beloved head coach Jim Matney, who passed away in October after complications due to COVID-19 … Named the 2021 4A District 8 Player of the Year after leading the Eagles to a runner-up finish in the 4A KHSAA state championship title race … Helped JCHS rush for 4,564 yards during the 2021 season … Named to the Lexington Herald-Leader “Class of the Commonwealth” list of the top seniors in Kentucky … Kentucky Sports Radio 2021 All-State Football Team … Member of Johnson Central’s 2019 Class 4A state championship team that went 15-0 … Earned Football University (FBU) Freshman All-America honors in 2018 … Also an excellent tennis player … Along with doubles partner Brayden Pickle, the duo advanced to Johnson Central’s first regional team tennis championship match … Member of the 2021 regional championship team … Excels in the classroom, carrying a 4.0 grade point average … Received over 20 offers but ultimately chose UK over Notre Dame, Michigan, West Virginia, Northwestern, Arkansas, Miami and Nebraska among others.
Tomiwa Durojaiye, Defensive Lineman, 6-4, 255, Fr-HS, Middletown, Del. (Middletown HS) – Name is pronounced “TOE-mee-wah durr-oh-JI” (rhymes with “eye”) … Rated a three-star by both Rivals and 247sports … Ranked as the No. 42 strongside defensive end in the nation and top player in the state of Delaware by Rivals … First-Team All-State selection as both a junior and senior … Named the 2021 Delaware 3A District 1 Defensive Player of the Year by the Delaware Interscholastic Football Coaches Association after helping Middletown claim the 2021 DIAA Class 3A title … Totaled 58 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups … In a shortened eight-game season in 2020, charted 45 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, helping his team to a 7-1 record and conference championship, while finishing as state runner-up … Middletown also was state runner-up his sophomore season, going 10-1 … Coached by Zach Blum … Picked Kentucky over Michigan, South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri and others … Felt like Kentucky gave him “best opportunity to play in the NFL and reach my potential on and off the field” … First generation American as his family originated from Nigeria … Signed with Kentucky over offers from Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan, South Carolina, Georgia Tech and others.
Kiyaunta Goodwin, Offensive Lineman, 6-8, 330, Fr-HS, Louisville, Ky. (Charlestown (Ind.) HS) – Name is pronounced “key-ON-tay” … A five-star recruit who is ranked as the top offensive tackle in the nation and No. 1 recruit from Indiana … Ranked the No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 13 overall player in the 2022 class by 247Sports … Ranked as the No. 5 offensive tackle and No. 30 player based on ratings of multiple recruiting services … Listed as the state of Indiana’s No. 2 recruit by Rivals … Played at Holy Cross in Louisville, Kentucky as a freshman and was named to the MaxPreps Freshman All-America team … Transferred to Ballard High School in Louisville as a sophomore before ending his prep career at Charlestown High School in Indiana … Coached by Jason Hawkins at Charlestown … Hawkins said of Goodwin, “He’s got a great attitude and he’s fun to be around. His work ethic is really good. He practices hard and when he gets to the game he can move. He looks like a semi and runs like a Camaro.” … Selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl … Had more than 60 scholarship offers but ultimately chose Kentucky over Alabama, Clemson, Michigan State and Ohio State.
Darrion Henry-Young, Defensive Lineman, 6-4, 265, So-Tr, Cincinnati, Ohio (Ohio State/Princeton HS) – Transferred to Kentucky after two seasons at Ohio State … Played in two games for the Buckeyes in 2021 … Redshirted the 2020 season as a true freshman after playing in two games … Totaled 2.0 tackles, a sack and tackle for loss … Ranked as the No. 2 player in the state of Ohio and the No. 16 defensive tackle prospect in the nation by 247Sports as a high school senior in class of 2020 … A four-star prospect ranked in the Top 150 nationally … Also a Rivals100 recruit … Earned first-team All-Ohio and was a member of the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association Division I first team in 2019 … Led the Greater Miami Conference with 8.5 sacks as a junior in 2018 … Played at Princeton for coach Mike Daniels.
Deuce Hogan, Quarterback, 6-4, 212, So-Tr, Southlake, Texas (Iowa/Grapevine Faith Christian) – Transferred to Kentucky after two seasons at Iowa ... Saw action in one game in 2021 as a redshirt freshman … Redshirted in 2020 … Coming out of high school was rated by 247Sports as the 15th-best pro-style quarterback in the nation in the Class of 2020 … Four-year letter winner and three-time team captain for his dad and head coach Kris Hogan at Faith Christian Academy … Threw for an impressive 8,192 yards and completed 52.8 percent of his pass attempts, with 100 career touchdown passes and 30 interceptions … Holds school records for career wins, touchdowns, yards, and completions … Led the Lions to the state playoffs four straight years, winning state title as a freshman and reaching semifinals as a senior … Helped the Lions compile a four-year prep record of 36-11 … Earned all-state and all-district honors as a senior … Earned all-district as a sophomore and junior … Named Newcomer of the Year as a freshman … Given name is Kristopher Joseph Hogan II.
Dane Key, Wide Receiver, 6-3, 195, Fr-HS, Lexington, Ky. (Frederick Douglass) – Consensus four-star prospect … The top prospect in Kentucky as rated by 247sports and ESPN … One of the nation’s top 40 wide receivers and top 250 overall prospects by both services … Paul Hornung Award winner as the Kentucky Player of the Year, selected by the Louisville Quarterback Club … Rejoins current Cats Jager Burton (2020), Beau Allen (2019) and Wan’Dale Robinson (2018) as the three previous winners of that award … Class 5A Player of the Year as picked by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association … Named to the Lexington Herald-Leader “Class of the Commonwealth” list of the top seniors in Kentucky … Had 959 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a senior, with all-state teams yet to be selected … First-team all-state as a junior by The Associated Press, Louisville Courier-Journal and Kentucky Sports Radio … Caught 37 passes for 625 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, plus a kickoff return for a TD … Helped lead team to a 34-5 record during his final three seasons, with trips to the Class AAAAA state finals as a senior and sophomore … Coached by Nathan McPeek … Centerfielder in baseball … Son of Donte’ Key, UK linebacker/defensive end from 1992-95, who was National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the 1994 inaugural Governor’s Cup game vs. Louisville … Brother of Devon Key, who played at Western Kentucky and is currently with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs … Reunites at UK with Frederick Douglass teammates Dekel Crowdus and Jager Burton .. Chose UK over Oregon, South Carolina and Michigan.
Cole Lanter, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 180, Fr-HS, Danville, Ky. (Boyle County HS) – Accepted a preferred walk-on position after a stellar high school career at Boyle County High School … Four-year letter winner and three-year starter at slot receiver … Helped the Rebels compile an impressive 52-3 overall record during his four seasons as he combined for 2,253 receiving yards and 35 receiving touchdowns … As a senior, led Boyle County with 78 catches for 1,288 yards and 21 receiving touchdowns, averaging 85.9 receiving yards per game … Also had 28 carries for 227 rushing yards and four touchdowns … His 21 receiving touchdowns and 78 receptions led the state and were school records … His 1,288 receiving yards ranked second in the state … Also had two punt return touchdowns and playing defensive back, charted 32 tackles and two interceptions … All together, he totaled 27 touchdowns and helped Boyle County finish 14-1 and win its 10th state championship, including second in a row, by defeating Johnson Central in the 2021 Class 4A championship … Played for head coach Justin Haddix … Named first-team All-State by the Courier-Journal … Named to the Lexington Herald-Leader’s Class of the Commonwealth team … Finalist for the Kentucky Football Coaches Association’s Mr. Football award … As a junior, had 38 catches for 647 yards and nine scores and 18 rushes for 123 yards and one score … Also had 20 tackles in helping the Rebels win the 2020 state championship … Member of the 2019 Class 4a State Runner-up team … Competed in track in 2021, participating in the 100 and 200-meters, 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter relay … Excellent student as he carried a 4.0 grade point average throughout his prep career … Named Academic All-American by scoutSMART … Comes from a family of athletes as cousin Tod Lanter, was a walk-on on the Kentucky basketball team from 2012-2015 and his uncle, Bo, played basketball at Kentucky from 1979-82 … Chose Kentucky over scholarship offers from Eastern Kentucky and Murray State.
Tashawn Manning, Offensive Line, 6-4, 340, Sr-Tr, Apopka, Fla. (Auburn/Wekiva HS) – Name is pronounced “TAY-shawn” … Comes to Kentucky as a graduate transfer after spending four seasons at Auburn (2017-2021) … Prior to enrolling at Auburn, during his senior year of high school, Manning was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia … After eight months of chemotherapy, he was declared cancer-free on July 10, 2016 … Redshirted his freshman season in 2017 and moved from defensive tackle to offensive guard … Saw action in one game in 2018 and four games in 2019 before earning a starting role in all 11 games in 2020 … Played in all 12 games for the Tigers in 2021, starting three … Graded as the team’s best run blocker in 2021 by Pro Football Focus … Graduated in December of 2020 with an interdisciplinary studies degree emphasizing business, leadership and sports coaching and began working on a second in business during the 2021 season … Named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2020 … All-Conference defender for Coach Kenard Lang at Wekiva High ... 2015 Florida Class 8A first-team All-State ... Central Florida All-Star Game invite ... A three-star athlete ranked by 247 Sports and ESPN as a top 75 defensive tackle coming out of high school ... Also threw the shot put and discus … Comes from a family of athletes as his mother played basketball and father played football at Marshall.
Jack Monday, Tight End, 6-1, 217, Fr-HS, Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Catholic HS) – Accepted a preferred walk-on position after an excellent prep career at Lexington Catholic High School … Three-year starter at tight end and linebacker for head coach Nigel Smith … Had 36 catches for 439 yards and eight touchdowns in helping lead the Knights to a 9-3 record in 2021 … Also totaled 78 tackles, including six tackles for loss and one interception as a senior … Named to the Class 4A, District 5 All-District First Team … Excelled in the classroom, earning first-team all-state academic honors three straight seasons … Was a member of the Knights’ baseball team as a junior … Chose Kentucky over Centre College and Vanderbilt.
Elijah Reed, Cornerback, 6-3, 180, Fr-HS, Louisville, Ky. (Pleasure Ridge Park) – Has an intriguing story on his development into a Division I college prospect … Originally a senior wide receiver during the 2020 season, the shortened Covid season limited his opportunities and he decided to return in 2021 for a “super senior” year … Moved to cornerback in ‘21, and his length and speed put him into D-I prospect territory at the new position … Consensus three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, and Rivals.com … One of the top-10 prospects in Kentucky by all three services … The No. 75 cornerback nationally by ESPN and No. 81 nationally as rated by 247sports … Played at Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Class AAAAAA, the largest classification in Kentucky … Chosen honorable mention for the Lexington Herald-Leader “Class of the Commonwealth” list of the top seniors in Kentucky … Already has a friendship with current UK cornerback Carrington Valentine, a factor which played in role in his selection of the Wildcats … In addition to Kentucky, recruiting finalists were Utah and Purdue, with consideration to West Virginia, Louisville, and Illinois.
Tayvion Robinson, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 185, Jr-Tr, Virginia Beach, Va. (Virginia Tech/Cox HS) – Name is pronounced “TAY-vee-on” … Played three seasons at Virginia Tech … Compiled 113 career receptions for 1,555 yards and nine touchdowns in 36 career games … Started in 30 career games, including all 12 in 2021 … Led the Hokies in receptions (44) and receiving touchdowns (5) and was second on the team in receiving yards (559) in 2021 … Also the Hokies’ primary punt returner, averaging 13.67 yards and returning one punt for a 60-yard touchdown … Ended the regular season ranking third in the FBS with 328 punt return yards on the season … His 13.7-yard punt return average ranked fifth in the nation … Named ACC Co-Specialist of the Week (9/27) after racking up 140 all-purpose yards, including a 60-yard return for a touchdown vs. Richmond … Earned ESPN All-ACC Midseason Team honors … As a sophomore in 2020, he was the team’s leading receiver with 38 catches for 592 yards and three touchdowns … As a freshman, caught 31 passes for 404 yards and one touchdown, including two receptions for 18 yards against Kentucky in the 2019 Belk Bowl … A four-star prospect coming out of Cox High School … Rated the No. 6 player in Virginia in the Class of 2019 by Rivals … Rated No. 12 and No. 16 by 247Sports and ESPN, respectively … Ranked the No. 17 athlete by Rivals, No. 37 by 247Sports and No. 54 by ESPN … Played quarterback, running back and receiver on offense for head coach Bill Stachelski … Accounted for 1,635 yards – 539 passing, 1,096 rushing – and 21 touchdowns as a senior … Defensively, returned three interceptions for touchdowns and returned a punt for a score.
Jackson Schulz, Defensive Back, 6-2, 215, Fr-HS, Louisville, Ky. (Trinity HS) – Accepted a preferred walk-on position … Four-year letter winner at safety and nickel for head coach Bob Beatty at Trinity … Helped the Shamrock win the Class 6A State Championship title in 2020 … Named Scout Team Player of the Year as a sophomore and earned Most Improved Player as a junior … In the 2020 title game against Male, led the team in tackles with five, including 1.0 tackle for loss … Excellent student who earned a spot on the school’s Principal’s List … Chose Kentucky over Miami (Ohio) and Purdue.
Andre Stewart, Cornerback, 5-11, 185, Fr-HS, Atlanta, Ga. (North Cobb HS) – Rated a three-star by Rivals, on3 and 247sports … Ranked the No. 59 cornerback in the nation and No. 57 player in the state of Georgia by rivals … Ranked the No. 52 cornerback by 247sports … Attended Marietta High School as a freshman and sophomore, helping the Blue Devils win the 2019 Class 7A state championship … Transferred to Brookwood in 2020 before landing at North Cobb for his senior season … Did not allow any touchdowns or big plays in the passing game while helping Brookwood go 8-3 and advance to the playoffs … As a senior at North Cobb, totaled 25 tackles, nine pass breakups, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and an interception, helping the Warriors win the 2021 7A Region 3 Championship and finish with a 10-2 overall record … Named to the 2021 All-Region 3-7A First Team … Played for head coach Shane Queen at North Cobb … Signed with Kentucky over offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Arkansas, Miami, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Louisville, Oregon, Tennessee and others.