Good morning, Big Blue Nation. I hope each of you had a fun-filled weekend before you attack this week ahead. It was a great weekend for anyone who enjoys watching Louisville Basketball suffer and for former KSR writer Aaron Flener, who carried J.T. Poston’s bag to a T-2 finish on the PGA TOUR. We’re a proud office today.

The weekend also saw the Kentucky Football coaching staff raise a whole bunch of money for Kentucky Children’s Hospital at the annual Coaches For Kids fundraiser. It was a night of fun and charity for the coaches and many of their biggest supporters on the coaches’ last free Saturday of 2023.

This week begins Preseason Football Time In The Bluegrass…

As we drink our Monday morning coffee(s), Mark Stoops has 14 commitments in Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class. However, that number could be higher by next Monday because Stoops and Co. are in a great place with some of the program’s top targets, a couple of whom will decide soon.

Steven Soles is one name to watch. The three-star EDGE from the Knoxville area intends to announce his college decision this week, he announced on Instagram. Soles unofficially visited Lexington a week ago, in addition to unofficial stops at Mississippi State, USF, and Virginia Tech.

Brian Robinson is still a priority at EDGE, too. A top-five player in talent-rich Ohio, Robinson is also nearing a decision.

But we’re not done!

Commitment Watch continues on Friday when Stone Saunders (’25) announces his college decision. A top QB target for the ‘Cats, Saunders is down to a top five of Kentucky, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, and Miami, and Kentucky is in a great spot to land its QB in the Class of 2024.

Saunders intends to announce at 6:25 p.m. Friday evening. We’ll have it covered for you here on KSR so you can enjoy your Friday evening without searching far and wide for coverage of Saunders’ decision. You’re welcome.

The Smith twins visited campus again.

Two more high-priority targets on UK’s board are Jacob Smith and Jerod Smith, the twin brothers committed to Michigan with Bluegrass ties. The Smiths recently moved from Connecticut back to their home state of Kentucky to play their last season of high school football at Corbin. On Sunday, they made the drive to Lexington for another look at UK’s campus, their second unofficial visit in the last week.

Like the aforementioned targets, Jacob is another EDGE prospect, ranked within the top 20 nationally.

His brother, Jerod, is a top-30 defensive lineman.

Fall Camp begins this week

This week is a lot more than summer recruiting for Kentucky’s football program. It’s the start of the 2023 season, too.

On Wednesday-ish (unconfirmed), the 2023 Wildcats will report to Fall Camp to officially begin the new year. From there, Mark Stoops and his staff are allowed four weeks of preseason practices before the season kicks off at Kroger Field on Saturday, September 2, against Ball State.

Over the course of these next four weeks, we will hear from all of the coaches and players on a regular basis as they prepare for the new year. So, be sure to subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, and exclusive preseason content.

KSR+ is on sale for $1 during fall camp

New subscribers can try out KSR+ during fall camp for one American dollar. It’s worth it for the KSBoard conversations alone. Try it out here.

With the start of fall camp comes Kentucky Football’s Fan Day and Media Day, both set for later this week.

On Friday, KSR will join the swarm of reporters at Kroger Field to interrupt the beginning of fall camp for conversations with the players. We’ll spend two hours with the team, including interviews with Mark Stoops, Brad White, Liam Coen, and every player on the team.

Then on Saturday, fans can crash fall camp for Kentucky Football Fan Day. We’ll have more details on Fan Day and its open practice when we know them.

Devin Leary on the Watch List for the Maxwell Watch List

Later today, the Maxwell Football Club will announce its preseason candidates for the Maxwell Award, given to the best QB in college football.

It’s safe to assume Kentucky’s Devin Leary will be named on the preseason watch list. So, he is on my Watch List for the Maxwell Watch List.

Catch up with KSR’s Position Previews

What’s that? You want more football???

KSR’s preseason position previews to date:

Quarterback
Tailback
Wide Receiver
Tight End
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
Linebackers
EDGE
Cornerback
Safety
Specialists

What happened to college basketball?

Right now, you may be thinking, OK, that’s enough football for my Monday morning. What happened to college basketball?

Well, our own Steven Peake asked that very question in his new video essay, College Basketball Is Broken. In it, he makes some very great points about the decline in Big Blue Nation’s trademark sport.

Give it a watch. He worked really hard on it.

Kentucky Basketball signed autographs all weekend

Kentucky Basketball had a busy weekend around the state with six stops on a summer autograph tour. The La Familiar Tour made appearances in Somerset, Morehead, Shelbyville, Louisville, Lexington, and Versailles, signing everything from basketballs to one man’s pickup truck.

Yes, Reed Sheppard, Jordan Burks, Kareem Watkins, and Grant Darbyshire signed a truck in the Kroger parking lot. Read about it in Jack’s notes.

What’s up with the big Croatian?

Things have gone quiet on the Zvonimir Ivisic front. Last Friday, there was a strong buzz that the 7-foot-2 Croatian would become a Wildcat, but it didn’t get done (at least that we know of) over the weekend. Still, John Calipari is in hot pursuit of Ivisic for this current Kentucky team that just won gold at GLOBL Jam.

KSR is live from KSBar and Grille from 10 a.m. to noon

Coming up in an hour, I will join Matt Jones and Ryan Lemond at KSBar and Grille for two hours of KSR morning radio. Tune in, if you will, and Go Cats.