Kentucky Adds Four-Star RB Jacquez Keyes as Walk-On Player

Mick Walker/247Sports Photo

In today’s college sports world, it’s never too late to add to a roster.

Kentucky is in its second week of preseason practice but coach Mark Stoops added a four-star recruit Wednesday — and he’s coming to UK as a walk-on.

Former Wisconsin/Wake Forest commit Jaquez Keyes announced he was joining the Wildcats.  The obvious connection is that he’s from Ironton, Ohio, where both Stoops and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow have endless connections.

Keyes originally committed to Wisconsin in May of 2022 before decommitting in December before national signing day. Later he signed with Wake Forest.

The 6-1, 205-pound Keyes was recruited at Wisconsin to play running back but Wake Forest was going to use him at linebacker. However, in June he decided he did not want to play college football and went home to Ohio.

He put his name into the transfer portal July 30 and now is part of the Kentucky football program.

He apparently will play running back at Kentucky. He ran for 1,063 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 173 carries as a high school senior and also had 56 tackles (12 solo), four tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception. He ran 94 times for 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.

Not only was Keyes the No. 10 player in Ohio in his recruiting class but 247Sports had him ranked in the nation’s top 425 players.  He had scholarship offers from Akron, Army, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Coastal Carolina, Connecticut, Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Kent State, Memphis, Pittsburgh and others along with Wisconsin and Wake Forest.

Keyes will add depth to what is already a deep running back group of Ray Davis, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, Ramon Jefferson, JuTahn McClain, La’Vell Wright and Jamarion Wilcox.