Hardley Gilmore, left, will be celebrating at Nebraska next season. (Vicky Graff Photo)
It was considered a major recruiting win for Kentucky when Florida standout Hardley Gilmore picked UK over Penn State, Texas A&M, Alabama, Michigan, Florida, Florida State, Miami (Fla.) and others.
Gilmore missed UK’s first five games with an injury last season but had six catches for 153 yards and one touchdown in the final seven games. He earned his first start of his college career against Murray State.
He also did not turn 18 until early December — meaning he still could have been a high school junior in Kentucky and had another year of high school eligibility.
Gilmore figured to be one of the young athletes Kentucky would feature prominently in its offense next season, especially after receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key both transferred. However, even though he waited until the last minute, Gilmore also entered the transfer portal and is now headed to Nebraska according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
Gilmore was recruited to UK by offensive coordinator Liam Coen before he left for the NFL and played last season for offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan and new receivers coach Daikiel Shorts. Obviously the Kentucky passing game was ineffective last season but it is clear the receivers did not blame Shorts because he’s now the receivers coach at Nebraska and both Key, UK’s top pass catcher last year, and Gilmore signed on to play for him in 2025.
“Hardley is a remarkable kid, if I’m being honest,” Shorts said last season. “He’s very fun to coach. He’s got a lot of swag and charisma with him. His talent, the sky is the limit for him. But one thing about Hardley is he works hard, every play he goes 100 percent. If you told him to run 10 routes in a row he’ll run 10 routes in a row the best he can.”
Hamdan said before last season started that Gilmore would “be an exciting player for us for a long time. He is in my opinion as complete of a young receiver as I’ve been around. He’s got top-end speed, he’s a good route-runner, he’s tough, he’s physical. There’s a lot of things there.”
However, Gilmore will be showcasing his talent with Key and Shorts at Nebraska next year while another new receivers coach, L’Damian Washington, will have five true freshmen among the 10 receivers on the Kentucky roster today.
5 Responses
Strange, Gilmore said, or someone representing, that he was considering coming back. The state of the FB is IMO at rock bottom. Is there a weaker team or coaching staff in SEC?. Export losses appear to be exceeding import gains. It is looking like no one wants to play or coach for this current staff. I am ok with sacrificing another 4-8 campaign to purge Stoops and Hamdan.
I don’t know what to think. Players today aren’t required to have commitment to anything except their own wallet. One thing is certain though, Stoops & Co are not giving high caliber players reasons to come to or stay at KY. Whether it’s money, coaching or game philosophy, the good ones are going elsewhere. I’m not sure this is solvable problem at KY. While coaching salary clearly isn’t a problem; NIL resourses probably are. Stoops pigheaded commitment to the "3 yards and cloud of dust" game theory clearly is part of the problem as well. Anyone who watched the Ohio State game yesterday saw what today’s favored game philosophy is: Score points, many as you can as fast us you can to put the game away. Where is Shannon Dawson when we need him – Miami.
Happy New Year Everyone.
Stoops dug a big hole his not-so-smart shot at the BBN when he whiled about the need to “pony up” NIL $. He took absolutely zero blame for his incompetent coaching oversight and mostly incompetent hiring of coaches.
Now the transfers hurrying off of the sinking ship are adding depth to the hole initiated by Barbie’s $9 Million blunder.
I was delighted when Stoops was hired even though he only had experience on the D side of the ball. After a lot of blunders, I stuck with supporting him UNTIL Coen left after 1 season and he hired a disconnected “complex scheme” OC. It been down hill since that hire and he needs just one more loss to get stuck at rock bottom. Too many mistakes including his repeated neglect to hire a good and dedicated Special Teams coach. It cost UK some wins season after season and he still would not correct the error even after pointing it out himself!
Barnhart, the President & every administrator with any voice in hiring, evaluating & firing the HC should be fined and forced to pay a part of the millions Barnie has wasted on secret and stupid contracts. Termination of most of them in addition to major fines would send a clear message to the new hires. Otherwise it is just an endorsement of secrets & failures
Stoops brought on the collapse and fueled it by hiring the “complex scheme” OC, the runaway loser OL coach and by not firing the secondary coach long ago. Then add in his unwillingness to stop controlling OC after OC and his absolute FEAR of passing, and UK now has the perfect combination for a future perma-cellar-dweller!!!
Gilmore probably didn’t like the idea that he might have to sit a few games because of the trouble he got in to. He can run to Nebraska and they don’t care what he did here.
Having said that, I don’t blame him at all for leaving UK and Stoops. Stoops doesn’t know what he wants or how to get there. How many times have we been told that the TE’s will be a big part of the offense and it never, ever happens.
The wheels are off this program, and I don’t think it’s getting any better or going to get better.