Throughout the month of May, Zack Geoeghgan and I took turns rounding up the 20-30 scholarship offers doled out weekly by the Kentucky football coaching staff. The scope has narrowed slightly over the summer camp season, but there are still about a dozen going out a week.
What makes one scholarship offer more remarkable than another? Time, place, and position.
In these two instances, time matters most, particularly how quickly they plan on playing college football. Dennious Jackson is a 20-year-old defensive tackle who just wrapped up his time at Contra Costa College, a junior college in California. He’s searching for a place to play college football this fall and Kentucky might just be the landing spot.
The Wildcats made it clear they were in the market for defensive linemen in the transfer portal after a rash of injuries in spring practice. Unlike some of the guys they pursued in the spring, Kentucky doesn’t have a ton of competition for Jackson. His only other D-I offers are from the SWAC: Grambling State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Southern.
There’s one thing Jackson does have that Kentucky has been searching for — SIZE. The Georgia native is 6-foot-5, 335 pounds. That alone might have been enough to earn a scholarship offer from Brad White and Anwar Stewart. It’s hard to find much information on Jackson, but it’s evident in his highlights that he’s a noseguard who’s willing to do dirty work by commanding double teams.
There’s less urgency for Tate Nagy to find a home, but the situation for this 2025 prospect is equally complex.
First and foremost, his Dad is an unpopular man in the city of Chicago. I can’t hear the name of former Bears’ head coach Matt Nagy without immediately associating it with a Sad Big Cat following the Double Doink. Nagy is currently the offensive coordinator with the Chiefs, an organization where he’s spent seven of the last 11 seasons.
Being the son of a big-name NFL coach will draw the spotlight, but that’s not what makes Tate Nagy such an unusual recruit. He’s a high school quarterback who’s been offered by Daikiel Shorts to play wide receiver at Kentucky.
The Wildcats aren’t the only ones who see something in this atypical athlete. Before today, Nagy’s only other D-I offer was from Ball State. Shortly after announcing the Kentucky offer, Kansas offered the athlete who plays high school football in Overland Park, Kansas.
Nagy has reported 4.55 40-yard dash speed. It’s important to note that he’s a rising high school senior in the 2025 recruiting class. Some schools are contracting their big board. Kentucky is expanding it to see what Nagy may offer the BBN. Tonight he’s going to provide a delightful highlight reel that features some ridiculous moments where the 5-foot-10 passer is forced to use his agility and burst to find enough time to pass the ball to an open receiver. Enjoy!
And here is a small snippet of what he can do as a pass-catcher in one-on-ones.
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