One of Kentucky football’s top commits has opted for a different SEC program.
On Tuesday night, Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett broke the news that four-star wide receiver Iveon Lewis has flipped his commitment from the Wildcats to South Carolina. The Richmond (VA) Huguenot product had been committed to UK since May, but took an official visit to check out the Gamecocks over the weekend.
Lewis is ranked No. 358 overall in the 2027 class by the Rivals Industry Ranking. However, Kentucky could be on the verge of replacing him with four-star wide receiver Tyler Fryman, who announced his decision to decommit from Louisville baseball on Tuesday morning. Fryman is ranked No. 195 overall.
Recruited by Kentucky wide receivers coach Joe Price, Lewis originally chose the ‘Cats over South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and Virginia Tech, which is just down the road from his home in Richmond, VA. He took an official visit to Lexington in early June, but Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks remained in pursuit.
With Lewis out, Kentucky’s lone wide receiver commit is three-star Austin Coles. Fryman, who took his official visit to UK last weekend, appears close to joining him, though. Will Stein‘s 2027 recruiting class is now at 23 commits, ranking 24th nationally and ninth in the SEC.
Roush’s Reaction
Old school recruiting went a long way for Kentucky until it didn’t. The Wildcats got him to Lexington for an unofficial visit and he was wowed by the energy Will Stein and Co. brought to spring practice. He sounded ready to commit on the spot, but his inner circle convinced him to return home and sleep on it. After a nice snooze, he was all-in, ready to be a Wildcat.
After committing to the Cats on May 9, South Carolina did not go away. The first SEC school to give him an offer was prepared to go all-in to get him to Columbia.
Lewis took his official visit to Kentucky in early June. The wide receiver’s representation thought he should take one more before the summer ended. The trip to South Carolina over the weekend raised the stakes.
The agent’s move worked. Sources tell KSR that Shane Beamer’s staff brought a “ridiculously high” offer to the table. While Kentucky initially tried to prevent him from flipping to South Carolina, the Wildcats were unwilling to get into a bidding war.
Over the first six months of his tenure at Kentucky, we’ve learned that Will Stein will draw a line at the negotiating table. If a player asks for more than what the Kentucky coaching staff believes their worth is, they will move on. No hard feelings.
The Kentucky front office must balance a budget. It’s not in their best interest to empty the coffers for a freshman when a visit to the transfer portal at that position may be required. Decommitments happen. We’ll soon find out if the Wildcats can get another four-star wide receiver across the finish line.
PlayerPositionHigh SchoolIndustry RankingJake NawrotQB (6-4, 190)Arlington Heights (Ill.) Hersey4-star (No. 60 overall)Dominic BlackOT (6-5, 280)New Madison (Ohio) Tri-Village4-Star (No. 245 overall)Malachi BrownDL (6-4, 265)Corbin (Ky.) High4-star (No. 273 overall)Marquis BryantS (5-11, 185)Rolesville (N.C.) High4-star (No. 287 overall)Elijah BrowniDL (6-1, 290)Prattville (Ala.) High4-star (No. 299 overall)Tristin HughesS (6-1, 190)Rocky River (Ohio) High4-star (No. 390 overall)Ian WalkerT (6-5, 305)Pennington (N.J.) The Pennington SchoolHigh 3-star (No. 423 overall)Larron WestmorelandS (6-5, 180)Corbin (Ky.) HighHigh 3-star (No. 451 overall)Miles BrownCB (6-0, 180)Martin (Tenn.) WestviewHigh 3-star (No. 477 overall)Antwoine Higgins Jr.EDGE (6-2, 230)Cincinnati (Ohio) PrincetonHigh 3-star (No. 493 overall)Reed GerkenIOL (6-4, 290)Perrysburg (Ohio) HighHigh 3-star (No. 584 overall)Tank ProctorTE (6-5, 220)Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage3-star (No. 608 overall)Ty AshleyLB (6-2, 200)Owensboro (Ky.) High3-star (No. 614 overall)Kelsey GeraldRB (5-11, 191)Lantana (Fla.) Santaluces Community3-star (No. 628 overall)Austin ColesWR (6-4, 190)Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas3-star (No. 648 overall)Mason BallRB (6-0, 190)Jacksonville (Ark.) High3-star (No. 655 overall)Brady HulliOL (6-1, 285)Somerset (Ky.) Pulaski County3-star (No. 661 overall)Griff GallowayEDGE (6-3, 240)Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day School3-star (No. 664 overall)Matthias BurrelliOL (6-4, 320)Gahanna (Ohio) Lincoln3-star (No. 755 overall)Miguel WilsonCB (5-10, 170)Mobile (Ala.) Vigor3-star (No. 762 overall)Conrad HartTE (6-5, 235)Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy3-star (No. 801 overall)Drew WilliamsLB (6-1, 205)Sequoyah (Ga.) Canton3-star (No. 847 overall)
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