Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Illinois and Wisconsin have emerged as the finalists for three-star offensive tackle recruit Reed Gerken. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 290 lbs.
The commitment decision date is approaching for the Perrysburg, Ohio, native, who has received more than 30 scholarship offers. He is a sought-after prospect in the Midwest, having received offers from the Michigan State Spartans, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Purdue Boilermakers.
According to 247Sports, Gerken will make his decision on Monday at 5:30 PM ET. It will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube Channel.
Gerken ranks No. 584 nationally, No. 46 in his position and No. 22 in Ohio.
Before he moved up his commitment date by two weeks, Gerken was supposed to visit all four finalists, including Wisconsin (June 5), Illinois (June 12), and Kentucky (June 19). Those visits might already be taking place as these four programs are in a race against time to secure the offensive tackle.
Can Kentucky Hold Off Wisconsin, Illinois and Virginia Tech for Reed Gerken
Among these four programs, Kentucky seems to have the edge with multiple insiders also quoting them as favorites. First-year head coach Will Stein’s offensive line coach, Cutter Leftwich, is leading his recruitment. Moreover, since the Wildcats hired Stein, Reed Gerken has been to Lexington multiple times.
Leftwich, joined by new offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, even went to his high school for an in-school visit. Gerken shared the same on his X account, posting a photo with them. He wrote:
“Huge thanks to @CutterLeftwich and @CoachJoeSloan for coming by today to come see me! Fired up for my OV soon!”
Wisconsin also has a history of developing strong offensive linemen. He recently visited Madison, which could carry a lot of weight before he makes his decision. Gerken also visited the Hokies, making them another program seriously pursuing his commitment.
Kentucky’s 93.5 percent chance, per Rivals Industry Consensus, is followed by Michigan State’s 1.4%, Illinois’ 1.2% and Virginia Tech’s 1.0%.
In the 2027 recruiting class, Stein’s group, consisting of 19 commits, is 18th nationally and seventh in the SEC. If they receive Gerken’s commitment, he would become the fourth offensive lineman to join the program.
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