It came down to a four-team race between South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio State, and Kentucky. The Wildcats were able to land the commitment from one of the nation's top tight ends, Mikkel Skinner. Skinner is a big athlete from Greer, South Carolina, who is a natural receiver with the body and athleticism to make waves as a college tight end. Which is the position he projects at the next level.
BREAKING: Four-Star TE Mikkel Skinner has Committed to Kentucky, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 24, 2024
The 6’4 220 TE from Greer, SC chose the Wildcats over Ohio State, South Carolina, & Georgia
“I’m locked & loaded let’s do it #ovawit”https://t.co/i6CCBxIahN pic.twitter.com/xmKKHKxW6W
Skinner is nearly 6'4 and weighs 220 pounds, but runs routes and catches the ball like a wide receiver. He is the 11th-best tight end in the class according to 24/7 Sports and 182nd overall. He is listed as the third-best commit in the 2025 for the Wildcats. The only recruits ahead of him in recruiting rankings are Andrew Purcell and Javeon Campbell.
This is a big grab for Mark Stoops and staff as he was a rising star in his position group and had high-profile offers from some of the best recruiting programs in the country. Grabbing him over Ohio State, South Carolina (the home state school), and Georgia is a statement recruiting win.
In the last week or so, as Skinner was getting closer to announcing, analysts were starting to pick Kentucky as the crystal ball. Many were starting to see the Wildcats as the landing spot Skinner wanted to play at. He announced his commitment in the middle of Kentucky men's basketball's first exhibition game, a game in which Mark Pope and his new squad were running Kentucky Wesleyan out of the gym.
It's a good time to be a Wildcat. While the football program is not having its best year, Skinner is looking to the future to revive and bring back higher aspirations for this program. The future is brighter with big recruits like Skinner to rely on in the next few years.