West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West linebacker Judah Blair has trimmed his recruitment to 10 schools, and the list is loaded with familiar heavy hitters.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound four-star told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett on Thursday evening that Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, NC State, Oregon, Penn State, Syracuse, Tennessee and Virginia Tech are the programs standing out most right now.
Blair’s decision is still a ways off, but NC State was the early school to beat when he spoke with Rivals’ Chad Simmons back in the summer. That edge carried into the fall.
“NC State has made a very strong impression on me,” he said. “Me and my linebacker coach (Isaiah Moore) are building a strong relationship.
I like their linebacker development, and I like that the coaching staff has been there for a while. You know they’re not just going to flake on you when you arrive.
I like the atmosphere too.”
Oregon also remains in the mix after making Thursday’s cut. Even from more than 2,000 miles away in Eugene, the Ducks have plenty of runway with Blair as they continue pushing forward.
He’s looking at the process through a fairly clear lens, and education sits at the top of the list.
“I need to know the coaching staff is good people outside of being good coaches,” he said about what will factor into his decision. “Education is number one.
Then I want production. I don’t want to go somewhere that’s not known for developing linebackers.
I want to know I’m going to be taught new things and become a better player.”
Blair’s production has matched the attention. Lakota West, one of the stronger programs in the Cincinnati metro and across Ohio, is off to a 4-1 start and enters this week ranked No. 8 in the state by the Rivals Composite Rankings.
As a sophomore, Blair put up 57 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception. He’s already well ahead of that pace this season, with 49 tackles through five games.
According to the Rivals Industry Rankings, Blair is the No. 82 overall prospect, the No. 6 linebacker in the 2028 cycle and the No. 3 junior in Ohio.
In Other News...
Kentucky Faces One Early Test It Cannot Afford To Misread
Through the first three games, Lance Heard has given Kentucky exactly the kind of stability and edge it wants up front. The offensive lineman has played well and emerged as a voice for keeping the group grounded, which matters for an offense that has started to build some momentum without giving itself permission to relax.
South Alabama is the next chance to prove the Wildcats can carry that approach into a game they are expected to handle. Heard and his teammates have stressed the need for consistent effort no matter who is on the other sideline, and Kentuckys challenge now is making sure the habits that fueled those recent wins do not fade when the matchup looks more manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Minchey Just Changed Kentuckys Quarterback Conversation
Kenny Mincheys rise has started to draw more attention than most Kentucky quarterbacks get this early in a tenure, and the interest makes sense after the way he handled Texas A&M. The CBS Sports spotlight on his path from high school to Notre Dame and then Kentucky gave some background to the moment, but the performance itself did plenty of the talking, with Minchey completing 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
Minchey also opened up about the people and places shaping the latest chapter of his career, from his relationship with coach Will Stein to the rougher lessons he took from past games against Alabama. Returning to Lexington clearly carried some extra weight for him, too, and the fan reaction showed how quickly he has become a player worth watching as Kentuckys quarterback conversation gets more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Added Another Quarterback Piece For Its Long-Term Future
Kentuckys long-term quarterback board picked up another name this week with the commitment of Marcus Washington Jr., a California prospect who gives the Wildcats another arm to build around for the future. The addition fits a growing trend around the program, which has been steadily lining up quarterback help for upcoming seasons as it tries to keep its depth chart stocked well beyond the present.
Washingtons decision also says something about the momentum Kentucky has been able to generate on the trail. He was influenced by the Wildcats upset win over Texas A&M, and his pledge gives the staff another early piece in a quarterback pipeline that already includes other committed players for future classes. Even with this commitment in hand, the bigger picture is still how Kentucky keeps stacking those wins and whether more of them are coming soon. [Read more 🡒]