Big Blue Nation awoke to news that Kentucky received its first commitment during the spring transfer portal. Hardley Gilmore is returning to Lexington. He’s taken an unusual path to the start of the 2025 college football season.
First and foremost, this was initially supposed to be his first season of college football. The four-star talent from The Glades region of Central Florida reclassified to join Kentucky for pre-Gator Bowl practices in December of 2023.
Last fall, he was an early standout in fall camp. Bush Hamdan laid his praise on thick for the talented newcomer. We had to wait to see it on the field because he suffered a broken collarbone at the end of fall camp. Gilmore made his first appearance in week six of the 2024 season. Over the final five games, he caught six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown against Murray State.
In a season of lows, Gilmore flashed enough to provide some optimism for the future. That’s why fans were so taken aback when he made the surprising decision to follow Dane Key and Daikiel Shorts to Nebraska.
This is where things get even messier. We learned Gilmore was charged with fourth-degree assault after allegedly punching someone in the face at a Lexington storage facility in early December. After a few months at Nebraska, Matt Rhule announced he was dismissed from the team.
Kentucky Does Not Expect Tru Edwards to Play
If that wasn’t complicated enough, let me tell you a story about Tru Edwards. The Louisiana Tech wide receiver led C-USA in receptions with 84 and tallied 986 yards and six touchdowns. The late addition was a surprising, positive development for the wide receiver room. It came with a catch.
Edwards just completed his fourth season of college football. To become eligible for another season, he needed a court-ordered exemption. Another former JUCO product, Diego Pavia, received the green light from the NCAA to play, but Kentucky had to play the waiting game to see if Edwards would also get another year.
In March, the NCAA released guidelines for former JUCO players like Edwards who were looking for another year of eligibility. He seemed to fit the criteria, but it was difficult to decipher the legalese. Mark Stoops sounded somewhat optimistic last week about Edwards’ prospects.
Jon Hale reported earlier today that Kentucky does not expect Tru Edwards to suit up for the Wildcats. After speaking with multiple sources, KSR can confirm that report. In short, Edwards has already played four years of FBS football, whereas Pavia only has three years of experience. That is why Kentucky will not receive the talent upgrade at wide receiver from Edwards.
Wide Receiver Room Needs More Talent
To succinctly summarize today’s moves, Kentucky traded a guy who they thought would be here for a guy they thought wouldn’t be here.
Even before the rash of injuries at the end of spring practice, it was clear Kentucky needed more quality wide receivers who could consistently contribute this fall. Despite Hardley Gilmore’s faults off the field, they know exactly what they’re getting on the field. He’s a hard worker who doesn’t skip a practice or miss a rep. Unlike Edwards, the ceiling is high for Gilmore and he has multiple years of eligibility to unlock that potential.
Kentucky still may add another pass-catcher from the transfer portal, but there are slim pickens in the spring portal window. Gilmore gives the Cats more raw talent in the wide receiver room, albeit without a ton of proven production. The potential is there for him to become another explosive option for Zach Calzada in 2025, but only if Gilmore keeps his head on straight. If not, you can expect more of the same from the consistently underperforming position group.
The post Tru Edwards and Hardley Gilmore: Making Sense of the Kentucky Wide Receiver Room appeared first on On3.