UK offensive coordinator saw improvement from his players after a poor first preseason scrimmage. Jon Hale, Louisville Courier Journal
LEXINGTON, Ky. – UK freshman wide receiver Akeem Hayes didn't know much about the Kentucky-Louisville football rivalry.
Until he flipped his verbal commitment from the Cards to the Cats in June 2017.
“When I flipped it was kind of a shock,” Hayes said. “I see it’s a big rivalry in the state of Kentucky.”
Head-to-head recruiting battles for in-state prospects are no rare occurrence for Kentucky and Louisville — Butler senior wide receiver Demontae Crumes followed Hayes' lead in flipping from U of L to UK in the 2019 class and the two schools are currently battling for several other top prospects in the city — but with both programs emphasizing south Florida as another important recruiting territory the rivalry has expanded beyond state borders.