3-star IOL Reed Gerken moves up commitment date with Kentucky listed as a finalist

Is Will Stein on the verge of landing another class of 2027 recruit? We’ll find out in less than two weeks.

Three-star interior offensive lineman Reed Gerken was originally planning to announce his commitment on June 22. But there has been a slight “change of plans”. Gerken will now make his decision on Monday, June 8, at 5:30 p.m. ET live on the CBS Sports YouTube channel. His four finalists include Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Gerken, who lists himself at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, is ranked No. 818 overall in the 2027 cycle by the Rivals Industry Ranking. There are currently three insider predictions logged in favor of the Perrysburg (OH) product choosing the Wildcats. This is widely viewed as a Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech battle.

Change of plans 😁 https://t.co/tswgRwKRPz

— ReedGerken (@ReedGerken) May 26, 2026

Gerken previously announced that he’s scheduled to officially visit all four of his finalists. He’s expected to be at Virginia Tech this weekend. Beyond that, there are trips on the docket to see Wisconsin (June 5), Illinois (June 12), and Kentucky (June 19). Gerken could very well move up some or all of those OVs ahead of his updated commitment date, but that remains to be seen.

Regardless, Gerken is familiar with Kentucky and the coaching staff. New offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich has led the charge in this recruitment. Gerken has already been on campus multiple times for unofficial visits since Stein was hired. Leftwich and new offensive coordinator Joe Sloan even visited him in person at his high school earlier this month.

Kentucky’s 2027 recruiting class is already in great shape. Stein currently has 19 commits locked in, a group that ranks 18th nationally and seventh in the SEC. Gerken would be the fourth offensive lineman of the cycle to commit if he were to choose the ‘Cats. Let’s see if Stein can keep the momentum rolling.

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