Three-star RB Mason Ball Commits to Kentucky

Just because it’s a holiday weekend, it doesn’t mean the Wildcats are taking a break from the recruiting trail. On Saturday, Kentucky added another talented athlete to the 2027 recruiting class.

Mason Ball committed to Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over Vanderbilt, North Carolina, and his home state school, Arkansas. The Jonesboro native is the fourth commitment of the week for the Cats and the second running back, joining Florida athlete Kelsey Gerald.

Running backs coach Kolby Smith has had his eye on Ball for quite some time. He first started recruiting the Jacksonville, AR native when Smith worked for Sam Pittman and Bobby Petrino in Fayetteville. Smith built on that relationship when he joined Will Stein’s staff by bringing Ball to Lexington for an unofficial visit during spring practice. Ball loved how the new Kentucky coaches handled their business.

“It was real easy to talk to everybody. I had a one-on-one meeting with Coach Stein, the head coach, and it wasn’t like, oh dang, this is the big man right here. It just felt like I was talking to another person. Everybody was cool. It was real easy to talk football with them,” Ball told KSR+ after his first trip to Kentucky.

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“I felt like everybody was genuine there. It wasn’t forced. I didn’t feel like they were trying to sell, it was more they just wanted to get to know me more.”

Ball is a three-star prospect and the third-ranked player from the state of Arkansas, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He runs track in the spring, and last fall Ball rushed for 1,401 yards (7.61 yards per carry) and 27 touchdowns. He also gained 131 yards on 17 receptions. With Ball and Gerald, Kentucky picked up a nice one-two punch out of the backfield, only about 48 hours apart.

Kentucky Football 2027 Recruiting Class

With the addition of Ball, Kentucky is up to 19 players in the 2027 recruiting class. Only Oklahoma has more players committed before Memorial Day. Will Stein‘s first recruiting class ranks just inside the Top 20.

Player	Position	High School	Ranking
Jake Nawrot	QB (6-4, 190)	Arlington Heights (Ill.) Hersey	4-star (No. 60 overall)
Marquis Bryant	S (5-11, 185)	Rolesville (N.C.) High	4-star (No. 284 overall)
Elijah Brown	iDL (6-1, 290)	Prattville (Ala.) High	4-star (No. 296 overall)
Iveon Lewis	WR (6-2, 180)	Richmond (Va.) Huguenot	4-star (No. 341 overall)
Tristin Hughes	S (6-1, 190)	Rocky River (Ohio) High	4-star (No. 382 overall)
Ian Walker	T (6-5, 305)	Pennington (N.J.) The Pennington School	High 3-star (No. 413 overall)
Larron Westmoreland	S (6-5, 180)	Jeffersontown (Ky.) High	High 3-star (No. 439 overall)
Miles Brown	CB (6-0, 180)	Martin (Tenn.) Westview	High 3-star (No. 460 overall)
Antwoine Higgins Jr.	EDGE (6-2, 230)	Cincinnati (Ohio) Princeton	High 3-star (No. 474 overall)
Tank Proctor	TE (6-5, 220)	Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage	High 3-star (No. 575 overall)
Bryian Duncan Jr.	ATH (5-9, 160)	Cairo (Ga.) High	High 3-star (No. 579 overall)
Ty Ashley	LB (6-2, 200)	Owensboro (Ky.) High	High 3-star (No. 580 overall)
Kelsey Gerald	RB (5-11, 190)	Boynton Beach (Fl.) Santaluces Community	High 3-star (No. 590 overall)
Brady Hull	iOL (6-1, 285)	Somerset (Ky.) Pulaski County	3-star (No. 622 overall)
Griff Galloway	EDGE (6-3, 240)	Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day	3-star (No. 625 overall)
Matthias Burrell	iOL (6-4, 320)	Gahanna (Ohio) Lincoln	3-star (No. 701 overall)
Miguel Wilson	CB (5-10, 170)	Mobile (Ala.) Vigor	3-star (No. 707 overall)
Conrad Hart	TE (6-5, 235)	Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy	3-star (No. 739 overall)
Mason Ball	RB (6-0, 190)	Jacksonville (Ar.)	3-star (No. 875 overall)