Lake Wales DB Jaremiah Anglin Jr. commits to Kentucky
LAKE WALES — Jaremiah Anglin Jr. kept surging up the rankings of the top college prospects of the Class of 23 ever since his MVP showing at the 2022 National Combine in January, after which, the offers kept piling up.
After narrowing his choices to six schools, Anglin committed to the University of Kentucky on Saturday at a commitment ceremony held at the Youth Sports Academy before family, teammates and friends.
"Kentucky made me feel like home," Anglin said. "As I came back from my visit, it was hard to turn down an SEC school to play defensive back. And they're losing a lot of guys next year, so I feel like it's the best place for me to go and develop and learn their system. ... I definitely feel at home at Kentucky."
Kentucky began recruiting Anglin in February, and Anglin made his visit it June.
"It was very tough," Anglin said of his decision. "I was down to about two or three teams, but I prayed about it, woke up, told my dad and called the coach to tell him I was committing. It was all smiles."
Anglin's father, Jaremiah Sr., was proud of the way his son handled the recruit process.
"He's handled it very well, very well," Anglin Sr. said. "He knew what he was looking for. He was looking for a place to call home for the next four years. He was looking for a coach that wanted him as much as he wanted to be there. He was looking for place to call home, and I think he found it.
Anglin Sr. said he provided guidance but left it up to his son to make the decision.
"I told him from day one it was going to be his decision," Anglin Sr. said. "I'm here if you have any questions or if there is anything you want to talk about."
Anglins Sr. said he tried to provide guidance in helping his son identify the coaches who were being most honest.
"That was my part, to weed out the guys who were just telling him what he wanted to hear," Anglin Sr. said. "(Defensive backs) Coach (Chris) Collins at Kentucky never just told him what he wanted to hear. He told him he was going to come in and prove himself. That's something I teach my sons that nothing in life is given. You've got to go out and get it."
The 6-foot-2 Anglin Jr. is coming off a stellar junior season in which he had five interceptions and was among the team's leading tacklers. Although he signed as a defensive back, he also plays wide receiver for the Highlanders and had 24 receptions.
As a top player, he's expected to be one of the leaders of a talented Highlanders team that is expected to be one of the top teams in the county. He's glad to put the recruiting process behind him and focus on the seasons.
"It (recruiting process) actually was not as bad as people were telling me it was going to be," he said "It actually was a good recruiting process for me, personally. I can see why people say it can be a little bit overwhelming, but it was good for me. It was a real blessing."
Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com or at 863-802-7526. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Wales DB Jaremiah Anglin Jr. commits to Kentucky
