Deleted Tweet Could Link Kentucky With 4-Star Purdue Commit Kendrick Gilbert

The Early Signing period is coming to an end, and Kentucky football has made out fairly well, bringing in 17 high school signees in its 2023 recruiting class.

UK managed to avoid any flips, locking down all of its verbal commits in seamless fashion. You can find those new Wildcats here.

One player who the Wildcats did have ties to that they were unable to land was 4-star defensive lineman Kendrick Gilbert. Coming out of Indianapolis Cathedral High School in Indiana, the 6-foot-5, 270-pounder committed to Purdue on Aug. 28, choosing then-head coach Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers over Kentucky, Iowa and LSU.

The race seemed to come down to Purdue and the Cats, but Gilbert opted to remain in-state. Things have since changed in West Lafayette, however.

Brohm left Purdue to return home to coach his alma mater, Louisville. Seven players have since decommitted from the Boilermakers, leaving their 2023 class in ruins.

Gilbert, the No. 322 player in the class and No. 3 player in Indiana, was not one of those seven, and is now the highest-ranked player in new head coach Ryan Walters' sparse class that barely ranks top-70 in the nation.

Purdue officially signed 11 players during the signing period, but Gilbert was not one of them, meaning things will have to wait until National Signing Day on Feb. 1. Plenty can happen in the span of a month.

Gilbert was linked as someone who may follow Brohm to Louisville, but a since-deleted tweet from UK football's official Twitter account on Friday night could also mean the Cats are involved:

In a now deleted tweet, UK football dropped a video with highlights of its NSD signees on defense.

Tagged in the video was current Purdue commit and UK target Kendrick Gilbert. He didn't have highlights in the video, however.

Gilbert has not signed his NLI to Purdue. pic.twitter.com/xqBJfVui6b
— Hunter Shelton (@HunterShelton_) December 23, 2022

Kentucky posted a highlight compilation of its high school signees on defense, but also tagged in the video was Gilbert. He did not have any highlights in the video, however.

Two other UK signees weren't tagged in the video — Grant Godfrey and Avery Stuart — but both players did have clips included.

While it could simply be a mistake, it could also be an accidental precursor as to what the future could hold for the coveted prospect. There could also be other factors at play.

Purdue co-defensive coordinator and D-line coach Mark Hagen — who lead the recruitment for Gilbert — is reportedly set to join Brohm's staff at Louisville following the Boilermakers' Citrus Bowl matchup against LSU on Jan. 2. Hagen is serving as the DC in Orlando.

Perhaps Gilbert is waiting for an official move so that he can follow, perhaps he's still committed to signing with Purdue in February, or perhaps his recruitment is up in the air.

When it comes to recruiting, anything can happen. Hypothesize on UK's tweet with your own tinfoil hat at your own risk.

Kentucky's Early Signing Period tracker can be found here.

Kentucky's transfer portal tracker can be found here.

Read what Mark Stoops said about new QB Devin Leary here.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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