Hardley Gone: Gilmore’s Unexpected U-Turn Takes Him Back to Kentucky

Hardley Gilmore IV’s college football journey has taken an unexpected turn—and it’s one that Nebraska fans are watching with curiosity and maybe a bit of confusion.

Just a few months ago, Gilmore arrived in Lincoln with a reputation as a talented, high-upside wide receiver looking for a fresh start. A former four-star recruit out of Florida, he left Kentucky after his freshman season in hopes of finding a bigger role at Nebraska.

The move made sense at the time. He was following his former position coach, Daikiel Shorts, and even reuniting with a familiar face in receiver Dane Key. It seemed like the Cornhuskers had landed a playmaker with SEC experience and untapped potential.

Nov 2, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Rickey Gibson III (1) trips up Kentucky Wildcats — Tennessee defensive back Rickey Gibson III trips up Kentucky wide receiver Hardley Gilmore IV. | Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

But then, that chapter was over almost as quickly as it started.

Gilmore is heading back to Kentucky after spending barely three months in Lincoln. His time at Nebraska ended abruptly in March when he was dismissed from the program. The exact reasons behind the dismissal haven’t been made public, and head coach Matt Rhule has kept things quiet.

Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remains: Gilmore is now returning to the same school he left just a few months ago after being in the transfer portal.

That kind of move—backtracking to your previous school so quickly—is rare. It’s even more surprising considering the way he left Kentucky in the first place. He had only just started to show what he could do on the field after recovering from a collarbone injury that sidelined him for most of the 2024 season.

In limited action, he made some noise: six catches, 153 yards, and a touchdown in five games. Not eye-popping stats, but the kind of flashes that suggested he could blossom into something more.

Hardley Gilmore gets his first catch as a Kentucky receiver. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/uJzjps4ITA
— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) October 27, 2024

Nebraska fans were hopeful that those same flashes would grow into consistency in Lincoln. But before spring ball could even wrap up, Gilmore was gone.

Now he’s right back where it all started.

It’s a strange situation no matter how you look at it. Nebraska took a chance on Gilmore, only for things to fizzle out almost immediately. Meanwhile, Kentucky—a team that has reloaded its wide receiver room with transfers from Alabama, Clemson, and Oklahoma—welcomes him back.

For Nebraska fans, it’s a curious case of what might’ve been. Gilmore had the speed, the route-running, and the SEC background to potentially become a weapon in Lincoln. But we’ll never know what that could’ve looked like. Now, they’ll watch from a distance as he tries to carve out a second chance in Lexington.

The whole saga speaks to how quickly things can change in college football’s new era of transfers and player movement. For Hardley Gilmore, it’s back to the beginning. For Nebraska, it’s on to the next man up.

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