Kentucky received a verbal commitment from 2017 four-star linebacker Joshua Paschal (Good Counsel HS / Olney, Mary.) on Tuesday morning, per a report from 247Sports.com.

His decision to come to Lexington can be attributed to his brother TraVaughn Paschal — who is a former Wildcats defensive end and current graduate assistant — along with the recruiting efforts of tight ends coach Vince Marrow.

Paschal (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) is the No. 11 overall strong-side defensive end and a top-10 prospect from the state of Maryland. He picked Kentucky over Notre Dame, Maryland, Ohio State and several others.

The addition of Paschal gives coach Mark Stoops 18 commitments for the 2017 recruiting class, which now ranks 27th nationally.