Kentucky signee enrolls at UK for football workouts after being drafted by Cincinnati Reds
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Two-sport athlete Matt Ponatoski made big news when he committed to Kentucky football and baseball in July 2025. Now, he has a big decision to make regarding his athletic future.
The Cincinnati Reds selected Ponatoski with the No. 542 overall pick in the 18th round of this past weekend’s MLB Draft. When the Reds announced draft signees on Thursday, Ponatoski was notably absent from the list.
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In more good news for Kentucky, Ponatoski enrolled at UK on Wednesday. He did this to be on campus in time for the football team’s summer workouts.
Ponatoski’s enrollment was reported by Kentucky Sports Radio as Ponatoski choosing the Wildcats over the Reds. Other reporting, however, indicates that Ponatoski’s decision may not be final yet.
Mike Dyer of WCPO Cincinnati shared the following update Thursday morning, saying Ponatoski has not ruled out signing with the Reds. He has until July 27 to make that decision.
Moeller grad Matt Ponatoski arrived in Lexington Wednesday and is prepared to start his University of Kentucky football career. The former Moeller baseball and football star hasn’t ruled out the Cincinnati Reds yet after being drafted in the 18th round (UK Athletics photo). @wcpo pic.twitter.com/6fQdHB9S5b
— Mike Dyer (@MikeDyer) July 16, 2026
As a football recruit, Ponatoski was rated 4-stars, the No. 10 player in the state of Ohio, No. 13 quarterback and No. 218 prospect overall in the Class of 2026. Perfect Game rated Matt Ponatoski the No. 1 player in the state of Ohio, No. 20 shortstop nationally and No. 60 prospect overall.
For Kentucky fans, it’s certainly encouraging that Ponatoski has enrolled to be on campus for summer workouts when he could instead be getting ready for his initial assignment with the Reds.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
