Why Kentucky football commit Jake Nawrot's unusual path could pay off in Lexington
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Jake Nawrot has a different confidence as a senior quarterback for John Hersey High School (Arlington Heights, IL).
Maybe it's because he's in his second year as a starter for the Huskies. Maybe it's because he's led John Hersey to a perfect 8-0 start to the 2026 season, entering the final week of the 2026 season. Or maybe it's because his college football future is already set, with him committing to Will Stein and Kentucky over the summer.
Either way, Nawrot is showing all the ingredients of why he's ranked as the No. 64 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle in USA TODAY's Composite Recruiting Rankings.
Only Nebraska commit Trae Taylor (No. 10), Alabama commit Elijah Haven (No. 23), Miami commit Israel Abrams (No. 36) and Oregon commit Will Mencl (No. 52) are quarterbacks who rank ahead of Nawrot in the cycle.
"I feel confident this year," Nawrot told USA TODAY Sports. "I've been able to go out there and let it rip. No hesitations this year. Last year, there was a little bit of overthinking. This year, I can just let it go loose because I trust the plan."
Learning behind Colton Gumino
The plan for Nawrot started a little different than most top-ranked signal callers in the 2027 recruiting class.
As a freshman and sophomore, Nawrot sat behind Colton Gumino on the John Hersey depth chart. Gumino is now a Division I, Big 10 quarterback at UCLA.
However, despite being relegated to the bench, Nawrot never thought about transferring out. Rather, he sat behind Gumino and took his opportunity to learn.
"You never know how much he's listening in meetings," John Hersey coach Joe Nelson told USA TODAY Sports about Nawrot. "How much he's taking in mental reps when he's not getting all the physical reps."
However, one moment in the summer between Nawrot's sophomore year and junior year showed Nelson that Nawrot would be ready for the moment when he earned his first snaps as a starter.
A college came to watch Nawrot, despite him never starting. Nelson said the coaches came away impressed with his play, but even more so by something else: The fact that all his teammates were standing on the sidelines cheering him along.
It showed Nelson that Nawrot was not just paying attention in meetings, but also stepping up as a leader, despite not having an on-field role.
"For a high school kid, it's different than a college kid," Nelson said. "You're on scholarship; you get your meals paid. For a high school kid, there's really no reward necessarily unless you see your future.
"You wouldn't know he's whatever national ranked recruit he is. He's just Jake to these guys. He's holding kids accountable, but also putting his arm around when needed. I think that's an elite trait for the position and the role he's going to have to take at the next level."
Why Jake Nawrot commited to Will Stein, Kentucky football
Because he did not start until he was a junior, the recruiting process for Nawrot picked up a bit later than some of his counterparts in the 2027 class. Nawrot said he did not receive major college interest until January or February.
By then, Kentucky had hired former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as its next head coach. Right away, the Wildcats jumped near the top of the options for Nawrot.
"The track record speaks for itself," Nawrot said. "The amount of quarterbacks he's developed, as well as (Joe) Sloan at LSU with the quarterbacks he's had. I think it shows I can be another one, and it gives me a lot of faith."
On Feb. 11, Nawrot received an offer from Stein and Kentucky. He took an unofficial visit on March 16 and less than a month later, on April 12, he committed. On June 19, Nawrot returned for an official visit to Lexington, Kentucky.
Nawrot has since made an additional return visit to Kentucky on Sept. 12 against Alabama and said he plans on visiting again on Oct. 24 vs. Vanderbilt.
"It was nuts," Nawrot said of the game environment against the Crimson Tide. "The first half, when they were up and everything was going well, was great. Then the second half wasn't amazing, but still, the fans and the culture there, I think the narrative is changing for football."
With Stein entrenched as the head coach and a promising recruiting class, led by Nawrot, the future Kentucky commit is hopeful about the future of the Wildcats.
"Kentucky has been a basketball school, but Indiana was the same thing," Nawrot said. "They're known as a basketball school, turned it around with a 16-0 season and a national championship. There's nothing that's really telling Kentucky they can't (do the same).
"It's good to have those aspirations and I think Coach Stein loves the program so much. It's been a childhood dream of his to coach them, so I think playing under a coach (like that) is just really exciting."
Nelson believes that Nawrot's unique experience for today's age, where now we even see high school players transfer due to a lack of varsity playing time, will benefit Nawrot in the long run.
His lack of experience on the field is actually a benefit, due to his experience of waiting for his turn.
"What's unique about Jake's story is that he didn't play as a sophomore, where most of these kids are starting as freshmen or sophomores and are already in the national spotlight," Nelson said. "I think that experience is really good for him long term, because no matter where he goes, he's going to have to experience that again with just waiting, sitting and learning."
Jake Nawrot stats
In his junior season, Nawrot threw for a John Hersey school record of 3,078 yards with 41 touchdowns and just two interceptions, leading the Huskies to the quarterfinals of the Illinois 7A playoffs.
Entering play on Friday, Oct. 16, Nawrot had completed 122 of 174 passes (70%) for 1,864 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has yet to throw an interception, leading Hersey to an 8-0 record heading into the season finale against Prospect.
Against Elk Grove on Oct. 2, Nawrot completed 19 of 24 passes for 322 yards and six touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown. It was the third time in his career he threw for six touchdowns and the second time he accounted for seven total scores.
If the Huskies can beat the Knights, they would achieve their first perfect season since 2023. However, the goal for Nawrot and the team is to achieve what only one other John Hersey team (1987) has ever done: winning a state title.
The 1987 team went 12-2 under head coach Bruce Glover, one year after going 1-8.
"The team's playing really well and we've been practicing well," Nawrot said. "I think the results have shown that. Our goal is to win the state championship and my personal goal is just being better every day."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Kentucky football commit Jake Nawrot's unusual path could pay off in Lexington
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