Kentucky extends an offer to a top 2028 linebacker from Texas

The Kentucky Wildcats are planting a flag deep in Texas with the latest offer to 2028 linebacker prospect Brayden Bonik, one of the fastest-rising defensive playmakers in the Lone Star State. The Wildcats extended an offer to the Ridge Point High School standout on Tuesday. A four-star defender ranked as the No. 14 linebacker nationally and No. 22 overall prospect in Texas—and the pedigree behind the name immediately jumps off the page.

Bonik checks in at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds with verified athleticism that separates him from most prospects in the 2028 cycle. A four-time Junior Olympian and the District 21-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year, Bonik already flashes the twitch, pursuit speed, and closing burst college staffs covet in modern second-level defenders. Kentucky’s staff clearly sees a prospect whose ceiling extends far beyond traditional linebacker play.

The football DNA is elite. Bonik is the son of former Devin Bonik, who played linebacker for the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team from 1979 to '83 under legendary head coach Jimmy Johnson before spending 11 seasons coaching in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Atlanta Falcons. That background shows up on film. Bonik plays with advanced instincts, discipline, and a natural understanding of leverage and angles rarely seen from underclassmen.

“It is amazing to get another offer from an SEC program that puts people out all the time,” Bonik told UK Wildcats Wire. “Coach Bateman, who I’ve known and who offered me a spot at A&M, is one of the realest coaches I know—he never sugarcoats anything with me.”

That relationship piece already appears to be a major factor early in the process. Bonik emphasized that while recruiting is accelerating nationally, he remains patient as he evaluates programs across the country.