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Well folks, there we have it. A little over a month after it was announced that Ahmad Wagner would leave the Iowa basketball program to pursue college football, we know where he’s headed: Big Blue Nation to play for Mark Stoops’ Kentucky football program.
First off I would like to thank God for the blessing and opportunity he has put in front of me.. with that being said after much thought and consideration from my family I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at the University of Kentucky! #BBN pic.twitter.com/OUWi5n9IV9
— Ahmad Wagner (@Ahmad_Wagner) May 1, 2018
Given that Wagner’s name was also linked to the Iowa football program, his decision is interesting given that he’ll have to sit out a year before he can play a single down (unless he’s graduating early). But maybe the year off will prove beneficial, as he’ll get a chance to reacclimate himself to football and change his body/strength and conditioning program if needed. He’s planning on playing at tight end or wide receiver after playing tight end for his lone senior season.
While sitting out might seem strange if Wagner would have known he’d see the field in Kinnick come fall, the destination doesn’t. It was widely speculated that Kentucky would be a possible destination for Wagner, given their strong interest in the high school dual-sport athlete joining the program. The Wildcats were one of the first programs to offer him a football scholarship. He took a visit to the program earlier in April.
Iowa’s scholarship situation certainly played a role in this as well. The program is currently two scholarships over the limit, so unless people leave the program (a certainty, yes, but the number is not), Wagner would be waiting until at least the summer to know if he’d have to pay his own way to not even play a down with certainty.
While we’ll miss seeing him in black and gold, this is a cool story, and we wish Ahmad all the best in Lexington.