The Fourth of July fireworks continued into Sunday night for the Ponatoski family.
Shortly after Matt, a four-star quarterback and MaxPreps baseball All-American, committed to the University of Kentucky, his family lit off blue and white fireworks at their home in Hamilton.
He chose the Wildcats from a final four that included Alabama, Arkansas and Oregon.
They made plans for the party at the last minute. Ponatoski expected that maybe 15 people would show up; the expansive front lawn was full of cars as around 100 of his friends and family members were on hand to watch him make his decision.
“It’s a blessing. It’s been four years of my life that I’ve done this recruiting process, so it’s kind of a surreal moment because my family’s been a big part of it for a really long time now and I don’t know where I’d be without them,” Ponatoski said.
He chose the Wildcats in part because of the proximity to home. Instead of hopping on a flight, they will only have to drive two hours to watch him play at the next level.
Last fall, Ponatoski threw for 4,217 yards and 57 touchdowns, both single-season school records, to lead Moeller to its first Division I state championship game since 2013. For his career, he has 7,654 passing yards, 87 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. He became the second player in school history to be named Ohio Mr. Football after Jordan Marshall won the award in 2023. He was also named the Gatorade Ohio Football Player of the Year.
From June 17 to 19, Ponatoski attended the Elite 11 finals in Southern California. It is dubbed as the nation’s premier quarterback camp series since 1999. He competed alongside Tennessee commit Faizon Brandon, Texas commit Dia Bell and Landon Duckworth, who is one of the top uncommitted prospects in the class of 2026. After being named the Pro Day MVP and performing well in the camp’s 7-on-7 competition, he earned high praise from various scouting services.
How will Matt Ponatoski fit in with the University of Kentucky football program?
Kentucky currently has five quarterbacks on its roster for this fall: graduate students Zach Calzada and Beau Allen, and freshmen Cutter Boley, Stone Saunders and Brennen Ward. In 2024, the Wildcats went 4-8, including a 1-7 mark in the Southeastern Conference. That snapped an eight-season bowl eligibility streak. They won four straight bowl games from 2018 to 2021.
At Kroger Field, Ponatoski will look to mirror the success of another local quarterback, Highlands graduate Jared Lorenzen. He threw for 10,354 yards and 78 touchdowns before winning a Super Bowl with the New York Giants.
When Ponatoski informed offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bush Hamdan of his decision, he could tell the staff truly valued him.
“I don’t know what he did on the other side of that phone, but it sounded super fun and I wanted to be a part of it. He was super excited, and he texted my family after. It was special for me because he told me it was one of the better days of his football career so far,” Ponatoski said.
How would Matt Ponatoski fit into the UK baseball program?
On the baseball diamond this spring, Ponatoski hit .440 with seven doubles, four home runs, 38 RBIs and 12 stolen bases as the Crusaders advanced to their third straight regional final. In two seasons, the sure-handed shortstop has a .415 batting average with a .518 on-base percentage and a .620 slugging percentage.
His father, Ryan, who played at Northern Kentucky University and was a middle infield coach for the Norse until 2009, aided Matt’s baseball development. He stopped coaching when Becky was pregnant with Matt’s younger sister, Kendall, an up-and-coming softball star at Badin.
“He set the foundation, and it’s been working for a really long time. He’s been working with me, really, since I was born,” Ponatoski said.
At the end of the season, Ponatoski was named the Gatorade Ohio Baseball Player of the Year. He became just the third player in the award’s history to win for two different sports in the same year, joining Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss and National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer.
On the diamond, the Wildcats are coming off a 31-26 season that saw them appear in the Clemson regional final in the NCAA tournament. Kentucky has made 10 NCAA tournament appearances in program history. Under ninth-year head coach Nick Mingione, the Wildcats advanced to their first super regional in 2017 and made their first College World Series appearance in 2023.
Did the Elite 11 competition influence Matt Ponatoski’s college commitment decision?
In late June, fellow four-star quarterbacks Jett Thomalla and Bryson Beaver committed to Alabama and Oregon, respectively. Ponatoski competed alongside both players at Elite 11, but said their decisions didn’t impact his.
“I had opportunities to commit then and I didn’t, but I made the decision before Beaver went to Oregon. I was talking to people and the feeling was relief. I think that’s the big thing for me, and that’s how I knew it was the right thing,” Ponatoski said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Football, baseball star Matt Ponatoski picks University of Kentucky