By Tom Hurley | @TomHurley

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The news keeps getting better for UK football head coach Mark Stoops.

UK picked up its fourth commitment in three days on Tuesday when four-star linebacker Nico Firios announced his intentions to suit up for Stoops in the blue and white of UK.

“Proud to announce my commitment to the UK FAMILY!!!!” Firios said on his Twitter account, @NicoFirios.

ESPN ranks Firios as the 18th best inside linebacker in the Class of 2014.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Florida native spurned a number of scholarship offers from around college football in favor of the Cats, including offers from Miami (Fla.), Penn State, and Louisville.

In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, the Lyman (Longwood, Fla.) High School revealed his commitment came down to a choice between UK and Louisville.

“When I was at Louisville last week it was great and I like everything about Coach Charlie Strong and what they are doing there, especially with the defense, but then I went to Lexington and visited UK and I was so impressed,” Firios said to the Sentinel. “That just made me feel like it was the place I needed to be.”

Firios said that he broke the news of his decision to an “ecstatic” Stoops and his coaching staff at around noon on Tuesday.

“They were screaming and passing the phone around and Coach Stoops was saying he was so excited to have someone with my character and ability joining the team,” Firios said to the Sentinel. “He said with my commitment that would probably  put them in the top five recruiting classes in the nation for 2014.”

Rivals moved UK’s 2014 recruiting class up to No. 4 in the nation shortly after Firios announced his commitment to the Cats.