One giant historic roadblock for the Kentucky football program is the depth of talent within the state at the high school level. We’ve seen waves of top-end talent over the years. Hell, the state produced three National Players of the Year in a decade: Tim Couch, Dennis Johnson, and Brian Brohm. Kentucky signed three All-Americans in 2016 — Drake Jackson, Landon Young, and Kash Daniel — who all went on to become multi-year starters for the Cats.
The problem for Kentucky is that there are usually only a couple of these kinds of players. That’s not the case this year. The 2027 class has at least 15 Power Conference recruits, and that number is actually probably closer to 20.
“There are a lot of difference-makers in the state of Kentucky,” Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong told KSR’s 11 Personnel. “You gotta take advantage this year.”
The depth of talent is a nice gift for first-year head coach Will Stein, whose name still resonates from his time as a quarterback at Trinity and Louisville. But he’s not the only recognizable name recruiting the state.
Vince Marrow took over Kentucky’s in-state recruiting efforts in 2019. His name doesn’t carry as much weight as the Brohms, who have been a fixture in the football community since the late 80s. In addition to the in-state schools, there’s one just a few miles north that just won a National Championship. There’s never been more talent, and it’s never been more competitive, but Stein has the right irons in the fire for the Wildcats.
Three In-State Targets to Watch
Trying to get every in-state kid signed is unnecessary; just get the right ones. There are a few talented options who could create a dynamic offensive class for Will Stein. Wiltfong singled out three players: wide receiver Tyler Fryman, wide receiver Ja’Hyde Brown, and tight end Seneca Driver.
“If you can get Tyler Fryman and flip a Ja’Hyde Brown, those are electric playmakers. Tyler Fryman can go. And he’s not even invested as much time in football as he’s going to on the next level, but he’s a smooth, dynamic playmaker. Ja’Hyde Brown obviously led the state in every major category and is a fantastic player. He’s visited Kentucky since tripping to Indiana, and I think the Wildcats are still very much alive there,” said Wiltfondg.
Fryman committed to play baseball at Louisville before beginning his career at Beechwood. After winning another state title at CAL, Brown announced a commitment to Indiana at the All-American Bowl. UK assistant Keith Towbridge previously coached at CAL. That recruitment still has a long way to go, as is the case for the nation’s No. 1 tight end.
“If they’re able to get those two guys, hit on the quarterback, and then certainly get Seneca Driver, all of a sudden, you have the makings of a potential dynamic, exciting offense with mismatches, guys that can beat you in a number of ways, with a quarterback that proved to be very accurate with the football as a junior.”
Wiltfong added, “Now, they gotta go out and get all of these guys. They’re one of the top schools for Andre Adams, I think they’re one of the top schools for Fryman, got some work to do with Brown. Obviously, the predictions are in for Seneca Driver right now, but Oklahoma’s not gonna make it easy. Tennessee’s not gonna make it easy. Notre Dame’s all in on Seneca Driver, and there’s other programs that keep popping up for him as well. Even though the predictions are on Kentucky, those are fluid also.”
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More on a Talented Kentucky Commit
Nobody illustrates the fluid nature of recruiting quite like Kentucky’s latest commit. J-Town athlete Larron Westmoreland was on the verge of committing to Louisville when the Wildcats swooped in and made a major play. Even though he’s the 13th-ranked player in the state of Kentucky, Wiltfong believes he has a high ceiling.
“Larron Westmoreland is an absolute stud. He’s got a lot of potential to play in the secondary for Kentucky, but has a frame to grow into. He’s someone that can make some things happen at the second level, maybe be a Kyle Hamilton-type, Swiss Army Knife on defense with the ability to come up around the line of scrimmage, erase mismatches in coverage,” said Wiltfong.
What he’s describing sounds a lot like what Kentucky wants out of its Star position. Down the road, hindsight may tell us this was a huge get early in the Stein era.
“It’s still just the tip of the iceberg of what he can be. That was a major recruiting win. And he was on the verge of committing to Louisville. Kentucky’s where he wanted to be though, and the Wildcats were able to get that done. Tremendous recruiting win and somebody that I think is stock up,” said Wiltfong.