Never seen anything remotely close to the recruiting job Stein is doing right now for Kentucky football !!
6 (..... + .... !?!?!??) 4 star hits and snaggin' players away from the likes of Clemson and UGA ! c'MON....Is this for real ? Wiping the 50+ year sleep from my eyes!
From my perspective, the problem with Kentucky has primarily resided in the fact that we could put together a roster with starters that could compete within our conference, but we couldn't get enough good players for the second and third string to be able to last thru the attrition on a season of SEC football. In short - not enough quality of players overall, and not enough quality in depth.
In steps Stein and it is glaringly obvious he is really doing great in recruiting and connecting with the young players. I absolutely love this.
I spoke to my lifelong best friend - a Vol fan, and told him They should be hating on Kentucky already. Why ? Getting a player like Lance Heard thru the portal ( hence, no longer with UT) and now you've got this :
Kentucky basketball has been poached on for recruits by Barnes and company for years, getting players we thought we would get, and used to - did. And it levelled the playing field between UK and UT. Now, we're doing to Tennessee in football, what UT has been doing to UK in basketball recruiting / portal.
What's good for the goose ....
My Vol fan friend didn't even know the state of the Vols football recruiting this off season.... Which shocked me, he always has....
It's the dawning of a new era for Kentucky football.
Hallelujah !
PS - another thought thats been migrating thru my grey matter is on specifically this upcoming year....
My feeling is that Stein has instantly made the UK offense look like it can really hang well with the defenses in the SEC. My concern was that the defense would have to play above their pay grade to hang with the powerful SEC offenses they will face, and that is where the success or failure of this yeaqr will hinge....
Well, Stein is making big waves THIS YEAR in shoring up the defense and getting us into a legit area of strong competition against SEC offenses.
THAT is big to me, if my feeling is right. A signing like this is only proof that we may even be better than the most optimistic projections for us THIS YEAR !
Just a special time to have an ear to the ground and a place to talk about it.
The off season of hope continues.
Go Big Blue ! ( sorry for the rambling, long post, just happy to have something great and positive to say about UK football !)