ESPN's top recruiting classes

Son_Of_Saul

Heisman
Dec 7, 2007
45,372
99,401
113
Pope is awful at recruiting.

I've never seen anything like it. 14 of the top 20 recruits visited Lexington and he signed none of them.

That's garbage level recruiting. I almost feel sorry for Pope at this point. It's got to be a painful reality that he's facing right now - knowing that he's in over his head.
 
Jun 11, 2012
15,092
15,762
113
Pope is awful at recruiting.

I've never seen anything like it. 14 of the top 20 recruits visited Lexington and he signed none of them.

That's garbage level recruiting. I almost feel sorry for Pope at this point. It's got to be a painful reality that he's facing right now - knowing that he's in over his head.

Is that because he held off on some of them Instead of letting them commit?
 

MegaBlue05

Heisman
Mar 8, 2014
10,980
22,057
66
Is this composite or high school only? (Not that it matters for UK this year)

If it’s high school only, I don’t care other than obviously would like to be higher. We won the high school recruiting championship 15 years in a row and it didn’t produce jack spit after 2019.
 
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Nov 19, 2025
163
378
63
It seems this is Tubby two point O. Tubby was a decent coach but couldn't get the top recruits and that eventually ended his tenure. Cal could get the recruits but was a terrible in-game coach and eventually became arrogant to the program and fans. Pope's demise will be if his transfer recruits don't exceed expectations because his overall recruiting was awful.
 

BookofMormon

Senior
Mar 27, 2026
334
404
63
Pope is awful at recruiting.

I've never seen anything like it. 14 of the top 20 recruits visited Lexington and he signed none of them.

That's garbage level recruiting. I almost feel sorry for Pope at this point. It's got to be a painful reality that he's facing right now - knowing that he's in over his head.
Writing.on.wall.

You can't win if you can't recruit - it's easily the most important facet of the profession. If you can't do this, you can't coach UK.

If there was an immediate solution, I'd be all for moving off Pope now (Donovan).
 

ftp000

All-American
Mar 26, 2009
6,295
5,992
113
I could live with it if Pope was doing great in the transfer portal but he's struggling there too. Recruiting always seemed to be the biggest worry when he was hired and sad to say it's all coming true.
Currently the number 12 transfer class. Add one good player and we'll jump considerably. I know, it seems unlikely.
 
Apr 18, 2026
343
473
63
I agree, definitely a dynamic duo
60's running GIF
 
Apr 18, 2026
343
473
63
and you are happy living in mediocrity land

Currently the number 12 transfer class. Add one good player and we'll jump considerably. I know, it seems unlikely.
Transfer Rank 13
Overall Rank 61
Composite Rank 90



loop taking GIF


On 3 is worse we are almost dead last in conference portal ranking so I think ole 247 is way off

 

KyLegacyBBN

All-Conference
Jan 12, 2005
10,295
3,565
113
It seems this is Tubby two point O. Tubby was a decent coach but couldn't get the top recruits and that eventually ended his tenure. Cal could get the recruits but was a terrible in-game coach and eventually became arrogant to the program and fans. Pope's demise will be if his transfer recruits don't exceed expectations because his overall recruiting was awful.
Tubby could coach. Cal could recruit. Pope is BCG level.
 
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LarryLegend9

Sophomore
Apr 24, 2026
87
153
32
Can I throw this out there...I think we might finish last in the SEC. I'm serious.
I don’t think it will be that bad, but I believe we will be anywhere from 5th-10th place in the conference. Sometimes I think 5th place is being to optimistic even. Popes not a bad bench coach, he just can’t recruit well enough to get UK back to being an elite program. Hopefully the next AD makes a better hire that can handle the pressure of the job and does a better job recruiting and building teams. Pope will do fine at a smaller school but he’s not able to coach at a blue blood. It’s just a bad fit.
 

MegaBlue05

Heisman
Mar 8, 2014
10,980
22,057
66
I could live with it if Pope was doing great in the transfer portal but he's struggling there too. Recruiting always seemed to be the biggest worry when he was hired and sad to say it's all coming true.
The assumption was with our resources and his style of offense he would have no problem recruiting, but the lack of charisma was completely overlooked.

Pope doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who could sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman wearing white gloves and you need that in recruiting.
 

LarryLegend9

Sophomore
Apr 24, 2026
87
153
32
The assumption was with our resources and his style of offense he would have no problem recruiting, but the lack of charisma was completely overlooked.

Pope doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who could sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman wearing white gloves and you need that in recruiting.
Pope would do good at a smaller school. That way he wouldn’t have to deal with the media as much and trying to recruit top players.
 
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Jan 10, 2015
19,120
32,518
62
Pope is awful at recruiting.

I've never seen anything like it. 14 of the top 20 recruits visited Lexington and he signed none of them.

That's garbage level recruiting. I almost feel sorry for Pope at this point. It's got to be a painful reality that he's facing right now - knowing that he's in over his head.
Do you think he even gets it? Serious question and if he does get it why he doesn't just step on down....
 
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