On Wednesday, Mark Stoops signed his fifth class of Wildcats at the University of Kentucky. In his Signing Day press conference, Stoops said, “It’s our best class. Period.”

Tonight, we’ll look back at Stoops’ other Signing Day hauls and casually review the names from those classes. Some proved to be significant additions to the program, while others disappeared into the dark abyss that is the attrition of college football.

 

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2013

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Class Ranking:

247Sports: No. 34
ESPN: No. 36
Rivals: No. 29
Scout: No. 38

Signees (22): Jeff Badet, WR; Javess Blue, JUCO WR; Steven Borden, JUCO TE; Tanner Fink, TE; Jason Hatcher, DE; Nick Haynes, OG; Jacob Hyde, DT; Jaleel Hytchye, CB; JoJo Kemp, RB; Melvin Lewis, JUCO DT; Austin MacGinnis, K; Blake McClain, S; Marcus McWilson, DB; Kyle Meadows, OT;  Regie Meant, DE; Ramsey Meyers, OG; Alex Montgomery, WE; Reese Phillips, QB; Za’Darius Smith, JUCO DE; Khalid Thomas RB; Ryan Timmons, WR; Nate Willis, JUCO CB

Four-Star Signees (4): Jason Hatcher, Marcus McWilson, Za’Darius Smith, Ryan Timmons

Biggest Get: Jason Hatcher (flipped from USC on Signing Day)

One Who Got Away (So We Thought At The Time): Asiantii Woulard… Four-star, No. 1-ranked Dual-Threat QB out of Winter Park, FL… Committed to UCLA over Kentucky… Transferred to South Florida… Dismissed as team’s third-string QB prior to 2016 season

Major Contributors: Jeff Badet, Javess Blue, Nick Haynes, JoJo Kemp, Melvin Lewis, Austin MacGinnis, Blake McClain, Kyle Meadows, Marcus McWilson, Za’Darius Smith, Ryan Timmons

Early Departures/Transfers (4): Jason Hatcher, Jaleel Hytchye, Khalid Thomas, Regie Meant

What They Said At The Time:

Mark Stoops left an assistant job with Florida State a little more than two months ago to become the head coach at the University of Kentucky — despite never once setting foot on campus.

He didn’t need to see Lexington. He didn’t need to tour the facilities. He didn’t care that the program had lost at least five games every season since 1990, was just 110-160 overall and 9-85 against ranked teams.

Stoops believed in his own plan, believed in the people at UK and believed in one thing that increasingly carries incredible power on the recruiting trail — membership in the SEC. – Dan Wetzel, Yahoo!

Looking Back: Stoops came in piping hot with an enormous recruiting class (by Kentucky’s standards) after only 71 days on the job. The Jason Hatcher flip from USC was one of the biggest football commitments in the program’s history, just as Hatcher’s dismissal following several off-field issues was one of its biggest disappointments.

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2014

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Class Ranking:

247Sports: No. 22
ESPN: No. 20
Rivals: No. 18
Scout: No. 21

Signees (28): Dorian Baker, WR; Drew Barker, QB; Blake Bone, WR; Tymere Dubose, DT; Mike Edwards, S; Matt Elam, DT; Nico Firios, OLB; Ryan Flannigan, JUCO OLB; Dorian Hendrix, ILB; Mikel Horton, RB; CJ Johnson, JUCO DT; Garrett Johnson, WR; Josh Krok, OT; Jarrett LaRubbio, OG; Darryl Long, TE; Adrian Middleton, DT; Kendall Randolph, CB; Nick Richardson, OT; Thaddeus Snodgrass, WR; Bunchy Stallings, C; AJ Stamps, JUCO S; Lloyd Tubman, DE; Jared Tucker, S; Kobie Walker, S; Denzil Ware, DE; Darius West, S; Boom Williams, RB, TV Williams, WR

Four-Star Signees (12): Dorian Baker, Drew Barker, Blake Bone, Mike Edwards, Matt Elam, Nico Firios, Kendall Randolph, Nick Richardson, Thaddeus Snodgrass, Denzil Ware, Darius West, Boom Williams

Biggest Get: Drew Barker (picked Kentucky over South Carolina) and Matt Elam (picked Kentucky over Alabama)

One Who Got Away (So We Thought At The Time): James Hearns…Four-star linebacker out of Tallahassee who decommitted from Florida and named Kentucky his leader… Didn’t sign on Signing Day… Signed with Louisville in the summer… Was shot at a party in Louisville in December

Major Contributors: Dorian Baker, Mike Edwards, Ryan Flannigan, CJ Johnson, Garrett Johnson, Adrian Middleton, AJ Stamps, Denzil Ware, Boom Williams

Early Departures/Transfers (10): Dorian Hendrix, Mikel Horton, Josh Krok, Jarrett LaRubbio, Darryl Long, Nick Richardson, Thaddeus Snodgrass, Lloyd Tubman, Jared Tucker, TV Williams

What They Said At The Time:

This ain’t your grandfather’s Kentucky. It’s not your father’s or your older brother’s, either. Mark Stoops didn’t have the highest ranked recruiting class in the country or even the SEC, but the top-20 class far outpaced even the highest expectations . The signees speaks for themselves — an infusion of young talent desperately needed for the road ahead — but the overall statement Stoops and his staff made going out and landing the best of the best was huge. Nabbing four-star defensive lineman Matt Elam from Alabama sent shockwaves through college football. It not only said that Kentucky was here to play; it’s here to play and win. — ESPN

Looking Back: When you keep one in-state star from going to South Carolina and another from going to Alabama, it’s a job well done. When you throw in several other top high school talents to go with them and finish with the school’s best ranking ever, it’s a damn good job. (Although, many of those key pieces have since departed.)

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2015

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Class Ranking:

247Sports: No. 38
ESPN: No. 43
Rivals: No. 34
Scout: No. 45

Signees (22): Josh Allen, DE; George Asafo-Adjei, OT; Derrick Baity, CB; Kei Beckham, CB; Alvonte Bell, DE; Eli Brown, OLB; CJ Conrad, TE; Kengera Daniel, DE; Therrell Gosier, WR; Jabari Greenwood, WR; Will Jackson, ATH; Jordan Jones, OLB; Sihiem King, RB; Levon Livingston, OT; Courtney Miggins, DT; Javon Provitt, DT; Tavin Richardson, WR; Logan Stenberg, OT; Calvin Taylor, OT; Marcus Walker, S; Chris Westry, CB; Mason Wolfe, OG

Four-Star Signees (4): Eli Brown, CJ Conrad, Jordan Jones, Marcus Walker

Biggest Get: CJ Conrad (UK got on him very early and fought off late interest from Ohio State, his home state school)

One Who Got Away (So We Thought At The Time): Damien Harris… Five-star running back out of nearby Richmond, Ky… Committed to Alabama

Major Contributors: Josh Allen, George Asafo-Adjei, Derrick Baity, Alvonte Bell, CJ Conrad, Jordan Jones, Courtney Miggins, Chris Westry, Chris Westry

Early Departures/Transfers (4): Therrell Gosier, Will Jackson, Levon Livingston, Javon Provitt

What They Said At The Time:

Kentucky was smacked around by various broken commitments down the stretch, and the beating left a Signing Day bruise. The Wildcats lost defensive back Jeremiah Dinson and a pair of four-star brothers in Andrew Dowell and David Dowell in the week leading into National Signing Day. By the time Saturday was finished, Kentucky had the second-lowest-ranked recruiting class in the SEC. To make things worse, top target Marcus Lewis, a Rivals100 wide receiver, chose Florida State over the Wildcats, leaving Kentucky with not-so-pleasant memories of the recruiting cycle’s final days. – Rivals.com

Looking Back: After six commits backed out in a span of eight days with Signing Day approaching, Mark Stoops scrambled to build a class that didn’t jump off the page in rankings, but may actually be his best, now that we’ve seen what they can do.

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2016

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Class Ranking:

247Sports: No. 31
ESPN: No. 35
Rivals: No. 29
Scout: No. 39

Signees (25): Jaylin Bannerman, DE; Jordan Bonner, OLB; TJ Carter, DE; JaQuize Cross, DT; Kash Daniel, LB; Luke Fortner, OT; Tobias Gilliam, CB; Jordan Griffin, CB; Gunnar Hoak, QB; Dakota Holtzclaw, TE; Zy’Aire Hughes, ATH; Drake Jackson, C; Stephen Johnson, QB; Tate Leavitt, OT; Kordell Looney, DT; Grant McKinniss, P; Naquez Pringle, DT; Justin Rigg, TE; Davonte Robinson, CB; AJ Rose, ATH; Kayaune Ross, WR; Benny Snell, RB; Roland Walder, LB; Jamar Watson, OLB; Landon Young, OT

Four/Five-Star Signees (5): Kash Daniel, Jordan Griffin, Gunnar Hoak, Drake Jackson, Landon Young (*****)

Biggest Get: Landon Young (No. 12 overall prospect in the United States of America)

One Who Got Away (So We Thought At The Time): A

Major Contributors: Stephen Johnson, Benny Snell, Landon Young and many more to come

Early Departures/Transfers : None so far

What They Said At The Time:

“It won’t draw the headlines of some of the SEC powers, but Kentucky’s 2016 recruiting class is well-rounded, has instant impact players, long-term projects and is loaded in the trenches–where games are won and lost.” — Bleacher Report

Looking Back: Little did we know, that Stephen Johnson guy, a late addition for depth after Towles’ transfer, would be in a hero in his first season. That Benny Snell kid turned out to be alright, too. Plus the Kentucky boys all stayed home and a few others showed potential in limited action so far.

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2017

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Class Ranking:

247Sports: No. 26
ESPN: No. 30
Rivals: No. 26
Scout: No. 35

Signees (24): Abule Adabi-Fitzgerald, DE; Tyrell Ajian, ATH; Joshua Ali, ATH; Quinton Bohanna, DT; Lynn Bowden, ATH; Danny Clark, QB; Yusuf Corker, CB; Jamin Davis, OLB; Sebastien Dolcine, OG; Cedrick Dort, CB; Austin Dotson, OT; Isaiah Epps, WR; Phil Hoskins, DT; Lonnie Johnson, S; Alex King, DE; Bryant Koback, RB; Michael Nesbitt, CB; Joshual Paschal, DE; JaVonte Robinson, WR; Clevan Thomas, WR; Naasir Watkins, OT; Christopher Whittaker, DE; Walker Wood, QB; Jordan Wright, DE

Four-Star Signees (6): Tyrell Ajian, Lynn Bowden, Danny Clark, Yusuf Corker, Joshua Paschal, JaVonte Richardson

Biggest Get: Lynn Bowden (Vince Marrow called him the best player in Ohio)

One Who Got Away (So We Thought At The Time): Jedrick Wills… One of Lexington’s highest-rated high school prospects ever… Committed to Alabama over the Wildcats

Major Contributors: TBD

Early Departures/Transfers: TBD

 

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