Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is trying to Flip a Kentucky Football Commit

This is a sentence I never thought I would type: Kentucky is trying to out-recruit Bill Belichick and Warren Sapp. What a weird time to be alive.

Belichick’s North Carolina staff heavily pursued Tyreek Jemison before the talented OL from Georgia committed to Kentucky. It took a commitment to Kentucky for Warren Sapp to begin aggressively pursuing Ben Duncum.

Sapp was a star for The U in the early 90s. The talented defensive tackle was a charismatic first round draft pick who became the voice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense that won a Super Bowl with Jon Gruden in 2003. A four-time First Team All-Pro, he secured his spot in Canton in 2013.

Following his playing days, Sapp spent time on TV. He took a call from Deion Sanders ahead of Colorado’s 2024 season, and it changed his life. “For someone that never wanted to do this, I’m really addicted to this right now,” Sapp said during his first season in Boulder.

This offseason, he was promoted from a quality control analyst to pass rush coordinator. That job requires one to recruit, and he has his eye on a Kentucky commit.

Ben Duncum is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive lineman from Austin Lake Travis (Tx.) who is a three-star talent in the Rivals Industry Ranking. When he initially committed to the Cats, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, and Kansas State were UK’s top competition. K-State is still in the mix, while a few other schools have emerged, most notably Colorado.

“After committing, the main school that has really tried has been Colorado. They really want me to come on an official visit during the season. I have been on multiple calls with the coaching staff during fall camp,” Duncum told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman.

“I’ve liked Coach (Darius Darden-)Box and Coach Sapp … They have consistent with staying in touch. Coach Sapp definitely is a great coach and one of the best ever to ever play. The coaching staff there definitely intrigues me,” Duncum said of Colorado. “They have some really impressive players and it’s really nice in Colorado.”

In addition to the push from the Hall of Fame defensive lineman, Baylor and Auburn are trying to flip Duncum from his Kentucky commitment. The senior-to-be said he’s “happy where I’m at” with his UK commitment, but this is a good reminder that recruiting never stops.

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