One giant historic roadblock for the Kentucky football program is the depth of talent within the state at the high school level. We\u2019ve 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 \u2014 Drake Jackson, Landon Young, and Kash Daniel \u2014 who all went on to become multi-year starters for the Cats. <\/p>\n
The problem for Kentucky is that there are usually only a couple of these kinds of players. That\u2019s not the case this year. The 2027 class has at least 15 Power Conference recruits, and that number is actually probably closer to 20. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of difference-makers in the state of Kentucky,\u201d Rivals\u2019 Steve Wiltfong told KSR\u2019s 11 Personnel<\/a>. \u201cYou gotta take advantage this year.\u201d<\/p>\n The depth of talent is a nice gift for first-year head coach Will Stein<\/a><\/strong>, whose name still resonates from his time as a quarterback at Trinity and Louisville. But he\u2019s not the only recognizable name recruiting the state. <\/p>\n Vince Marrow took over Kentucky\u2019s in-state recruiting efforts in 2019. His name doesn\u2019t 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\u2019s one just a few miles north that just won a National Championship. There\u2019s never been more talent, and it\u2019s never been more competitive, but Stein has the right irons in the fire for the Wildcats. <\/p>\n Three In-State Targets to Watch<\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/strong>, wide receiver Ja\u2019Hyde Brown<\/a><\/strong>, and tight end Seneca Driver<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you can get Tyler Fryman and flip a Ja\u2019Hyde Brown, those are electric playmakers. Tyler Fryman can go. And he\u2019s not even invested as much time in football as he\u2019s going to on the next level, but he\u2019s a smooth, dynamic playmaker. Ja\u2019Hyde Brown obviously led the state in every major category and is a fantastic player. He\u2019s visited Kentucky since tripping to Indiana, and I think the Wildcats are still very much alive there,\u201d said Wiltfondg. <\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/strong> previously coached at CAL. That recruitment still has a long way to go, as is the case for the nation\u2019s No. 1 tight end. <\/p>\n \u201cIf they\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiltfong added, \u201cNow, they gotta go out and get all of these guys. They\u2019re one of the top schools for Andre Adams<\/a><\/strong>, I think they\u2019re 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\u2019s not gonna make it easy. Tennessee\u2019s not gonna make it easy. Notre Dame\u2019s all in on Seneca Driver, and there\u2019s other programs that keep popping up for him as well. Even though the predictions are on Kentucky, those are fluid also.\u201d<\/p>\n Want more Kentucky football intel? <\/a>Join KSR Plus for access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR\u2019s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n More on a Talented Kentucky Commit<\/p>\n