Not only did Kentucky coach Mark Stoops help right the ship and lead the Wildcats to their first winning record (7-6) since 2009 this past season, but it looks like he’s close to wrapping up what could be the best recruiting class in program history.

After Saturday’s colossal addition of four-star athlete Lynn Bowden — who has drawn lofty comparisons to former UK star playmaker Randall Cobb — Stoops’ 2017 class ranks 17th in the nation, per Rivals.

That has never happened before.

Top 25 finishes were, to say the least, very uncommon prior to the Stoops era. From 2001-12, Kentucky did no better than 38th overall nationally, ranking between 116th and 121st in four different years in the mid-2000s, according to 247Sports.

Stoops has changed that trend in a massive way, posting a top 25 finish in 2014 (No. 22) and drawing close to another this cycle (No. 21, per 247).

Kentucky still has work to do before it can be considered a legitimate contender in the SEC East division, but under Stoops, the ‘Cats may be getting closer to doing so than they’ve been in a long time.