Kentucky is on pace to put together the best recruiting class in program history, which feels appropriate after a 2nd 9-plus-win season in the last 4 years. Kentucky hasn’t reached onfield accomplishments like this since the late 1970s. The Wildcats aren’t resting on their laurels, adding a bumper crop of talented young contributors, particularly at skill positions. Here’s where the Wildcats stand, with all numbers cited coming courtesy of 247sports.com.

By the numbers

Overall rank: 11th
SEC rank: 4th
5-stars: 1
4-stars: 7

Did they find a future QB?

Probably not. Gavin Wimsatt was an in-state UK target expected to be part of this 2022 class, but he committed to Rutgers and bypassed his senior year of high school to play a few snaps for the Scarlet Knights this fall. Tennessee product Destin Wade is an athlete who may well get a shot at quarterback. The early expectation is that the 6-3 Wade might be an impact player as a receiver rather than a QB, but he’s the only guy in this class who might fit the role.

With the impressive performance of Penn State transfer Will Levis, it wouldn’t be surprising for UK to look to the transfer portal for another veteran QB with some experience already under his belt.

Who is the best offensive player?

5-star offensive lineman Kiyaunta Goodwin was the subject of a massive recruiting battle that went down to the wire. Goodwin combines mammoth size (6-8, 340 pounds) with surprising athleticism and quickness, which made him the No. 25 player in the entire 2022 class. For a program that has built its offensive philosophy around winning the battles in the trenches, Goodwin promises to be a day-1 player and the heir apparent to All-America tackle Darian Kinnard’s title as Kentucky’s most dominant offensive lineman.

Kentucky added plenty of other pieces at wide receiver, which will get more discussion below. Given Kentucky’s loss of super senior Josh Ali and the likely loss of standout receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, this was an opening that the Wildcats had to address, and 4-star standouts like Tennessee target Barion Brown and in-state star Dane Key are also potential true frosh contributors who could be future Wildcats stars.

Who is the best defensive player?

There are several outstanding candidates, but the battle likely comes down to a pair of front-7 impact players. Pittsburgh edge rusher Tyreese Fearbry has a great name and a skill set to match. The lean and lanky 6-5, 225-pound pass rusher fills a position of need for the Wildcats, whose best pass rusher this season was tackle Josh Paschal.

Another potential game-changer on defense is linebacker Keaten Wade, the brother of fellow signee Destin Wade. At 6-4, 223 pounds, Wade has the size to contribute right away and the speed to drop into coverage and hang with SEC targets. His leadership has drawn rave reviews from the coaches, and the chance to potentially learn from veterans like DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones (each of them rumored to return) can only help Wade’s development.

What position did they recruit the best?

Wide receiver is probably the Wildcats’ key focus. As noted above, Brown and Key are both immediate impact players. But there’s additional depth in this group that could pay dividends. Cincinnati-area product Alex Afari might find a home at receiver, and pint-sized Mississippi target Jordan Anthony (5-9, 160) drew rave reviews at a recent Mississippi all-star game, where his blazing speed was on display. Equally diminutive Cincinnati-area signee Brandon White has an impressive highlight reel.

Kentucky has done a good job balancing immediate contributors like Barion and Key with a couple of burners in Anthony and White, not to mention athletes like Afari and Destin Wade, who might end up playing the position. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen would love more balance in the passing game, and this class has the players to bring that to existence.

What position do they still need to recruit?

DB, DB and DB. Kentucky’s secondary had some significant struggles in the 2nd half of the 2021 season. JUCO signee DeCarlos Nicholson will play early, and UK is high on Georgia signee Andre Stewart, with in-state addition Elijah Reed adding impressive size (6-3), although he is fairly inexperienced as a defensive back.

Don’t be at all surprised if Kentucky taps the transfer portal and perhaps the JUCO ranks again for immediate help in the secondary. There’s certainly room for another impact player or 2, particularly if guys like Afari and Wade are on offense.

Did they keep the best in-state players home?

Yes, the Wildcats genuinely did, although “state” might need a broad definition. The Wildcats signed 2 of the 3 4-star players that Kentucky produced (Key and OL Grant Bingham) but only 2 more in-state guys (Reed, who wasn’t even a top-10 recruit in Kentucky, and kicker Jackson Smith). That said, when other P5 programs signed players from Kentucky, like Wisconsin with WR Vinny Anthony and Tennessee with LB Kalib Perry, the Wildcats went after other, better players at those positions. Kentucky had a commitment from No. 4 in-state prospect Treyveon Longmire, but a mutual separation shortly before Signing Day showed that Kentucky went in a different direction for an athlete.

Kentucky also signed Goodwin, who started his high school years in Kentucky and finished up 10 miles out of state in Charlestown, Ind. Afari was just across the state line in West Chester, Ohio. Kentucky also focused a fair of amount of attention on Nashville, which isn’t in the state but is close enough to Lexington that it might as well be. The state of Kentucky won’t produce enough top players to keep the Wildcats going, but with their work in Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio and Pennsylvania, they’re doing just fine.

Overall, how should you feel about this class?

Considering that UK made a move up the SEC rankings with the highest-rated group in the modern recruiting era, Kentucky fans should feel pretty darned good. Kentucky had its fair share of late battles to hang on to some of its highly-rated guys, none more so than Goodwin. But in the same way that Kentucky has started winning its fair share of onfield battles, the Wildcats have also won more than their share of recruiting battles.

The solidity of Mark Stoops in Lexington bears dividends in many ways, perhaps most of all in recruiting. In a world in which Ed Orgeron can win a national title and be fired less than 2 seasons later, Stoops has been consistent and dependable. He has brought Kentucky to heights rarely seen in Lexington, and this recruiting class is the next step in the evolution of the program.