SEC Recruiting Grades After National Signing Day: Alabama, Tennessee on Top

Nov 29, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at Papa John

13. Kentucky Wildcats

Rivals Class Rank: No. 35

Just like Vanderbilt, having the No. 35 class in the country is great by Kentucky Wildcats standards and national standards. It’s disastrous in the SEC.

Fortunately, Mark Stoops has put together a very decent football program that was one win away from a bowl game last year and appears to be getting better, so he is doing what he needs to do in recruiting: be selective.

Kentucky’s quarterback situation seems to be in good shape, so Stoops went out of his way to focus on defense with this class. That includes adding Marcus Walker and Eli Brown as his two biggest prizes. Improving the deficiencies he had last year was all he could focus on because Stoops will never be able to have the depth or the manpower to compete in the SEC head-on.

The best thing he can do is get a few good players and set it up for the stars to align for a couple of years. If they do, he’ll be able to improve his recruiting in the future. Or he may leave and look for another job.

Grade: C+

Next: No. 12 Ranked SEC Recruiting Class