For a long time, Kentucky Football has been polite in recruiting. They identified “their guys,” developed relationships, and often relied on getting under-recruited guys. People who could develop into SEC-level players.
Under Will Stein and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, those days are over.
Stein spoke at length today about his recruiting philosophy, and it comes down to two simple concepts: Protect the home turf and hunt without fear.
The ‘homegrown’ priority
Stein knows that the best versions of Kentucky football in the modern era included guys from the state, and not just on the team. They were producing.
“The best way that we’re going to move forward is really starting inside the state of Kentucky. It has to. I mean, in this next class, there’s a lot of really good talent in the state right now. A lot. And when I’ve seen Kentucky at its best, it’s homegrown talent. That’s where you got to start.”
A lot of that homegrown talent was in Lexington over the weekend for a Junior Day camp that went really well. Brady Hull, an OL from Kentucky, was given a projection to sign with Kentucky after the event. But he wasn’t the only big player on campus; Dylan Berymon, the highest-ranked player in the 2026 class, is down to Kentucky and Nebraska.
But one thing we have to make sure of is that “homegrown” doesn’t just mean the Commonwealth. Stein defined his “must-win” territory as a five-to-six-hour radius that includes major talent hubs around the border of Kentucky and beyond.
“Nashville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit… even going to Charlotte, Atlanta, St. Louis. Like those are the cities that you really want to hone in on.
“And then this is a national brand. I mean, University of Kentucky, this logo holds weight. So, this is where you can use your resources and your relationships to go into a state like Texas, to really dive into South Florida, even in the DMV area.”
Jay Bateman is a ‘shark’
Once you leave that radius, you need a recruiter who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and fight the big dogs for elite players. That is exactly why Stein hired Jay Bateman.
When asked how Bateman fits into this new aggressive philosophy, Stein didn’t hold back.
“This guy hunts in recruiting. Like, he is a shark. He’s a pitbull. He’ll go up against anybody. And there’s no real tricks with Jay; like, he’s straight up, but he creates real bonds with these players.”
We are already seeing it pay off in just over a month. Flipping Kenny Darby from LSU and Andre Clarke Jr from Michigan weren’t accidents; they were results of a staff that refuses to be intimidated by “bigger” brands.
“You know, we’ll go wherever. I mean, if there’s a kid in Alaska that wants to play at Kentucky that’s good enough, we’ll go there. In the new state of college football and recruiting, it’s really about building relationships and making sure that we’re consistent in our approach… and just bringing the best guys that fit our program.”
The message to the rest of the SEC is clear: Kentucky is done settling for the leftovers; they’re coming for the top spot.
Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion
