Here are the grades for the Kentucky football program’s 2022 recruiting class through Early National Signing Day.
What Mark Stoops has done building this Kentucky football program cannot be talked about enough.
The second longest tenured head coach in the SEC has transformed a college football afterthought of a program into one of the best and most consistent in the conference. Of course, Kentucky has not been able to overtake Georgia in the SEC East, but anybody who follows college football knows what a truly remarkable job Stoops has done in Lexington. It all starts with recruitment.
Here are the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2022 cycle and how Kentucky fared this year.
Kentucky football top 2022 recruit: Kiyaunta Goodwin, OT, Charlestown, Charlestown, IN (No. 25 nationally, No. 4 position, No. 1 state)
Kiyaunta Goodwin is the lone five-star Kentucky has signed in this cycle, but what a pickup for the Wildcats. Goodwin had offers from all the big players in college football, ultimately deciding to play for Stoops in Lexington over the likes of Ohio State. If he plays up to his potential at Kentucky, Goodwin projects as a day-two draft pick, possibly sneaking into the first round in the early 30s.
Kentucky football recruiting strengths and weaknesses for 2022
Kentucky has made it a point to build its program from the inside out. Stoops knows that having great players in the trenches is where wins and losses are found in the SEC. His staff crushed it in that department this year. However, Kentucky did not sign a quarterback and may have left some offers on the table when it comes to amplifying its other key skill positions in this cycle.
Diamond in the rough for Kentucky football: Tomiwa Dorujaiye, DE, Middletown, Middletown, DE (No. 926 nationally, No. 123 position, No. 2 state)
Tomiwa Durojaiye may be the No. 2 player from Delaware, but the three-star defensive end has been slept on nationally. Given that Stoops is a defensive-minded head coach, he will put a player like Durojaiye in positions to succeed playing on this strong Wildcats defense. Obviously, the gold standard on that particular side of the ball is Josh Allen, who also was massively underrecruited.
Where does Kentucky football rank nationally and in the SEC in recruiting?
This is where it really counts. Kentucky not only has the No. 12 recruiting class in the entire country, but what Stoops and his staff have done is good enough to be No. 4 in the SEC. Anytime you are only trailing Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M, you have done something right in recruitment.
Kentucky football 2022 recruiting grade
The Wildcats have earned top marks from their recruiting efforts through Early Signing Day. While a top-12 ranking would not suffice on the hardwood, it is absolutely astounding on the gridiron. Today is a great day to celebrate Kentucky football, Big Blue Nation.
Grade: A+
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