Kentucky making serious inroads recruiting the state of Ohio
When Mark Stoops took over the Kentucky program in 2012, he inherited one of worst rosters among the Power Five conferences. In order to rebuild, he had to start on the recruiting trail and find a way to lure talent to Lexington capable of succeeding in the ultra-competitive SEC.
But rather than focus solely on battling SEC programs in cities like Nashville and Atlanta, Stoops set out to reach into his home state, talent-rich Ohio. As a native of Youngstown, Stoops knew that there were quality players capable of helping his rebuilding effort. He just had to find them and sell them on the virtues of Kentucky.
From 2008 to 2012 the Wildcats signed just nine total players from Ohio as then coach Joker Phillips focused on recruiting areas in the SEC footprint. In the years since, Kentucky has signed 36 Ohio high school products, not counting the four players committed in the Class of 2018. More than ever, some of the state’s top prospects are giving Kentucky a serious look, with part of the reason because of the success past Ohioans have had in Lexington.
“I think the Ohio kids have had a big part in their turnaround,” Rivals250 Springfield, Ohio tight end Leonard Taylor said. “They had a real good season this past year and they’re going to have another one this year. They just believe in Ohio kids a lot and that’s something we see. They just think that Ohio kids can get the job done and win championships in the SEC.”
When asked why Kentucky was a realistic option, prospects listed a variety of factors, but one constant was assistant coach Vincent Marrow. Another Youngstown native, Marrow had a productive NFL career and held various jobs before Stoops gave him his first full-time on-field position in a Power Five conference. The results in Ohio have been remarkable since.
“Hiring Marrow guaranteed that Ohio would become much more of a focus than it had been for Kentucky in a very long time,” said Justin Rowland, who covers Kentucky for Rivals.com at CatsIllustrated.com. “But I don't think even Stoops probably imagined how much success they would have there.”
When Marrow’s name comes up to recruits, there’s no doubt of his influence.
“I don’t even know what it is, but Coach Marrow gets after the kids in Ohio,” four-star Cleveland Heights, Ohio defensive end Tyreke Smith said. “He stays on me and makes sure to do that and I appreciate him. That means he’s showing me a lot of love and that I’m a priority and that definitely means a lot. He’s pulling a lot of kids from Ohio and it’s because of his connections to the state.”
Former Cleveland Heights wide receiver Dorian Baker was one of Marrow’s first big recruiting wins in Ohio and every time another player goes to Lexington and has success, it makes recruiting the state that much easier in the future.
“High school coaches and prospects in the state recognize the commitment Kentucky has to Ohio and their momentum has never been stronger,” Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt said. “Now holding the title of recruiting coordinator, Marrow is the quarterback of Kentucky's recruiting success in Ohio. He has tremendous connections in the state and is one of the most effective recruiting assistants I have seen in all of college football.”
Kentucky’s efforts in Ohio have lead to several four-star prospects signing with the ‘Cats. Kentucky has had 10 total in the last three classes. The next big hurdle would be to go toe-to-toe with national power Ohio State for an Ohio prospect and win, a daunting task, but not something Ohio prospects are ruling out.
“I could see them beating them out,” Smith said. “It just depends on what you’re looking for. I just feel like even if you have Ohio State offer you should go to the school that fits you best and for some guys that might be Kentucky.”
Kentucky has had players from Ohio committed in the past, only to see them flip when the Buckeyes come calling later in the process, with three-star Alex Stump among the most notable. Rowland said that won’t dissuade the ‘Cats Ohio efforts. Elite wide receiver L’Christian “Blue” Smith might be the first chance to Kentucky to truly steal an Ohio prospect away from the Buckeyes.
“Blue Smith is an interesting case study. He's a near five-star guy and even with the way Urban Meyer is recruiting nationally, he's probably a pretty important recruit to the Buckeyes,” Rowland said. “But when you consider how long Kentucky has made him their No. 1 receiver target, that helps the Cats' chances. He's teammates with Alex Reigelsperger, who is Kentucky's most vocal recruiter among their current commits. And Smith has wondered, it seems, whether Ohio State might move him to tight end. That's a convergence of factors that could make it possible. But it won't be easy.”
Even if Smith heads to Columbus instead of Lexington, with Stoops recently leading Kentucky to a bowl game and signing an extension, the Wildcats will be a presence in Ohio going forward.
“It’s an awesome place and it is a great place in the SEC and you’re not that far from Ohio,” three-star Columbus, Ohio running back Brian Asamoah said. “I don’t know why a person wouldn’t go there.”
