When it comes to recruiting, Will Stein has been a complete maniac.
We described the overwhelming number of offers he sent out as soon as he assumed the position of head coach in Lexington. According to all reports, he had a profound effect on the children he brought to campus during his enormous wave of Junior Days in January.
These visits are now beginning to result in actual recruitment momentum.
As an example, four-star Alabama prospect Braden Gordon recently revealed his list of the top five, and the Kentucky Wildcats are now formally included.
Braden Gordon is an incredible 2-way athlete
Gordon is now projected by most recruiting agencies as a linebacker at the next level, but to say that he is merely a linebacker would be a huge understatement. He is a top-350 national prospect with exceptional versatility who gives his high school team his all.
Consider his cumulative varsity stats from the previous two seasons. The figures are on par with those found in video games:
- Over his last 25 games, he racked up 1,359 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 catches, while adding another 743 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, averaging over seven yards a carry.
- On the other side of the ball, he recorded 115 total tackles, a staggering 31 tackles for loss, and 21 total sacks.
When you have a player that can live in the opponent’s backfield on defense and dominate on offensively, you will stop at nothing to bring him into your locker room. For an athlete like Gordon, Stein’s open, positionless philosophy is ideal.
The competition
Kentucky will not have an easy time securing him. Gordon’s other finalists are Miami (FL), Florida Tech, Auburn, and Georgia in addition to the Wildcats. For a child in SEC country, defeating schools like Georgia and Auburn is the ultimate test of a coaching staff’s recruiting prowess.
When will the Cats know whether they were successful in luring the top athlete?
Regarding his hiring procedure, Gordon stated, “I haven’t made a clear timeline.” “But once I know, I’m going to commit.”
Kentucky has a very real potential to pull off a huge recruiting heist straight out of Alabama if Will Stein and his staff can get Gordon back on campus for an official visit this spring.
