Kentucky Football: Ranking the Top 5 recruiting wins in the Mark Stoops era

Dec 31, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops (center) looks on from the bench in the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at EverBank Field. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won 33-18. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops (center) looks on from the bench in the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at EverBank Field. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won 33-18. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kentucky Football
Sep 5, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; A general view of Commonwealth Stadium before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns. Kentucky defeated Louisiana Lafayette 40-33. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Lynn Bowden, ATH

There is no debate. Lynn Bowden is the biggest recruiting win in the Stoops Era. Bowden is the third ranked player in the entire state of Ohio. When it comes to tradition-rich states for high school football, Ohio is near the top. For a team like Kentucky to snag a player as highly rated as Lynn Bowden away from the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, that means a lot.

Bowden hasn’t taken a snap at the collegiate level, but he has the speed, attitude, and athleticism to make plays anywhere on the field. Lynn Bowden, the second ranked athlete in the country by 247Sports will find his place quickly on the Kentucky Football offense. A four star ranking and a 95 overall according to the 247Sports Composite put him near the top of the recruiting boards for Stoops. Only Landon Young had a better Composite rating (96).

He is only 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, but after Bowden gets into a collegiate weight and conditioning program, his frame will develop as his game develops.

Next: Ranking the Top 10 Kentucky players in the NFL