Will Stein has made no bones about how he views high school recruiting as the lifeblood of the program he intends to build in Lexington. The Cats have made inroads with the top 2 quarterbacks in the 2027 cycle, securing a top 5 spot for 2nd-ranked Israel Abrams. And Kentucky football is pushing to get Elijah Haven, the number 1 overall QB on campus as well.
While Stein is going to win his fair share of recruiting battles in Lexington, he just lost one to Vince Marrow and Louisville.
4-star safety Jordan Haskins has committed to Louisville
Bryan Station's safety Jordan Haskins chose to stay in-state for college, but it was the wrong city if you are a Kentucky fan. Haskins announced today that he would be taking his talents to Louisville. Just under a month ago, Haskins released his top 6:
Louisville
Kentucky
Illinois
Missouri
Indiana
Virginia Tech
Losing a recruiting battle is never fun; losing one to Louisville is definitely not fun. But it is going to happen. These are two coaching staffs that are going after the elite players inside the state and outside the state. You aren't going to bat a thousand.
So, Louisville gets to celebrate this one. But with the way Will Stein has worked the recruiting trail, I really like this staff's chances to win more battles than they lose.
Where Kentucky turns next
After missing out on Haskins, Kentucky has no shortage of options. 4-star Tristin Hughes out of Ohio seems the most likely choice. Right now, it looks to be a battle between the Cats and Purdue, though Louisville, Arizona State, and a host of other programs are still battling for the talented safety.
Other names to watch at safety:
Larron Westmoreland
Hezikiah Kelley
Jeremiah Procter
Hunter Haug
Losing Haskins to Louisville sucks, but plenty of fish in the sea as they say, as you can see. BBN shouldn't worry about this one, Kentucky football will win a lot of battles under Will Stein.