Kentucky fans: Here’s the surprising stat only 8 other schools can claim

Kentucky is in elite company when it comes to football and basketball recruiting. It’s a rarity in college sports for a school to excel at recruiting in both sports. It's a balancing act between the hardwood and the gridiron and money that is often earmarked for one sport or the other.

According to 247 Sports, only nine schools can boast a top-25 recruiting class in both sports for 2025, and Kentucky proudly stands among them for now.

Here’s the full list of programs with top-25 classes in both football and basketball:

• Alabama: Football #3, Basketball #8
• Clemson: Football #17, Basketball #21
• Georgia: Football #2, Basketball #14
• Kentucky: Basketball #3, Football #22
• LSU: Football #5, Basketball #11
• Michigan: Football #11, Basketball #9
• Notre Dame: Football #14, Basketball #4
• Penn State: Football #15, Basketball #18
• South Carolina: Football #23, Basketball #19

For Kentucky, basketball dominance in recruiting was a given under Cal, and looks to continue under new coach Mark Pope. Pope continues to keep the Wildcats at the forefront of the sport, landing the third-best basketball recruiting class for 2024 with a few more commits pending. Having two more Kentucky kids join Travis Perry and Trent Noah has BBN ready to cheer on their home state kids.

But it’s Kentucky football’s rise under Mark Stoops that stands out. Ranked #22 in football recruiting, the Wildcats are competing against traditional powerhouses like Alabama and Georgia on the regular, and sometimes winning (off the field at least). While football in Lexington has long lived in the shadow of its basketball counterpart, even causing Bear Bryant to walk away, Stoops and Marrow's relentless work on the recruiting trail has sparked hope for a brighter future, even if this season kinda sucks.

Kentucky’s dual success is about more than rankings; it’s a sign of balance in a state obsessed with sports.

For years, football was a struggle. Big moments were few and far between, but they mattered: the Citrus Bowl victories, the upset of Florida in The Swamp. Now, consistent recruiting success shows Kentucky isn’t just fighting for relevance, it’s earning it on the high school trail. One has to wonder if the class stays together with all the on-field struggles this year.

For now, Kentucky is carving its place among the nation’s elite in both sports and looking to continue the climb.