Kentucky football gets second chance at 4-star RB Marquise Davis

Not long ago, Marquise Davis was lined up to be one of the crown jewels of a Mark Stoops recruiting class.

The four-star running back committed to Kentucky as the No. 11 back in his high school class, a physical, SEC-ready runner who looked like one of the highest-ranked offensive skill gets of the Stoops era. Then he flipped to Missouri, and it felt like another “what if” in Lexington.

Suddenly, that story might not be finished.

How Marquise Davis could rewrite a recruiting miss for Kentucky

Davis is leaving Missouri after just one season, and Kentucky now has a second chance to make a first impression under Will Stein.

On paper, the fit still makes a lot of sense. Davis checks in at 6-foot, 213 pounds and showed flashes in limited work this year: 34 carries for 200 yards and two touchdowns, good for 5.9 yards per carry. He appeared in only three games, preserving his redshirt and giving himself four years to play four wherever he lands next.

That’s exactly the kind of runway you want if you’re a new staff trying to reset a position room.

Stein’s offense is modern and explosive, but it still needs a back who can run through contact, finish drives in the red zone and keep the chains moving when the passing game hits a lull. Davis has already proven he can function in an SEC program, and Kentucky is a place he clearly once saw as a fit; even though it was a different staff at the time.

There’s also a psychological component here. Landing Davis the second time around would not just upgrade the running back room; it would also send a message to the rest of the league that Kentucky is not going to quietly accept past recruiting Ls, especially inside the conference. They are going to go get the guys they want, and they are going to get them.

The question is what Davis wants his next stop to be. Does he value familiarity with a school he once chose? Does he want to jump into a system where a creative playcaller can feature him in multiple ways?

What’s clear is that Stein now has another real opportunity to add a blue-chip back with SEC reps and a full eligibility clock. You do not get many of those. If Kentucky decides to get back in for Davis, how they attacks will say a lot about how aggressive the new regime plans to be in securing elite talent.