The recruitment of Michael Mayer has always been the ultimate "what if" scenario. You had elite talent growing up right in your state, just down the road in Northern Kentucky, and you couldn't close the deal. Similar things happened with Shaun Alexander, Damien Harris, and a host of others.
It wasn't just losing a 5-star prospect; it was watching a generational Tight End suit up for Notre Dame. It was a weekly reminder on national television of what happens when you let the Irish raid your backyard.
But yesterday evening, Will Stein sent a loud message to the Irish, go back to whining about not being in the CFP.
In a massive development, recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong dropped a "Fong Bomb" predicting that Seneca Driver, the number one player in the Commonwealth, is going to Kentucky.
The parallels are impossible to ignore. Driver is a top-ranked, in-state Tight End (No. 5 nationally) with an offer sheet that rivals anyone in the country.
In the past, this is exactly the kind of recruitment where Kentucky fans would brace for a "moral victory" and a second-place finish. But Stein has changed the math.
High school recruiting will be the Lifeblood of Kentucky's program, Seneca Driver and Brady Hull prove it
When Will Stein was hired, he told everybody that high school recruiting would be the lifeblood of the program. He wanted to hire guys who could go out on the trail and build actual relationships, not just blow smoke.
It seems that he got his wish.
Just two months in, he picked up Pulaski County's Brady Hull, a 3-star lineman who had offers from South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Duke.
Hull isn't just a body; he's a foundational piece.
"I believe in them, and I know they believe in me," Hull told KSR. "We’re going to get this thing rolling."
A new standard
Securing Hull was the jab; landing Driver would be a knockout punch.
If Stein can close the deal on Driver, it does more than just add a star player to the roster. It exorcises the frustration of one of the "ones that got away."
It proves that when the state's best player is a game-changer, he ends up in blue and white. The fence Will Stein promised isn't just a talking point anymore; it’s actually being built.