By now, you have probably already seen the news. Class of 2027 athlete Larron Westmoreland out of Jeffersontown just committed to Will Stein and the Kentucky Wildcats.
It is a massive pickup. Snatching a top-tier Kentucky prospect right out of Louisville's backyard is always a great day for us.
But honestly? The commitment itself isn't even the most important part of this story. The real story is why he committed.
After he made his announcement, the currently unranked prospect dropped a quote that should have every single Kentucky fan absolutely pumped up about the future of this program.
"What excites me most about the future under Will Stein and the new staff is the vision they have and the energy they bring," Westmoreland said. "They’ve been very transparent with me about development on and off the field, and I can see how serious they are about building something special. It’s exciting to watch how things are coming together, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the program continues to grow."
Will Stein's 3 prong recruiting pitch: Vision. Energy. Transparency.
That is how you recruit. That is how you rebuild. A huge part of college football is just building relationships that actually last, and it is obvious this new group of coaches is working their butts off to make as many real connections as they possibly can.
After watching this program struggle and go a bit stale at the end of the Mark Stoops era, injecting this kind of life and vision into the recruiting trail is exactly how you turn things around and get back to competing in the SEC.
You have to first believe in yourself and your program, clearly they do. You have to be a staff full of coaches out grinding on the trail, clearly they are. You also have to be transparent in how you plan on doing things, and by the response from nearly everyone, they are.
Kentucky football sends a message to Louisville
If the Cats can get it going on the recruiting trail, things are going to get a lot easier on the football field. But more importantly, with Westmoreland's commitment, Kentucky just sent a massive signal across the Commonwealth. If Louisville thought they suddenly had an advantage over in-state talent just because they got Vince Marrow, they need to rethink their strategy.
Will Stein isn't just recruiting; he is building a culture. And the kids are buying in.