There was a sweet spot in the early years of the Mark Stoops era where Kentucky’s new head coach could traverse the state of Ohio with Vince Marrow, largely unfettered by competition. Urban Meyer was recruiting at a national level, leaving most of the state’s top prospects up for grabs to other Power Five teams. It’s no longer free reign for Kentucky football recruiting in the state of Ohio.
Over the last two years three recruiting rivals have emerged for the Wildcats in the Buckeye State — Michigan State, Notre Dame and Cincinnati — all while Ohio State‘s Ryan Day has re-emphasized signing top in-state talent.