Mark Stoops is Playing an Active Role in 2026 Recruiting Wins

Mark Stoops received his first contract extension from Mitch Barnhart and the University of Kentucky following his first season. That doesn’t happen in this sport after 2-10 campaigns. The driving force behind the decision was how driven Mark Stoops was on the recruiting trail.

Kentucky football went from beating out MAC schools to securing some of the highest-ranked classes in school history. Stoops was pounding the pavement in Ohio, across the Commonwealth, and even posed with a Florida pass-catcher in front of a Bentley.

In recent years, Stoops has been much less visible on the trail. Part of that is because his job has been more demanding in the NIL and transfer portal era. However, when Kentucky fans saw Kirby Smart taking pictures with prospects, it made them wonder what Mark Stoops was doing to help the Wildcats’ recruiting efforts.

Those questions have been answered in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

No, he’s not taking pictures with players in front of luxury cars, but he doesn’t need to go on the road to help the Cats close on top prospects. Don’t take it from me. Listen to the players who are committing to Kentucky.

“Coach Stoops is a real firm dude, a straight-forward coach for sure. He is very transparent. He’s not going to sugarcoat anything,” four-star wide receiver Denairius Gray told Rivals after flipping from Auburn.

“There is no fluff, or none of that. He was really telling me the real and how they need receivers for sure.”

Kentucky desperately needed a big win in the trenches. Their top offensive guard target, Tyreek Jemison, told Adam Luckett that Stoops played a big role in his decision.

“There was a lot of schools trying to bump their official visit but I feel like the loyalty they gave to me, I only wanted to give it back. The relationship just kept getting better and better and better,” Jemison said.

Things were still up in the air when Dallas Dickerson was in Lexington for his final official visit of the summer. Outsiders thought Oklahoma had a leg up in the recruitment. Stoops clearly pushed the right buttons to ensure Dickerson would be a Wildcat.

“I love Coach Stoops’ composure,” Dickerson told Chad Simmons. “During my meeting with him, he was very sincere when he talked about where the program is going and what direction it’s headed in. He made it clear that Kentucky football is taking a step up.” 

Following a 4-8 campaign, Kentucky had an uphill climb to gain traction on the recruiting trail. The Wildcats have found some, thanks in large part to Mark Stoops. One might say he is Motivated.