Stone Saunders shuts down recruitment: "I'm 100 percent Kentucky"

Blue-chip quarterback Stone Saunders knows Lexington is home. He’s known it since he privately committed to Mark Stoops and the Kentucky coaching staff back in June, then publicly on August 4.

Ranked as a top-350 overall prospect and top-25 gunslinger, the Harrisburg, PA native simply felt prioritized by the Wildcats. Saunders wasn’t a fallback option at quarterback in the rising junior class, he was the program’s only option. Stoops, offensive coordinator Liam Coen and wide receivers coach Scott Woodward went above and beyond to make that clear.

And they were rewarded.

“I was always Kentucky’s No. 1.”

“Kentucky wanted me the most out of any school. I was their No. 1 guy, so that drew me to them,” he told KSR on 630 WLAP’s Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “… Going through the recruiting process, I was never really a fan of it. I went to some camps and they were like, ‘Yeah, you’re No. 3 on our list’ or two or four, whatever it was. But I was always Kentucky’s No. 1. … All you want during the recruiting process is to be someone’s No. 1 guy.

“They stuck out from all of the other schools during my recruiting process because of that. It was clear how much they wanted to get me and wanted me to be in that Kentucky blue.”

The Liam Coen appeal

Saunders remembers when it clicked for him that Lexington was where he wanted and needed to be. He was in town on a visit, sitting down with Coen and Woodward for a meeting. The trio wound up breaking down film for hours, discussing how the Bishop McDevitt standout could fit into the Wildcats’ pro-style offense. And he quickly saw himself thriving in the system, a vision of his NFL dreams coming to life.

“What Coach Stoops is doing, that whole staff there and then Coach Coen’s system coming from the Rams,” he said. ” … (Coen) knows my dad, so I’ve known him for a little bit. My first visit, he sat down with me and Coach Woody for about two and a half or three hours. We just watched film the whole time. It started to click with me, the system and the reads, all of it. That was just very appealing to me, the opportunity to play in a pro-style offense.

“He can showcase me to the NFL when that time comes down the road, but he’ll also make me a way better player every day. I watched how he coaches his guys during spring practice and I think he’s a great teacher of the game. He’ll help develop me as a man and as a player, him and the rest of the staff.”

Recruited to recruiter

But why now? Why did Saunders feel the need to commit now, two full years before he’s scheduled to arrive on campus in Lexington? He wants to get a head start on recruiting for the Wildcats. As a quarterback, he knows high-level playmakers want to know who will be getting them the ball. Blue-chip linemen want to know who they’ll be protecting in the backfield.

Saunders wanted to secure his spot now and make it clear who would be the future at his position at Kentucky.

“I chose right now because I wanted to get the recruiting class started early so we can get a really good class going,” he told KSR. “I want to help them recruit as much as they need. So they have someone already in this class, a quarterback, so I can go and help get some receivers, linemen, all of those guys. It means a lot being the first one. Obviously, as a quarterback, you’re usually looked at as the player in that class anyway, so it means a lot being the first.”

And he already has his eyes on one player in particular.

“Some guys I’m looking forward to getting — I play with a guy right now, Rico Scott,” Saunders added. “He’s committed to Alabama at the moment, but he was with me last weekend when I came to Lexington. We’re going to make a little push for him. He’s a stud, runs like a 4.4 (40-yard dash) and I play with him right now. We’ll see how that goes.”

Shutting things down

Above all else, he wants to make it clear he’s shutting things down and no longer interested in being pursued by other programs. His focus now is on winning state championships to close out his high school career and building an elite recruiting class to join him in ’25.

“Some coaches reached out to me, August 1 started where coaches could talk to me directly. But I committed to Kentucky at the end of June, I just had the date of August 4 to announce it. Coaches can talk to me, but I’m 100 percent Kentucky,” he said. “I’m not going to take visits anywhere else or anything like that, I’m all Kentucky.

“… It just clicked to me that Kentucky was where I wanted to be. They want me and I wanted to save my spot, let all of the other schools know. I couldn’t be happier with being at Kentucky.”

Winning over stats

So what are the Wildcats getting in the 6-foot-1 quarterback? The numbers will blow your mind. In 2022, he threw for 3,583 yards and 54 touchdowns as a sophomore. He’s totaled 100 touchdowns with just ten picks in two seasons at Bishop McDevitt.

Oh, and he’s led his team to back-to-back 4A state championship game appearances, his latest being a win.

“Stats don’t really matter to me. All I really work for is the state championship, that’s my main goal. And it’s still my main goal, I want to go back,” Saunders said on the show. “… I got Gatorade Player of the Year last year, and my first thought was about how I can get so much better. Don’t really get caught up in the moment that much with the stats, I don’t worry about that.”

As a player, he doesn’t specifically model his game after any quarterback in particular. He draws comparisons to Justin Herbert and even Josh Allen at times. And he’d love to be compared to Patrick Mahomes — “but no one can play like Patrick.”

Limiting turnovers, maximizing touchdowns

Saunders is unique, a poised pocket passer with a rocket for an arm. And he’s got a high football IQ — having a dad with NFL coaching experience helps.

“I’m a gamer. When I get in the game, I’m going to make stuff happen,” he said. “I go through my reads and get the ball out to my playmakers. If the play breaks down, I make something happen. … I don’t really turn the ball over that much, knock on wood, with a good bit of touchdowns on top of that.

“… I’ve always been told, as a quarterback, you’re really the only guy that can lose you a game. Just limiting the dumb mistakes like throwing the ball over the middle late, getting out of the pocket, freaking out and making something bad happen. I just try to limit that and make plays when they’re there.”

The hard part is over. He’s made a decision and he’s thrilled with it, shutting down his recruitment from this point forward. Now, he can focus on enjoying his future team from afar on Saturdays while he takes care of business on Friday nights.

“It’ll be fun to watch them this year, you know? Devin (Leary) is slinging the ball, that offense and what they’re doing on defense, it’s going to be fun to watch.”