Talent Trumps All as Stoops Juggles Recruiting, Transfer Portal, Offensive Coordinator Search

"I tell our players this, so I’m not telling (you) anything that they don’t already hear, I’m recruiting somebody to take their job. Period. I don’t care how good they are. I love them but I’m trying to get somebody better," Stoops told reporters on Monday.

Mark Stoops is one of many head coaches in college football that's currently trying to navigate the new world of the transfer portal, NIL and recruiting. 

With the official opening of the portal on Dec. 5, it has taken over the sport, as nearly 500 FBS scholarship players officially entered within the first 24 hours of its opening, according to On3's Matt Zenitz. 

The Wildcats are expected to be one of the more active teams in the portal across the next month and a half, as they'll presumably look for a new quarterback, running back, new offensive linemen and more. 

As of Dec. 6, 10 UK players have already entered the portal, and that number is expected to grow. 

Keep up with our Kentucky football 2022-23 transfer portal tracker here. 

Turning to the world of recruiting players out of high school, the Wildcats' class of 2023 ranks just 44th in the nation with 15 hard commits. While that may seem low, all problems can now be solved via dipping into the portal and nabbing one of the hundreds of players available. 

So is there a need to balance recruiting and plucking from the portal? 

On face value, sure. However, Stoops made one point clear when speaking to reporters on Monday: It doesn't matter whether it comes from a high school or from another university...he's looking for the best talent available to continue the progression of the program he's built. 

"I tell our players this, so I’m not telling (you) anything that they don’t already hear, I’m recruiting somebody to take their job. Period. I don’t care how good they are. I love them but I’m trying to get somebody better," Stoops said. "That’s every player on our team. I’ll tell them. I’m going to get somebody. When I get on a plane later today, I’m going to find somebody to take your job. You want the best players you can get."

The recruiting game never stops, something Stoops and UK's staff showcased over the past 48 hours. Nasir Addison, a 3-star cornerback and current 2023 Kentucky commit posted a photo of Stoops, defensive coordinator Brad White and other Wildcat coaches at a home visit in Irvington, New Jersey on Sunday, Dec. 4: 

The Cats then added a commitment from 3-star wide receiver Ardell Banks on Monday night, a position that will likely go through more turnover than any other on the UK roster this offseason.

"I think we have good pieces," Stoops added on Monday. "I don’t think we’re as far off. We got caught short in a couple of spots this year and we need to address that, and get back to work. We’re not far off."

Juggling players entering and exiting the program is hard enough, but it becomes much more of a challenge when you throw a coaching search in the mix. Stoops is still on the prowl for a new offensive coordinator following the firing of Rich Scangarello on Nov. 29. 

Potential candidates for the vacant OC position can be found here. 

Making that decision is in-turn difficult due to the rotating door of players caused by the transfer portal. Stoops has to continuously access his roster when trying to make the right hire at OC, while also accessing the candidates for the job based on the potential talent that could land in Lexington as a result. 

He spoke at length about what he's looking for in his next offensive coordinator: 

"For a variety of reasons you have to adjust to the personnel that you have. So yes, it is a bit different right now. Yes, I want what I think everyone wants and that’s ultimately to score points. I still believe, and will always, balance is important. Being physical is important. It’s important to me, I think it’s who we are. It’s an identity and I think it’s important. But I also believe in getting the ball down the field and explosive plays. That’s something that I want to get better, I want to continue to improve. I want to create explosive plays. Is that tempo? Is it run-pass? All that, you put it together."

More on Stoops' search for his new OC here. 

That decision will be a crucial one for Stoops, as it'll be his fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons. With the portal open, players are finally available to move from program to program. Will any offensive player considering Kentucky willingly make the jump to the Bluegrass if there isn't a hired OC on staff? 

Possibly, but that's a risk Stoops is willing to take:

“We’re holding court in the transfer portal. There’s no panic here. You have to have some urgency about it, but no panic. I’m not going to rush things. It’s vitally important that we have the right guy. You have to get the right person, rather than rush just to get one player or to worry about that. We’re staying steady in recruiting. I think we’re going to do well in the portal. I don’t want to panic there and want to get the right guy.”

The portal is open until Jan. 18, while early signing period is set to open on Dec. 21. The balancing act continues for Stoops, Kentucky and the rest of college football. 

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.