Mac Jones has built a football life that took him from Alabama to the NFL, but Kentucky fans still have one old what-if hanging around. Before he became the quarterback many know from the New England Patriots and later the San Francisco 49ers, Jones was once committed to Mark Stoops and Kentucky.
Jones revisited that stretch on Bussin' With The Boys, and the story was the kind that makes Big Blue Nation wince. He said his mother essentially pushed Kentucky into offering him in the first place, then explained how he tried to help build the class after committing.
As Jones put it: "I ended up decommitting... we had like a top 10 class. I would like DM guys and be like "Sign to Kentucky."
I was trying to get the whole class built up."
He added: "I decommitted and then the next day like 10 guys decommitted," a line that had the podcast studio cracking up and probably did the exact opposite for Kentucky fans.
Jones said the final turn came when Nick Saban landed a helicopter at his high school, and that was that. He wrapped the story with, "So Kentucky people hate me, I think. But I still love you guys," a closing line that leaves the whole thing somewhere between painful and oddly affectionate.
The part that stings for Kentucky is not just the decommitment itself, but what followed. The Wildcats kept rolling with Stephen Johnson, who finished with a 13-6 record as a starter and delivered that memorable road upset over No. 11 Louisville.
Jones eventually faced Kentucky after taking over at Alabama, and that meeting was brutal for the Wildcats. Kentucky started Terry Wilson and got hammered 63-3 on the road.
Jones threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns, while Wilson finished with 120 yards, no scores and one interception. Matt Ruffolo did connect on a 33-yard field goal for Kentucky.
Now, with Will Stein in charge, Kentucky is no longer tied to the staff that missed out on a future NFL quarterback. The program’s recruiting has started to heat up again, with Stein’s 2027-28 class threatening top 10 status. A decade after the Mac Jones miss, Kentucky is trying to turn the page and push itself back into the recruiting conversation.
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The challenge is obvious, but so is the reason for some optimism around the program. Stein has already started to build momentum on the recruiting trail, including a promising 2027 class, and his track record at Oregon gives Kentucky reason to believe the long-term picture can improve even if the short-term road is steep. The question now is how much patience the Wildcats will need if the results in year one get tested by one of the toughest slates in the sport. [Read more 🡒]
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Mark Popes latest comments only sharpened the discussion. He has been openly impressed with Noah through the first month of camp and sees a player whose value goes well beyond the box score, which is exactly why the rotation question has become so interesting. The remaining issue is whether Noah can make enough progress as a shooter and defender to turn all that praise into a real, every-night role. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Entered A Massive Battle For A Surging Elite Guard
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Bowmans recruitment is still in its early stages, but the list of suitors is already starting to look like a heavyweight fight. He is lining up official visits to Arizona and Texas, with North Carolina and Illinois also in the mix, giving Kentucky an immediate chance to make up ground in a race that figures to stay crowded for a while. [Read more 🡒]