John Calipari has been a big help in UK Football recruiting

Kentucky Basketball is a recognized brand across the country, especially among high schoolers even if they have no plans of playing college basketball.

That has been seen among the football players that Mark Stoops, Vince Marrow, and the Kentucky football coaches are recruiting to join the Wildcats on the gridiron.

Many of the football recruits that come on campus for visits in the winter get the opportunity to watch a Kentucky basketball game up close at Rupp Arena.

That’s a big draw, according to Marrow.

“Aw man, that’s been a killer,” Marrow said Wednesday. “(Calipari) has been very effective in a lot of guys that we signed because I remember we took guys to junior days and we had basketball games. And when they get down there and see Cal, they look at him like he’s a God or something.

“Then you see how down to earth he is. And he’s taken me and coach (George Raveling). It was this weekend that he took us around and them three guys, I mean, Darian Kinnard don’t say much and he was looking at Coach Cal and Kevin Knox, meeting them guys and saying, ‘Wow.’ Cal does a good job with us. I can’t thank them guys enough.”

Marrow said that players got to tour the new locker room and watch a shootaround as well. That was definitely a positive experience for the recruits that Stoops and Co. hope to have on the field in the coming years.

Being able to draw off the brand appeal of Kentucky Basketball is an obvious plus for the football Wildcats as they continue to build their brand as well.

It also seems like Calipari is very interested in the class that Stoops and Co. are bringing in.

Anytime that you can have the coaches of the two largest athletic programs on campus working together to help one another in recruiting, it is a major deal for the program and shows the quality and character of the coaches of each program.

Hopefully Stoops and Calipari continue to bring top-notch recruits into the Kentucky athletic programs.