Kentucky coach Will Stein quickly let Brady Hull and his family know that the Pulaski County lineman was a priority recruit for UK.
Pulaski County offensive lineman Brady Hull had built a relationship with former Kentucky coach Mark Stoops and his staff before Stoops was fired after the 2025 season. When coach Will Stein got to Kentucky, the Pulaski junior had no prior relationships with him or anyone on the new UK coaching staff.
“I had not heard any of their names. Honestly, I didn’t even really know coach Stein (who had been offensive coordinator at Oregon,” Hull said.
However, Stein and new UK offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich wasted no time reaching out to Hull and visiting him even while they were trying to put together a 2026 roster. That led to Hull becoming Stein’s first 2027 commit.
“It was insane. It was three or four hours after coach Leftwich got hired and he called me. He told me how much of a priority I was for them and that meant a lot to me,” Hull said. “The dude was barely hired and he was calling me. A couple of weeks later, coach Stein comes down (to Somerset) for a visit. That told me that they really wanted me.”
Leftwich, Oregon’s assistant offensive line coach last year, is only 27 years old. Hull likes everything about him.
“He’s a really young guy, and he’s really relatable. I can always go to him if I ever need things. He’s got great energy and he’s a heck of a coach,” Hull said. “I love the way he coaches, and I just love the vision he had for me on and off the field. He takes care of my family. He’s always checking up on them. Everybody says it’s just about football and all that but it’s not just about football. You have got to have relationships outside football, and football is always going to go away someday. So, you got to have those relationships.”
Pulaski coach Travis Burns said Leftwich quickly built a relationship with Hull almost instantly.
“Relationships matter to these kids. He would come down and see him and they had a plan for Brady. He showed him how they could develop him, and you could see they had put a lot of thought into it,” Burns said.
Hull liked how Leftwich broke down plays with him along with expectations for his move to center at the collegiate level.
“He’s like a breath of fresh air with the way he relates and talks to you,” the 6-foot-3, 295-pound Hull, the Class 5A lineman of the year in 2025, said.
Burns understands why Stein and Leftwich liked Hull immediately.
“He might not be as big as some linemen, but he is very athletic,” the Pulaski coach said. “The previous coach at South Carolina told me he tested better than any lineman at their camp. He’s a huge competitor who is not afraid of work. He’s in the weight room every day. He moves very well for his size. He will translate to center at the next level very well and possibly even guard.”
Hull considers himself lucky to be blessed with the athleticism he has.
“Obviously I have to give thanks to the Lord for my athletic ability. He is definitely my number one go-to when I give thanks,” Hull said. “He blessed me with my footwork. Obviously, I work on that footwork. Everything I can do is God-given.”
Living in Louisville and then Somerset, Hull grew up a Kentucky fan and says UK has always been his “dream school” for as long as he can remember.
“When you grow up in Kentucky, you always want to play for your home state, and that’s always the dream for a Kentucky kid. I’ve always been a Kentucky fan,” Hull said.
He said his mom “worried a little bit” about his recruitment and quick commitment but he told her that Stein and his staff “believed” in him but he also “believed” in them.
“You just feel it in your heart. You just know it. When you’re ready, you’re ready. I was ready and so excited to commit,” Hull said.
He didn’t have an announcement ceremony. Instead, he just announced his college choice on social media rather doing it in front of TV cameras, media, friends and family
“He is a get to work type of guy. He is not about making a flash. That’s not who he is,” Burns said.
“At first, I did think about a commitment ceremony, but something just told me not to do it that way. I don’t know if it was God or something, but that’s just not me. I just wanted to go ahead and get it over with. I wanted to be coach Stein’s first commitment (in the 2027 recruiting class) and start recruiting other people to come join me in the Big Blue Wall.”
One Response
Stein and staff seem to be hitting all the right buttons with recruitment and player buy-in. I am still a little surprised that Stein didn't have any players follow him to UK. The Oregon DC also got promoted to HC and 5 guys followed him including a wide receiver.