Remember all those decommitments from UK's 2015 recruiting class?
Players from the Class of 2015 are either currently seniors or redshirt juniors, either at Kentucky or other schools, and strictly by Rivals.com's rankings that was Mark Stoops' lowest-rated class.
It was also a class that included Derrick Baity, George Asafo-Adjei, C.J. Conrad, Josh Allen and a number of other players who have performed at a high level at Kentucky.
But back on Signing Day in February of 2015, the class was most notable for the number of decommitments Kentucky had seen during that cycle.
Twin brothers Andrew and David Dowell were believed to be a big part of Kentucky's future when they committed to the Wildcats, both as four-star prospects, David as more of a cornerback/safety prospect and Andrew as an athlete who could play on either side of the ball.
When they flipped to Michigan State there was plenty of hand-wringing.
Careers to date
David Dowell had five interceptions for Michigan State last year. He had a knack for stepping up in big games, with two picks against Michigan and two more picks against Penn State. His other pick came against Ohio State. He had 52 tackles last year and is on roughly the same pace this season. As a redshirt junior he has one more season of eligibility remaining. He was on the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List before the start of this season and was a first team All-Big Ten selection in 2017.
Andrew has had a nice career as well with roughly 200 tackles over his four seasons. He, unlike David, did not redshirt as a true freshman and this is his last season of eligibility with the Spartans. He was Michigan State's second-leading tackler in 2018 as the team's starting "Star" linebacker and is the Spartans' third-leading tackler so far this season.
How they might have fit at Kentucky
There's no doubt both the Dowell brothers would have played a lot at Kentucky. While Derrick Baity has been as good as almost any cornerback in the SEC this season David Dowell was an All-Big Ten choice last year and would probably be starting at UK this year. It would definitely have helped UK to have him in 2019 as a redshirt senior. He should have an NFL future. Andrew Dowell has been productive but given that he's a "Star" linebacker at MSU it seems like he found a better schematic fit for his skill set.
Sting factor with hindsight (David): 10/10
Sting factor with hindsight (Andrew): 6/10
Tyrone Riley was to be a long, athletic pass rusher for Kentucky at the time of his commitment, but he ended up flipping to NC State.
Career to date
Riley has 13 career tackles for the Wolfpack. He tore his bicep in his redshirt freshman season back in 2016 and that seems to have stunted his progress. NC State also had four defensive linemen drafted last season so Riley played behind some very talented players in Raleigh.
How he might have fit at Kentucky
It's tough to say but one can wonder whether Kentucky would have even offered and taken a commitment from Josh Allen if Riley hadn't decommitted from NC State. If that was the trade off, it worked in UK's favor.
Sting factor with hindsight: 0/10
Jason Strowbridge would have been Kentucky's first Deerfield Beach, Fla., player under Mark Stoops and the Wildcats landed his commitment well before they started to really target South Florida with Eddie Gran on the staff.
Career to date
Strowbridge redshirted as a true freshman in 2015 and he now has 56 tackles and 3.5 career sacks as a redshirt junior. Strowbridge arrived in Chapel Hill at right at or under 250 pounds and has grown into a much larger player. He has taken on a greater role this year than many expected because of injuries and suspensions to other UNC defensive linemen.
How he might have fit at Kentucky
It's likely Strowbridge would be in the same position many of Kentucky's other current defensive linemen were in going into this year: Promising but unproven, and part of a deep rotation of capable players that had everyone asking who will step forward. Kentucky is not hurting for depth on the defensive line.
Sting Factor with hindsight: 2/10
Custis decommitted from Kentucky and committed to Alabama before finally signing a letter of intent with Ole Miss. He had gradually come to be highly regarded as a defensive back prospect from a part of the South where players won't stay hidden for long.
Career to date
Custis is currently a redshirt junior for Ole Miss and was a part of the Rebels' rotation in the defensive backfield until he suffered an ACL injury against Alabama, so he will be out for the season and rehabbing. Overall he has been a minor contributor by production although he did play in 10 games for Ole Miss last year.
How he might have fit at Kentucky
Custis could have been in a similar position to some of Kentucky's other defensive backs, say, Chris Westry, but his progression at the college level has been fairly slow and it is unlikely he would have been a starter.
Sting factor with hindsight: 4/10
Dinson was not well-known when he committed to Kentucky but he quickly gained a larger profile and as the process dragged on he seemed to like the idea of playing for one of the SEC's traditional powers. So he ended up signing with Auburn.
Career to date
Dinson dealt with a knee injury back in 2015 and was one of four Auburn players arrested for possession of marijuana back in 2016 but that has not derailed his college career. He redshirted in 2016 and last year as a first-time starter (nickel) had 47 tackles on the year and was a major contributor for a team that won the SEC West. Through six games this year he already has 37 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack, plus interceptions in each of Auburn's last two games.
How he might have fit at Kentucky
The off-field issues would have been concerning and make one wonder how things might have played out differently, for good or for bad, in Lexington. By talent Dinson has done very well for himself but fortunately for Kentucky, the Cats' secondary is playing very well this year in spite of Dinson not signing.
Sting factor with hindsight: 6/10
Fullwood was one of Kentucky's major recruiting wins in the Mark Stoops' era to date as an out of state prospect (from the DMV) who had other major options. His commitment did not last for long and he signed with Virginia Tech. It's easy to forget that at one point he had a similar amount of hype as someone like Josh Paschal, who would sign with UK two classes later.
Career to date
Fullwood redshirted as a true freshman for Virginia Tech in 2015, played in three games in 2016 and played in every game as a backup for the Hokies in 2017. However, he didn't play much and has been a non-factor for the Hokies this year.
How he might have fit at Kentucky
Nothing suggests Fullwood would have been much of a contributor at Kentucky.
Sting factor with hindsight: 0/10
Kentucky has recruited Pickerington Central early and often in the Stoops era and Hamilton was thought to be one of UK's top defensive line recruits in recent memory when he picked the Cats. But when Ohio State offered, it was too much for him to pass up.
Career to date
Hamilton redshirted as a freshman and played very sporadically as a redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore. About a month ago the Dayton Daily News called Hamilton one of OSU's most improved players. He has six tackles on the season and has been a part of the Buckeyes' rotation for the first time.
How he might have fit at Kentucky
Hamilton would likely be a part of Kentucky's rotation this year, and a significant one, given that he's playing at a higher level for the Buckeyes, a national contender.
Sting factor with hindsight: 6/10
Stump was apparently "all-in" with Kentucky even through an offer from Stanford, but as with Hamilton, when the home state Buckeyes offered he couldn't say no.
Career to date
Stump caught one pass for eight yards in the Buckeyes back in 2016 and that was all he ever did in Columbus. He transferred to Vanderbilt and sat out the 2017 season. He is not a part of the rotation at Vanderbilt.
How he might have fit at Kentucky
Stump hasn't been able to find playing time at Ohio State or Vanderbilt so it's tough to say he could have done much better at Kentucky.
Sting factor with hindsight: 0/10