We get information sent to us by prospects and coaches from all over the different classifications of Kentucky High School football and often even bordering states and commonwealths. Some of the information is reliable. Much of it is completely ridiculous, lacks integrity, and is some inane attempt to sell both our magazine and readers a bill of goods.
We know when we are getting “played.” You can continue to snow us, if you wish, but we weren’t born last night.
We aren’t going to allow people to use our forum to further the perpetuation of fraudulent information. The conveyance of complete, outright falsehoods is (sadly) part of the recruiting game, or so it seems to have become, but it isn’t something in which we will willingly engage.
We decided to interview a guy from Lincoln County who is totally legit. He is what you see, he is exactly how he appears. He’s as genuine as a mountain rainfall.
Holden Stamper is doing the recruiting thing “the right way.” Stamper is an exceptional high school lineman who has found his dance card filling up rapidly, particularly of late.
Stamper told KPGFootball, right off the bat, that he owes a lot of his opportunities to the guys with whom he was privileged to play. “I’m not trying to be over humble or anything I just want to be honest. I definitely feel guys like Clayton Davis and Lee Amon and Trace Bowman deserve all the attention.”
At the time we began interviewing Holden he was holding 11-offers. While we were in the midst of interviewing him, Wabash called and offered him, making his number swell to 12.
Who knows how many offers he will have fielded by the time you out there reading this site finish this article. We were pleased to get the opportunity to interview Holden about his recruitment.
Here is what he told us:
KPGFootball: Are there guys you respect as a peer and believe to be outstanding along the offensive line in Kentucky football?
Stamper: Yessir. There are two guys I believe should be getting more attention than I. Those two are Johnson Central’s Owen LeMaster and Fern Creek’s DaeDae Hill. Both of them are awesome guys and awesome technicians and players.
KPGFootball: How many offers have you fielded?
Stamper: Currently, I am blessed to have offers from the following: Wabash College, the College of Wooster, Thomas More University, Campbellsville University, Union College, Kentucky Christian University, Depauw University, Indiana Wheaton (IL), Maryville College (TN), Anderson University, Indiana Tabor, and Kansas Sterling University (KS).
KPGFootball: Have there been teams during the process which have particularly stood out to you?
Stamper: I have been fortunate to meet and build relationships with some great coaches. I think for me that is what is so difficult about the process.
Honestly each team and school which has offered me has stood out in its own way. That may sound generic but all the schools I have had the opportunity to visit have been great.
KPGFootball: What were some of the things which made those programs stand out?
Stamper: As a recruit the thing which has stood out to me the most were the coaches who made you feel wanted. It means a lot when a coach breaks down your film and shares with you what they see about you which fits their scheme or system. The other thing which has impressed me were the coaches who have spent as much time laying out their plan for academics as they have for football.
KPGFootball: Have you narrowed the list to a top anything?
Stamper: I have definitely been praying down my list and have my top five (5) schools. I’m not ready to say who they are yet but I can say they are 3 in-state and 2 out of state schools. I also still have a few visits and revisits coming up before I am ready to commit.
KPGFootball: What factors will be most important to you in making your decision?
Stamper: This whole process has been about trying to find the right fit. I didn’t get really what that meant when this journey commenced.
I didn’t think I would ever have the opportunity to play after high school. I guess for me, fit comes down to five (5) things: Christ, family, relationships, academics, and football.
Its important to find a place where I can live out my faith and a place where I feel God wants me to be. Hardest thing is trying to be patient and waiting on an answer.
I am very close to my family and I want to be somewhere to which they can feel connected also. It means a lot to all of us to see family in the stands.
Also, I don’t want to be a burden, or put a huge debt, on my mom and dad. That has been a tough thing visiting a school which I really love but then seeing the cost and knowing I can’t ask that of my parents while also trying to not personally run up a huge debt load.
I have 2 younger sisters, one who will start college in 2023, so family means it’s not just about me. Fortunately, I have made a lot of really good relationships with coaches at several schools and they have made me feel pretty good about my options.
Academics is another area I really feel good about when looking at my offers. I really believe everyone of the schools having offered me to play football also offer the opportunity for a great education. I have really been focused on class size and the possibility for internships.
Last thing is football. I guess it kinda ties it all together.
I want to play for coaches and guys who want to win at everything from football to academics. Definitely want that linemen brotherhood too. So finding that right fit is hard but I know I have some schools already on my list that check most of those boxes.
KPGFootball: Is there a leader in the clubhouse so to speak?
Stamper: Like I said earlier, of the offers I have received there are five (5) schools which are all right there, together. All five represent schools for which I would be honored to both play and attend. My plan is to just keep praying for a way to ultimately make my decision. End of interview.
What a refreshing experience to get to interview this wonderful player. He was very forthright and honest with us, didn’t try to deceive us by carefully parcelling his words, he just shot us straight about a recruiting season which appears to have been very, very generous and kind to him.
We thank him for sharing with us. We hope his insight helps some of you recruits going through the process enjoy it more and fret about it less.
This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for KPGFootball, and we’re JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!
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