Coach: Four-star QB who could pick Kentucky Friday has elite arm, processing skills

6-8 minutes 8/3/2023
Kentucky football could pick up its second highly touted high school quarterback commitment in three months Friday.
Four-star class of 2025 prospect Stone Saunders is expected to announce his college decision Friday at about 6:30 p.m. Kentucky is one of five finalists for Saunders’ commitment, along with Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska and Miami.
As a sophomore for Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Saunders threw for 3,583 yards, 54 touchdowns and five interceptions while helping lead his team to a state championship. He could follow four-star Lexington Christian Academy quarterback Cutter Boley, who reclassified from 2025 to 2024 after his commitment, in pledging to UK since the return of offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
Here is what you need to know about UK’s latest quarterback target.
Stone Saunders’ father was a strength coach in the NFL
Saunders’ father, Steve Saunders, is the former strength and conditioning coach for the Baltimore Ravens, where he worked from 2016 until earlier this year. Thanks to his father’s job, Stone has been exposed to football at the highest level.
There has been more one-on-one training since the Ravens fired Saunders in February.
“Stone has gone up probably at least 15 pounds,” Jeff Weachter, Stone’s coach at Bishop McDevitt, told the Herald-Leader. “He’s up to 215. You can tell he’s faster. His dad has just been killing him all spring and summer.”
While the work with his father undoubtedly gives Stone an edge on many of his peers, Weachter is quick to note there is more at play in Stone’s success.
“This past season was the first time he ever worked with anybody from the Ravens,” Weachter said. “He went down and started to learn some coverages. His dad, Steve, will tell you it’s Stone’s hard work. He’s worked to get where he is, especially mentally. … From the end of our season when he was in eighth grade, he and I Zoomed twice a week, learning offenses, learning coverages. He just works so hard.”
Stone Saunders helped lead Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to a state championship in 2022. Kentucky is one of five finalists for the quarterback’s commitment on Friday night.
Where the recruiting services rank Stone Saunders
The 247Sports Composite, which averages the ratings of the major recruiting services, ranks Saunders the No. 20 quarterback in the high school class of 2025. Rivals and ESPN rate Saunders as a four-star prospect. ESPN ranks him as the No. 10 pocket passer in the class. 247Sports and On3 rate him as a three-star prospect.
“His arm is elite,” Weachter said. “... His processing, his understanding of defenses and also our offensive concepts, his processing is really good. He’s my seventh Division I quarterback, and he processes better now going into his junior year better than any of them did when they were seniors, which says a lot.”
While Sanders would still qualify as one of the most highly touted quarterback signees in the Mark Stoops era, he is viewed in a tier below Boley by the recruiting services. Before he moved to the 2024 class, Boley was ranked as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2025 class by Rivals. That website ranks Saunders 22nd at the same position.
This fall Saunders’ top target for Bishop McDevitt is expected to be four-star class of 2024 Alabama wide receiver commitment Rico Scott. Another receiving option, three-star 2024 tight end Nick Slogik, is committed to East Carolina.
The senior class that helped Saunders and Bishop McDevitt win the 2022 state championship included offensive players who will suit up for South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Minnesota this season.
“He’s used to speed at receiver, used to speed at tailback,” Weachter said. “... Just going to practice right now, we have three Division I defensive backs, FBS kids, and Stone gets to throw against them every day. I think that helps him, because, again, just speed. The windows are tighter than when you don’t go up against that competition in high school.
“One of the things that also is a strength, last year an SEC quarterbacks coach came up and watched him throw going into his sophomore year and he was amazed how well Stone can throw and knows how to throw into tight windows. A lot of that goes to what he practices against every day and what he plays against in games.”
Bishop McDevitt has produced eight NFL players, including former Pro Bowl running backs LeSean McCoy and Ricky Watters.