You and I do not always agree, but you are spot on here. UK football needs to 1. Beat FL & TN in the same season for the first time since before most of us were born and 2. When something that matters like the SEC East for starters. Yeah, I know, we are in the SEC and it is so hard...but at some point you have to make the leap. Last year we had an 11-1 gift season staring us in the face and UK crapped the bed against MSU & TN to finish 9-3. Good season, but football schools finish that off and make it to the New Year's 6 with a shot at the playoff (outside shot IMO and Bama beating UGA in the SEC Title game would have made it a 0% shot).
As far as recruiting, UK football was already having some struggles due to NIL but it seems to have picked up again of late...NIL will determine how UK Football does long term as it is an arm's race in the SEC and UT, A&M, etc, have deep pockets.