The Will Stein Era Begins Saturday; Kentucky vs Youngstown State Preview
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The Will Stein Era Begins Saturday
It’s a new day for Kentucky football as Will Stein takes over as the Wildcats’ head coach. He, of course, replaces Mark Stoops, the school’s all-time winningest coach, after 13 years. Kentucky goes from having the elder statesman of SEC coaches to the youngest in Stein. The 36-year-old spent the last three years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon. Of course, the Ducks are known for their offensive prowess and the Big Blue Nation hopes that makes its way to Lexington. Speaking of the BBN, excitement around the program is as high as it’s been in years. Now, it’s time to prove it on the field. Kentucky’s first opponent, Youngstown State, won’t be an easy victory. Let’s introduce you to some of the key players for both the Wildcats and Penguins as the Will Stein Era begins Saturday.
The Will Stein Era Begins Saturday
Finally The Man
After three years as the backup at Notre Dame, Kenny Minchey finally gets his chance at being QB1. During his time in South Bend, Minchey appeared in 10 games, completing 23 of 29 passes for 212 yards. In addition, he ran for nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Minchey originally committed to Nebraska after putting his name in the portal. However, Stein got him to flip to Kentucky the next day. He has two years of eligibility remaining. So far, Minchey has looked very confident in camp. He’s finally getting his opportunity, and he plans on making the most of it.
Let’s look at some of Minchey’s targets as the Will Stein Era begins Saturday.
Plenty Of Weapons
Stein’s motto is “Feed The Studs.” Quite simply, that means get your best players the ball and let them create. The Wildcats have a host of guys to complement Minchey. CJ Baxter was a second-team freshman All-American at Texas, running for 659 yards and five touchdowns for the Longhorns. However, injuries have limited him the last couple of years, but he’s ready to go in 2026. Jason Patterson, Jovantae Barnes and Martels Carter, Jr. are all expected to see significant time at running back.
The Wildcats have a lot of great players at the wide receiver position. Nic Anderson had a huge year for Oklahoma in 2023. However, the last two seasons have been derailed by injuries. Much like Baxter, he looks healthy and ready to go. Stein went to the FCS ranks to get Southern Utah standout Shane Carr. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Carr totaled 81 receptions for 1,391 yards and 10 touchdowns while playing for the Thunderbirds.
DJ Miller hauled in 13 receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns last season. Finally, UK has a player who they think can be an instant-impact freshman. Kenny Darby is the ninth-best player in Louisiana and 27th-best receiver in the country. As a senior, he had 83 receptions for 1,185 yards and eight touchdowns. In addition, he ran for another 547 yards and nine more scores. He’s already popped up on some freshman All-American lists.
Stein promises the Cats will utilize the tight ends more. That makes the Wildcat faithful happy. Another strong group is led by Willie Rodriguez, who finished third on the team with 23 receptions. In addition, he had 310 yards and a touchdown. That made him the first Kentucky tight end to get more than 300 yards since C.J. Conrad back in 2018. He’s got All-SEC potential.
That’s a look at some of the major players on offense. Let’s turn our attention to the opponent as the Will Stein Era begins Saturday.
Scouting The Penguins
Under head coach Doug Phillips, Youngstown State comes into Saturday ranked seventh in FCS. They have an advantage in the fact that they’ve already played one game. Last Thursday night, the Penguins had no trouble with Mercyhurst, 43-10. They are led by Beau Brungard, who’s the reigning Walter Payton FCS Player of the Year. That’s the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. Brungard picked up where he left off in the season opener, completing 20 of 29 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, he ran for another 119 yards and two more scores.
Running back Jaden Gilbert had 89 yards on only five carries and added a couple of receptions. He ran for nearly 700 yards last year. Youngstown has a very solid offensive line led by left tackle Desmeal Leigh. He was an all-conference player last year who’s started 38 straight games.
On the other side of the ball, they lost a lot from 2025. However, edge rusher Michael Wells returns and is the leader of the defense. Now in his fifth year, Wells was an all-conference performer who also got some all-American honors.
It’s prediction time as the Will Stein era begins Saturday.
Who Wins On Saturday?
Kentucky can’t take Youngstown State lightly. They are one of the top teams on the FCS level with a star quarterback. In the past, dual-threat players have given the Wildcats fits.
One of the biggest things to watch is to see how defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s troops perform. They got some really good news when linebacker Sam Greene was cleared to play after suffering a season-ending injury last year. In addition, look for Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace to have a big game up front.
Look for this one to stay close for a while before the Wildcats pull away, getting the Stein era off to a great start.
Kentucky 42-17
The Will Stein Era begins Saturday, and it’s definitely a new era for Kentucky football.
How To Watch
Opponent: Youngstown State
Date and Time: Saturday, September 5th, 1:30 PM EDT
Location: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky (Capacity 61,000)
Streaming Only: SEC Network Plus
Spread: Kentucky is a 23.5-point favorite with the over/under at 62.5
Main Image: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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