Will Stein runs a really fun system, and it is built entirely on doing whatever he believes is his team's best option on any given play. That is going to be refreshing in and of itself.
For Kentucky fans, we have been dealing with the exact same offensive philosophy for over a decade. Moving on from the Mark Stoops era into a modern, fast-paced Will Stein offense is exactly what the program needed. But to really capitalize on what Stein offers as a head coach, Kentucky needs to find some studs for him to feed.
Here are the three most critical offensive players for the 2026 season.
Mikkel Skinner, Tight End
Yes, Willie Rodriguez is a great player and will be really solid this year, but it is the other tight end who has the potential for a massive breakout. Skinner is a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman whom you can plug in anywhere on the field to go make plays. With his elite size and speed, I expect to see him split out wide quite a bit to take advantage of slower linebackers over the middle.
Coleton Price, Center
If Kentucky is going to have a good year, the offensive line has to be elite. Everyone has seen what happens when you have offensive pieces but are unable to protect a QB. The line rebuild starts in the middle with the number one interior lineman in the transfer portal: Coleton Price. Coming over from Baylor, Price was one of the best centers in all of college football last year. If he can quickly grasp Stein's offense and help the line gel, Kentucky will actually have a chance to put some major points on the board.
Kenny Minchey, Quarterback
You simply cannot have an impact player list without talking about the most important position on the field. Coming over from Notre Dame and flipping from Nebraska at the absolute last second (sorry Huskers), Minchey will have all eyes on him in the first college start of his career.
If he can come out and show why his recruiting ceiling was so incredibly high, Kentucky will have a year to remember. This is Minchey's chance to prove he deserves the spotlight. Can he do it?
There are plenty of other impact guys on this roster, like Texas transfer CJ Baxter in the backfield or Nic Anderson out wide, but the three guys above are the absolute most critical to our success. If Will Stein finds a way to spread the ball around efficiently, 2026 is going to be a very fun year for Kentucky football.