When Matt Ponatoski committed to Kentucky, he made two coaches very happy: Will Stein and Nick Mingione. The Cincinnati Moeller product is a freak athlete. He won the Gatorade Player of the Year in football and baseball. Now, he is looking to do the same thing in Lexington.
Rivals' Charles Power recently took to X to hand out his superlatives for the upcoming 2026 class, and he didn't mince words about Kentucky's new signal-caller.
The two-sport king
2026 Quarterback Superlatives, via @CharlesPower🎯
— Rivals (@Rivals) February 5, 2026
Read: https://t.co/TkvWXVBGWT https://t.co/rdOrR4UK7U pic.twitter.com/X4z2PmdaRC
Power broke down the elite quarterbacks in the country. He gave "Strongest Arm" to Vandy's Jared Curtis and "Most Upside" to Tennessee's Faizon Brandon. But when it came to the "Two-Sport Star" award? That belonged to Matt Ponatoski.
This kid is different.
He isn't just a football player who plays baseball in the spring to stay in shape. He is elite at both. Most quarterbacks have to choose. Ponatoski is trying to do the impossible: play QB and baseball.
Kentucky football and baseball wait for the elephant in the room
Here is the part that makes Kentucky fans sweat: The MLB Draft. Ponatoski is so good at baseball that we have to worry about the pros calling before he ever sets foot on campus.
Baseball America currently has him as the 56th-best prospect in the 2026 class. The rule is simple but stressful: If you go to a 4-year college, you have to stay for three years (or until you turn 21). If you sign out of high school, you are gone.
So if Ponatoski bypasses the draft and comes to Lexington, we get him for the long haul. But getting him to bypass that check is the first hurdle.
Nick Mingione and Will Stein are fighting over who gets to use Matt Ponatoski more
The good news? Kentucky is ready for this. Nick Mingione is already working with the football staff to make sure Ponatoski can thrive in both sports.
"The game of baseball and football has not told Matt Ponatoski to stop playing one or the other," Mingione said on Tuesday. "So, we’re just super excited about the ability. And I’ve had multiple conversations with Will (Stein) already and his staff... It’s been fantastic. We’re fully ready for him to do both, and we have a plan to make that happen."
They didn't say exactly what that plan was, but if it gets him on campus, I am all for it. Enjoy him while he is here, folks. Athletes like this are special.