The Kentucky Wildcats hired Will Stein for a reason. Not only was it the mid-30-something's time to be a college football head coach, but the Louisville native knows offense. He is coming over to Lexington to do something his predecessor Mark Stoops rarely could, which is to move the sticks prolifically. One of the things he is going to do is bring in guys who want to put the past behind them.
Here are the 10 players CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah had listed as prime bounce-back candidates.
- Kentucky Wildcats WR Nic Anderson
- Colorado Buffaloes DB Boo Carter
- Florida State Seminoles OL Xavier Chaplin
- Houston Cougars RB Makhi Hughes
- Ole Miss Rebels DL Jehiem Oatis
- Baylor Bears QB DJ Lagway
- South Carolina Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers
- Oregon Ducks WR Evan Stewart
- North Texas Mean Green RB Jahiem White
- Alabama Crimson Tide WR Ryan Williams
As you can see, incoming Kentucky wide receiver Nic Anderson is the first of 10 names Jeyarajah had listed in his article for CBS Sports. Yes, you can also see that it was mostly done alphabetically by surname. However, Anderson is coming over to UK by way of Oklahoma and LSU. Anderson spent his first three college seasons playing at OU before linking up with LSU last year via the transfer portal.
This will be Anderson's redshirt junior season in college football. He really only played two years of college football: 2023 at Oklahoma and 2025 at LSU. Anderson redshirted at OU in 2022 and missed all of the 2024 college season due to injury. While he wanted a fresh start in Baton Rouge, it was the end of the line for Brian Kelly leading the Bayou Bengals. Perhaps it will be third time's a charm here?
With Kenny Minchey coming over to play quarterback from Notre Dame, it could be a fun connection.
Nic Anderson listed as one of the 10 players primed to have a bounce back
What we have to like about Anderson coming over from LSU is this is truly a reset for him and the entire program. So much will be different from a season ago. Frankly, Kentucky football was in need of a few wholesale changes, especially on offense. For as great as the first two-thirds of Stoops' run in Lexington were, things got stale quickly for him once conference realignment came to the SEC again.
Stein carries a ton of recruiting clout from his days of being at Oregon. Yes, he may have worked for a defensive-minded head coach in Dan Lanning, but he has always put an important emphasis on the side of the ball he does not favor. Look no further than Stein getting to lead Kentucky now and his first offensive coordinator at Oregon in Kenny Dillingham having taken Arizona State to the playoff.
In the end, Anderson may only be a cog in a much larger machine. He can be great in a Kentucky uniform, but he cannot do it alone. Nobody can, not even Minchey, Stein, or whomever... What is important to understand is Kentucky has a rare opportunity to truly reset itself on the gridiron. The Stoops era was good while it lasted, but now is time for a change in Lexington. Full steam ahead!
If Anderson and Minchey jell right away, Kentucky might be able to make a bowl game in year one.