Will Stein completely disrespected in new SEC coaching rankings that make no sense

The majority of Will Stein's early successes in Lexington have come as a result of his incredibly strong 2027-28 recruiting class. Stein already has that bunch of Wildcats trending toward a potential preseason ranking, and the Big Blue Nation has more than enough reason to be excited about the future of football in the Bluegrass.

Yet, even given the lesser nature of his first Kentucky team as far as recruiting rankings go, Stein is enduring a level of disrespect that, if you ask me, is over the line. In On3 and Crain and Cone's recently released head coaching ranking for the conference, Stein comes in near the bottom of the barrel.

Of 16 head coaches in the SEC, On3 has Stein ranked all the way down at No. 15, only above the Arkansas' Razorbacks Ryan Silverfield. What gives?

Well, it's no secret that the Wildcats will be underdogs in college football's toughest conference this fall; widely, the Cats are cast far down SEC lists as a program expected to suffer in the newness of their ongoing rebuild. We can let that be, even if it's still slightly arguable.

But if head coaches are being ranked in a broader sense, there's a clear case to be made already that Stein is comfortably above the 15-spot, even given the SEC's excellence. I'm not a completely unbiased party, but this feels a tad bit hateful.

Making a Case for Coach Stein

According to 247Sports' 2027 class rankings, Kentucky slots into eighth place among their SEC competitors and at No. 21 nationally. Currently, Stein has put together a better class than Missouri, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Arkansas, among others.

Led by No. 2 overall quarterback Jake Nawrot, Kentucky is shaping up to be a fast-riding, immediately formidable squad in the season after this one. Especially with a pool of given returners set to join that group, Stein is raising the on-paper ceiling for Kentucky Football right out of the gate.

Those metrics, taken with Stein's reputation for running one of the best offenses in the nation as an offensive coordinator with Oregon, should serve him even a little more respect ahead of taking the field.

On3's Alex Byington even chronicled ESPN's rankings of every college football coaching hire of the most recent cycle, which saw Will Stein land in the top 10 of 30 candidates with an A-/B+ grade.

I'm not saying Kentucky's new coach should be an instant top five name in a conference dominated by cohesion and long-term success, not at all. But throwing him down the well to No. 15 feels like a confusing assesment, all the same.

Maybe I'm blinded by the big blue light, but I believe certified stud-feeder Will Stein deserves a little more respect than he's getting in the national limelight right now. However, I have a feeling our coach wouldn't have it any other way. "Stay on that side," as they say.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow