Are you paying close attention? The Kentucky Wildcats have made it a point to get back into the thick of things on the gridiron with their offseason moves. While moving on from long-time head coach Mark Stoops was a tad controversial, it felt long past overdue for some legions of Big Blue Nation. Coming over from Oregon is Kentucky native Will Stein. He is doing incredible work as a recruiter.
On Thursday, Kentucky was able to land coveted interior offensive lineman Brady Hull's commitment.
🚨BREAKING🚨 IOL Brady Hull has committed to Kentucky, @Hayesfawcett3 and @SWiltfong_ report😼
— Rivals (@Rivals) February 5, 2026
Read: https://t.co/qR1htVspKn pic.twitter.com/l92E9ZhvD1
According to the 247Sports Composite, Hull is a three-star recruit from Somerset. He is the No. 9 player from Kentucky, the No. 27 interior offensive linemen in the country, and the No. 438 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle. These are the type of homegrown players that Kentucky will need to continue to land under Stein to get back in the swing of things inside of an expanded SEC.
Every recruiting battle win Stein has is a sign that his "Why not us?" mantra could work at Kentucky.
Will Stein plans to build Kentucky the right way to usher in future success
One of the biggest things Stein has working for him is the extended runway for potential buy-in. Not only is he an up-and-coming offensive mind, but he has strong ties to the state and region. Yes, he may have played his college football for in-state rival Louisville, but he is also from the city... As his coaching career starts to blossom, there is a great chance he does all of that while leading Kentucky.
Under Stoops, the Wildcats usually had it right in the trenches. They were competitive at the line of scrimmage throughout his decade-plus tenure in Lexington. Where things went off the rails a bit were with offensive play-calling and a lack of development at the quarterback position. Being that Stein is a former quarterback himself, look for incoming Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey to prosper here.
By securing Hull's commitment this early into the process, it helps put forth the necessary building blocks upon which Stein can really forge something special at UK. Again, these things do take time. While Indiana did the unthinkable in only two years, Curt Cignetti has a few decades of life experience on Stein. That being said, Stein's coaching career only just getting started. This is great for Kentucky!
It was not that long ago that Kentucky was winning 10 game some years, and Stein is well aware of it.