It's hard to get a proper gauge on exactly how effective Will Stein's first Kentucky team will be. When kickoff comes this fall, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to the win total and general competitiveness of the 2026-27 Wildcats squad. As the first team under a new head coach in over a decade, I can at least assure Cats fans that things will look and feel different.
However, it wouldn't be a stretch at all to say that the 2027-28 Wildcats will be pretty darn good, even now. Rivals just dropped their recruiting rankings following official summer visits, and Kentucky, by way of Stein's red-hot summer, snuck into the top 25 at No. 23.
Now, these are early metrics based on the 2027 recruiting class alone; multiple teams, Stein's squad included, will inevitably benefit from certain returners on either side of the ball. But being this high so early on indicates a rare accomplishment could once again be on the horizon for Kentucky Football.
That is, a preseason top 25 ranking. Kentucky was last numbered by the AP prior to week one in 2022, coming in at No. 20. Before that, it had been since 1978 that the Wildcats entered the season with a certified number next to their name.
Updated Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings following summer official visits👀https://t.co/pT5tmMCdqN pic.twitter.com/tcRnoJfVOM
— Rivals (@Rivals) June 25, 2026
I don't want to put all our pigskins in one basket here, but for that to even be a possibility before a Stein team so much as touches the turf in Lexington is a testament to the job he's done so far.
That's made even more impressive by this ranking coming in after Kentucky lost a four-star wide receiver in that class to South Carolina. Cede a priority recruit to an unfortunate flip and, still, the Cats can't be shaken.
Winning After a Loss
Revered pass-catching prospect Iveon Lewis ditched the Cats for the Gamecocks in an unsurprising move much like the many other flips that have plagued college football recruiting as of late.
As Stein and his staff look to recoup that offensive blow (keep an eye on fellow four-star wideout Tyler Fryman), Kentucky remains on the national radar next season as a roster well worth respecting regardless. That's what landing the No. 2 quarterback in the entire country will do for you, I suppose. Special shoutout to Jake Nawrot.
We'll be pulling for signal caller Kenny Minchey and his potentially underrated Kentucky team this fall, but regardless of how that goes, the Big Blue Nation have been given plenty of reasons to believe that the football program is in the right hands.
Stein is here to compete on the biggest stage, both right now and far into the future.
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