This past weekend, the first preseason SEC poll dropped for the 2026-27 season, situating Will Stein and Kentucky all the way down in spot No. 14. The lowly ranking came just days after Stein confidently asserted that he was the reason Kentucky would win football games; the timing was unfortunate, but like it or not, his Wildcats are still very much on track.
To combat that aforementioned sour list, Rivals just released their updated recruiting rankings for the following 2027-28 season. Through their outlook, Stein's second-year Cats will leap nearly half the conference from his inaugural season, rising in the SEC ranks when it comes to recruiting.
Above the likes of Tennessee and Alabama, among others, Kentucky currently sits at No. 9. There's a lot of work still to be done in that class, but assuming Stein retains and signs his primary commits, Cats fans have good reason to share in their head coach's confidence heading into next season.
Even if it takes time (though perhaps less than expected), Stein and Kentucky Football are on the rise.
Updated Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings for the SEC🔥https://t.co/R5XwHON8pI pic.twitter.com/DrvGDpHqsX
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 27, 2026
Will Stein Has Kentucky on an Undeniable Rise
Take one peek into the Cats' 2027 class of commits and you'll pretty quickly see why outside confidence is growing in Stein's regime, and specifically in that group.
I can't say enough about four-star quarterback Jake Nawrot. According to 247Sports, Nawrot is already the fourth-highest recruit to ever pledge to the blue and white. Under Stein especially, he should track for a ton of improvement as he hopes to follow the likes of Bo Nix to the NFL. That's Stein's calling card, and it should land the Wildcats a ton of talent under center in the future.
Beyond Nawrot, fellow four-stars Sean Fox (linebacker) and Tristian Hughes (safety) stand out on the defensive side of the ball, evidencing Stein's focus on building the unit he's not used to coaching. Tyler Fryman (wide receiver) and Dominic Black (offensive tackle) are a pair of additional four-stars on offense, too.
A Short-Term Waiting Game
From there, you're looking at high-upside, multi-year pieces that will have a chance to grow alongside Stein as he builds out his new program in Lexington.
It's fair to hope for more than is expected out of Kentucky this season, but even if that team comes up short, the BBN has plenty of reason to believe that things will get better regardless. Even if that means playing a short-term waiting game as things shake out, I imagine Cats fans will happily trade another rocky season for more consistency going forward.
To my eyes, anything is better than watching a Mark Stoops offense try and keep up in the SEC again. That's nightmare fuel on the football field.
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