Will Stein wasn't kidding when he said he would use recruiting as the lifeblood of the program. He has done just that in his month as head coach in Lexington. He has found his QB1, secured several offensive linemen, and is coaching Oregon in the College Football Playoff. That is quite a feat for a man who has never been a head coach before. It helps that he found and hired an absolute monster of a staff, but this latest swath of offers is massive.
Drew Collins, LB/EDGE- Arkansas State
Drew Collins is a 6'4 EDGE specialiast who also has some cover skills when needed. The former 3-star recruit out of Alabama has played with Arkansas State for two years, amassing 6 tackles and 3 sacks in 1 year of playing time. He spent his first year as a redshirt and will have 3 years of eligibility.
Tre Guerra, QB- Tyler Junior College
Will Stein continues to try to find more QBs even after flipping Kenny Minchey from Nebraska. In a move that means Matt Ponatoski will definitely redshirt, the Cats will look for more depth beyond Brennan Ward and Minchey. He is the number 1 JuCo QB, throwing for 2811 yards and 24 TDs to go away with 14 INTs.
Kamoni Adams, ATH- Marietta, GA
Kamoni "Moni" Adams mainly plays CB and is a current 3-star prospect according to Rivals. He is in the 2027 class, so he will continue in high school this year, but it is another sign that Stein is casting a far net for a program that only had 11 players before he flipped Andre Clark Jr from Michigan.
Junior James, Safety - Alabaster, AL
Junior James is a class of 2027 safety who is currently unranked. At 6'3, he has great size and is currently being offered by programs like Auburn, Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas A&M. Clearly, the stock is rising for the young man
Kameron McGee, EDGE - Chicago, IL
Kameron McGee is a top-10 talent in the class of 2028 already. He is a 5-star with nearly 30 offers already, and Kentucky is now in the mix for the talented young man. Already at 6'3 and with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, he may hit a growth spurt and be even more dominant by the time he gets to college. They are building relationships early here.
Will Mencl, QB - Chandler, AZ
Will Mencl is a 3-star qb with 247sports who recently spoke to rivals and broke down his recruitment. So far, the 5 programs standing out the most are Kentucky, Oregon, Auburn, Kansas State, and North Carolina. He is part of the 2027 class that Stein is attacking hard.
Tavares Harrington, DB - Chicago, IL
Harrington is a 4-star cornerback in the class of 2027 who is 6'3 and shown really good speed and coverage skills for someone his size. Kentucky is in the fight with programs like Alabama, Penn State, and Georgia for Tavares.
Myles Smith, EDGE - Farmington, MI
Myles Smith is a 4-star pass rusher from Michigan who, stop me if you have heard this before, is a member of the 2027 class. Watching the tape, you see a huge man with excellent twitch and instincts. He knows how to find the ball and has the athleticism to get to it. Prying him from Big10 country will be hard, but Kentucky is swinging.
Jaden "J5" Upshaw, WR - Leesburg, GA
Will Stein is definitely not overlooking the offensive side of the ball, BBN. The 6'1 WR out of Georgia is everything you want in a pass catcher. He is not going to blow you away with speed or size; he just gets the job done all over the field. Need a block, he will put his man in the dirt and smile about it. Coming from Georgia, he will also have played against some elite competition. He is also a top 10 player in Georgia and one of the 15 best WR's in the country.
Julian Cromartie, WR - The Woodlands, TX
See, I told you not to worry about the offense. Cromartie is a 3-star prospect out of Texas who has grown over time, physically. Made the jump from a little over 6 feet to around 6'4, depending on who you ask. He is one of the kids of the NFL's Antonio Cromartie; you may remember this video when he played for the New York Jets. He has 13 brothers and sisters, and
Allen "LA" Evans, CB - Louisville, KY
Evans is a CB who is the 2nd-best player in the state. When Stoops was here, he was offered and considered a strong Louisville lean. When Stein took over, Evans was re-offered, and the new staff tried to make up ground in his recruitment. It is unlikely to work; he most likely ends up with the Cards, but the work is being done. That is a good sign.
Santana (Tana) Alo-Tupuola, C - Georgia Tech
Alo-Tupuola is a former 3-star prospect out of Bradenton, Florida, where he committed to Georgia Tech, where he started 4 games over his 2 years for the Yellow Jackets. With Evan Wibberly and now Coleton Price on board, this one may be a stretch.
What's next for Kentucky football?
Stein is indeed a busy man, but the next big hurdle will be reeling these guys in. We will see soon if the new staff can outrecruit the old staff with all these 2027 offers.
It is a fun time in Lexington.