WELCOME TO THE NEW KENTUCKY WILDCATS APPROACH

LEXINGTON, KY - The 2026 Kentucky football season is finally here, and Saturday will give Big Blue Nation its first look at the Wildcats under new head coach Will Stein.

Kentucky welcomes Youngstown State to Kroger Field for the season opener at 1 p.m. The game also serves as the first home game of the Stein era.

Stein takes over after spending the previous two seasons as Oregon’s offensive coordinator. He enters Lexington with a different approach and a roster that has plenty of new faces, especially on offense.

Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey is expected to make his first start at quarterback. Kentucky is also expected to have several transfer players make their Wildcat debuts, making Saturday an important first test for a new-look offense.

One of the biggest things to watch will be the running game. Oklahoma transfer Jovantae Barnes will miss the opener because of an injury, leaving Texas transfer CJ Baxter and the rest of the running back room with more responsibility.

Kentucky does have some experience returning on defense. Senior outside linebacker Sam Greene will be available after recovering from an ACL injury. Greene recorded 25 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack last season.

Youngstown State enters Lexington already 1-0 after a 43-10 win over Mercyhurst. The Penguins finished with a strong rushing attack in that opener, giving Kentucky an early challenge on defense.

For Kentucky, Saturday is about more than opening the season. It is the first chance to see what this new-look Wildcats team can become.

The new approach starts now.

The Stable wishes Kentucky the best as they get ready for Youngstown State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5.

by Austin Stuckey, The Stable

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Photography Credit: UK Athletics