As Oregon advances in playoff, Will Stein faces new challenge as Kentucky coach
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Stein splits duties between Oregon playoff prep and building Kentucky roster.
- Portal urgency forces Stein to juggle transfer visits and remote recruiting.
- Key defensive losses push Kentucky to prioritize immediate portal recruiting.
Since he was hired by Kentucky on Dec. 1, Will Stein has been balancing his time between building a staff and roster at UK and continuing his responsibilities as Oregon offensive coordinator during the College Football Playoff.
After Oregon’s 23-0 win over Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl Thursday, Stein’s balancing act is about to get even more difficult.
The No. 5 seed Ducks will next face No. 1 seed Indiana in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, but Stein is expected to return to Lexington on Friday for the opening of the transfer portal. Before the Texas Tech win, Stein told Yahoo Sports he planned to fly from Miami to Lexington after the game, regardless of the result.
Stein’s presence in Lexington could be important in the coming days as the new staff works to get transfer targets on campus for official visits. The portal is open until Jan. 16, which is also the deadline for students to enroll in classes for UK’s spring semester.
The importance of Stein being in Lexington this weekend grew more apparent shortly after Oregon’s win when news broke that UK quarterback Cutter Boley was planning to transfer, pushing Kentucky into the transfer quarterback market.
The good news for Stein is both his Kentucky coordinators (Joe Sloan and Jay Bateman) are on site in Lexington on a full-time basis. Of the reported assistant coach hires, only offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich (Oregon) is still working for a team alive in the playoff.
Stein’s continued work with Oregon in the playoff can be a convenient recruiting pitch for offensive transfer targets, including any quarterbacks the Wildcats pursue, but the new staff’s work in attracting transfer defenders might be even more important over the next two weeks.
The latest blow to UK’s defense came Thursday with the news that sophomore defensive lineman Jerod Smith was planning to enter the portal. Smith, the former four-star recruit from Corbin High School, was often hyped as a future star by Kentucky’s previous coaching staff after totaling 27 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack as a reserve last season.
The UK defense has also lost projected starting cornerback DJ Waller, top pass rusher Steven Soles and backup nose guard Austin Ramsey to the portal. The presence of former UK defensive coordinator Brad White and cornerbacks coach Chris Collins on Jon Sumrall’s Florida staff adds additional intrigue for the stay-or-go decisions from UK’s top defenders.
Stein will have to return to Oregon to participate in prep for the Duck’s semifinal matchup before the transfer portal closes. Then he will have to settle for video teleconference meetings with prospective recruits while his UK assistant coaches host them on campus. Oregon is scheduled to arrive in Atlanta for Peach Bowl prep Wednesday.
UK has provided Stein with use of a private airplane while he splits duties between Oregon and Kentucky, so do not be surprised if he pops back up in Lexington for any important transfer visits. The short flight from Atlanta to Lexington should make any additional trips more feasible after Wednesday.
Should Oregon win its next playoff game, Stein will not be fully available to Kentucky until after the national championship game Jan. 19.
This story has been updated to reflect news of Boley’s transfer plans.
This story was originally published January 1, 2026 at 3:45 PM.