After Will Stein returns to Lexington, UK football lands two marquee transfers
Will Stein’s first day on which his sole focus could be on his position as Kentucky football’s new coach may be remembered as the most important day in his offseason quest to build a competitive 2026 roster.
Just hours after flying into Lexington on Saturday following Oregon’s Friday night playoff loss to Indiana, Stein secured transfer commitments to fill two of the most glaring holes on the Wildcat roster.
First, former Tennessee offensive lineman Lance Heard, the No. 2-ranked offensive tackle in the portal, committed to the Wildcats. Heard, who started every game he played at left tackle the last two seasons for Tennessee, will step into that same role for Kentucky as one of the highest-paid players on the roster next season. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound former five-star recruit was named third-team All-SEC by the league coaches in December.
During the men’s basketball win over Mississippi State Saturday night, Stein landed a pledge from former Texas linebacker Elijah Barnes in front of the UK student section. Barnes was the No. 3-ranked linebacker in the high school class of 2025, according to 247Sports. After a redshirt season at Texas, he will have four years of eligibility left for Kentucky. Barnes becomes the favorite to start at the inside linebacker spot next to returning Wildcat Grant Godfrey.
Kentucky also accepted commitments from projected backup safety Cyrus Reyes (Mississippi State) and backup kicker Adam Zouagui (South Florida) on Saturday, bringing the number of transfers to commit to Stein and Kentucky since the portal opened last week to 19.
For the first week the transfer portal was open, Stein had to balance his responsibilities to Kentucky and Oregon, where he remained the offensive coordinator during the Ducks’ playoff run.
Saturday was the first day since he was hired in early December that Stein’s only focus has been with Kentucky.
“My life was changed because of my time at Oregon and I cannot thank the players enough for their dedication and hard work,” Stein wrote in a message posted to X thanking Oregon and coach Dan Lanning after he arrived in Lexington Saturday. “I will be a Duck fan forever.”
The two marquee commitments on Saturday were the highest-profile pledges landed by UK’s new staff since Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey committed five days earlier.
Landing Heard was particularly important as Kentucky must replace its entire starting offensive line and had seen transfer tackle targets Xavier Chaplin (Florida State) and Tyree Adams (Texas A&M) commit to other programs after visiting UK. Kentucky has now signed the No. 2 tackle and No. 1-ranked interior lineman (center Coleton Price) in 247Sports’ rankings. The Wildcats have also signed former Alabama guard Olaus Alinen and former Tennessee guard Max Anderson to compete for starting jobs.
Kentucky likely needs at least one more tackle transfer following the departure of redshirt freshman Darrin Strey to the portal this week, but the biggest remaining hole on the roster appears to be at wide receiver.
Kentucky has just one receiver still on the roster who caught a pass last season. The Wildcats did sign five high school receivers in December, including four-star prospect Kenny Darby, and one transfer (former UAB receiver Xavier Daisy), but the group needs multiple transfers capable of starting immediately. The staff hosted former Texas receiver DeAndre Moore and former Auburn receiver Malcolm Simmons this week, but those decisions have lingered long after both players completed their visits to Lexington.