Will Stein has flipped O-line from question to strength for Kentucky football
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Stein and Leftwich rebuilt Kentucky O-line via three proven power-conference transfers.
- 247Sports top portal linemen Price, Tshabola and Heard project into starting roles.
- Depth additions Robinson, Alinen and Anderson add competition and depth.
When Will Stein was hired as Kentucky football coach, no position on the Wildcat roster needed more work than the offensive line.
Four of the Wildcats’ five 2025 starters were out of eligibility. The only starter with any left, Jalen Farmer, later declared for the NFL draft.
That meant Stein and new UK offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich needed to replace the entire starting line. Since the 2025 Wildcats had experienced unusual good luck with health on the offensive line and the previous staff chose not to find many snaps for backups in close games, the new coaches would have to rely on practice film to decide how many, if any, of the remaining UK linemen were ready to step into starting roles.
Kentucky would need at least three starters in the transfer portal, but with quality transfer linemen in high demand, it would be no easy — or cheap — task to find the required reinforcements.
With four days still left in the transfer portal window, the offensive line rebuild already has to be considered a raging success.
Kentucky has landed commitments from three power-conference linemen with multiple years of starting experience and a handful of intriguing depth options capable of competing for the other starting jobs. That group, combined with returning tackle Malachi Wood, returning guards Aba Selm and Jay Clark, returning center Evan Wibberley and junior-college transfer Jordan Knox, should provide an offensive line rotation with comparable depth to the high point of the “Big Blue Wall” under the leadership of John Schlarman.
Here’s a closer look at the transfer additions on the offensive line and how they might fit for Kentucky.
Tegra Tshabola (Ohio State)
Lakota West High School in Ohio was an important feeder of high school talent in the Stoops era, sending the Wildcats eventual starters Kyle Meadows, George Asafo-Adjei and Alex Afari. Now, Will Stein has landed a Lakota West graduate as one of his early marquee transfer additions. Tshabola started 29 games for Ohio State, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2025. 247Sports ranked Tshabola as the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the portal, behind only new UK teammate Coleton Price. At Kentucky, Tshabola should slide into the starting right guard spot vacated by Farmer.
Lance Heard (Tennessee)
The No. 2-ranked offensive lineman in the portal according to 247Sports, Heard started every game he appeared in at left tackle over the past two seasons at Tennessee. He also played in 12 games with one start as a freshman at LSU in 2023. The SEC coaches voted him third-team All-SEC after the season. He was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the Volunteers’ win at Kentucky. Now, Heard will hope to duplicate that performance for the Wildcats as UK’s top left tackle next season. He will be one of the highest-paid players on the roster.
Coleton Price (Baylor)
Considering Wibberley, who started at center for Western Kentucky in 2024 before transferring to UK, was the most experienced of the returning UK linemen, it was no guarantee the new staff would target a center in the portal. However, the staff quickly brought Price to campus and convinced him to be the first lineman to sign onto the rebuilding project. After starting 30 consecutive appearances at Baylor, Price should replace Jager Burton as UK’s starting center in 2026. 247Sports ranked him as the top interior offensive lineman in the portal.
Mark Robinson (UTEP)
The transfer portal has normalized upward movement across football divisions for overlooked players, but there might not be a player in the country next season with a faster rise than Robinson. He began his career at NAIA Southeastern, where he started nine games at left tackle as a freshman in 2024. He then transferred to UTEP, where he also started every game at left tackle. With Heard locked in as UK’s left tackle next season, Robinson will likely compete with Wood and others for the starting right tackle position. Even if he does not start, he should provide much-needed depth after UK lost redshirt freshman tackle Darrin Strey (LSU) to the transfer portal.
Olaus Alinen (Alabama)
A native of Finland, Alinen spent three years at Alabama as a backup lineman and special teams contributor. He appeared in all 15 games for the Crimson Tide this season, playing primarily on special teams but also seeing occasional snaps at both guard and tackle. Alinen’s versatility should help Kentucky’s depth, but he has indicated in interviews since his commitment he would like to focus on guard at UK. In that role, he should compete for the starting spot at left guard.
Max Anderson (Tennessee)
Like Alinen, Anderson spent 2025 as a backup linemen at one of the SEC’s traditional powers. Most of his 2025 contributions came on special teams, so it remains to be seen whether he is ready to step into a featured role as a third-year sophomore in 2026. Even if he does not feature in the primary rotation in 2026, Anderson, a former four-star recruit, looks like a shrewd pickup for future development as the staff works to build some continuity on the offensive line. He will have a chance to compete with Alinen, Knox, Selm and Clark for a starting guard spot in spring practice.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 6:00 AM.