Will Stein has a quarterback decision to make
Before Mark Stoops was fired he wanted the fan base to know that he had Cutter Boley all set to come back as Kentucky’s starting quarterback in 2026. That was part of the pitch for another year, but that pitch lost some force when the Wildcats lost to Vanderbilt and Louisville in ugly fashion to end the season.
But Boley spoke with Football Scoop this week and it’s now clear that his future is up in the air.
“I’m still in, like … I’m still processing it a little bit,” he said. “It kind of came as a bit of a surprise to, I feel like, everybody here. … I think just moving forward, I’m trying to find the best place, wherever that may be, whether it’s here or wherever I can kind of showcase what I can do in the best system for me.”
One of the main reasons Kentucky hired Will Stein was the work he has done with quarterbacks at Oregon. In that regard he carries the same kind of reputation that former UK offensive coordinator Liam Coen now has early in his own career.
Yesterday Cats Illustrated outlined a series of priorities for Stein in the first days and weeks on the job and meeting with Boley to discuss the future was high on that list. Stein has enough time to build a staff and assess the roster before the portal opens and his decision on next year’s quarterback is critical to next year’s success.
Boley completed 198/301 (65.8%) passes for 2,160 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions as Kentucky’s starter once Zach Calzada went out. He led Kentucky to three consecutive wins against Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee Tech, and he probably showed enough on film to have some opportunities elsewhere if he does decide to go into the portal.
But he was recruited by Liam Coen and coached by Bush Hamdan. Now turnover at the top with Stoops, who Boley was set to return to play for, could lead to Boley exploring his options. It seems likely that Stein will probably talk to Boley at some point and in the course of those conversations both will stake out their positions.
There has already been some speculation that Kentucky could bring an Oregon quarterback into the program.
Stein was hired to be Oregon’s offensive coordinator in December of 2022. He was able to orchestrate quarterback Austin Novosad’s flip from Baylor to Oregon on short notice. That speaks to the kind of relationship Novosad had with Stein even years ago. He has been in the Oregon program for the last three years working with Stein.
Novosad has only attempted 15 passes over three years for the Ducks. As a high school recruit from Dripping Springs, Tex., Novosad was a four-star prospect (93.80) Stein knew a lot about from his time at UTSA. Novosad was ranked the No. 113 player in the 2023 class, the No. 10 quarterback, and the No. 21 player in Texas.
Cats Illustrated has also learned from sources that one of the scholarship quarterbacks on the roster was likely to transfer if Kentucky had run it back with Stoops and Hamdan in 2026. As it stands each of those quarterbacks will meet with Stein to determine the path forward.
Zachary Neal of DucksWire is openly asking who Stein might bring with him to Kentucky as well.
“Does Stein tab someone like TE coach Drew Mehringer as his next offensive coordinator? Does he bring over Austin Novosad or Luke Moga in the transfer portal and make him his next starting QB? How many analysts and assistants follow Stein to Lexington in order to get more prominent roles? It’s not as if Stein is going to gut Lanning’s staff in order to create his own, as the two have a good relationship and will likely go through an amicable split, but it’s fair to think that there are at least a handful of coaches and players who will follow Stein to Kentucky.”
There’s a lot for Stein to think about.
Novosad was locked in a quarterback competition with Dante Moore that went right up to the cusp of the season opener. While he felt like he did enough to win the job the widespread perception was that Moore would probably be the starter. But being the runner-up in a quarterback competition to someone who had a very successful season would still put Novosad in the ballpark of someone who could be envisioned as a starter at Kentucky next year. The fact that Stein wanted him as a recruit and has worked with him in his offense for the last three years means he is someone who would make sense.