A Closer Look at Will Stein, the Quarterback

You’ve heard all about his offensive philosophy and quickly discovered that he has some recruiting chops, but what was Will Stein like as a player?

Even though he’s the youngest coach in the SEC at 36 years old, not all of our readers remember when the undersized quarterback was running around the gridiron. Let’s take a snapshot of his resume as a player.

Trinity High School Star as a Senior

Will Stein became a popular player in the city of Louisville during the peak of Bob Beatty’s powers at Trinity High School. The legendary Kentucky high school football coach won 15 state titles in the Commonwealth’s largest classification during his 21 years on the sidelines.

Stein competed to start as a sophomore, but somebody with the last name Petrino got the nod. Was the young Petrino better, or was it politics? Nevertheless, to get on the field early, Stein actually began his prep career as a wide receiver. During his junior season, he caught 18 passes for 301 yards and three scores.

After splitting time at wideout, the backup QB emerged as the starter and lit up the scoreboard. During the 2007 season, he threw for 3,697 yards and a school record 54 touchdowns. Stein capped off his senior season by beating St. X 34-28 in the first 6A State Title Game.

Early Years at Louisville

Even if you ask him today, Will Stein will say he’s 5-10 “on a good day.” Joker Phillips did not give him a chance to walk on at Kentucky, so he tested the waters at Louisville. It was a tumultuous time for the program. The Steve Kragthorpe era got off to a rocky start, even with Brian Brohm returning, and then the highly-touted Hunter Cantwell in ’08.

During Kragthorpe’s third and final season, the redshirt freshman was thrust into a starting role. He completed 20-39 passes for 232 yards in a win over Arkansas State. The following week, he walked into a hornet’s nest in Morgantown, throwing for 100 yards in a 17-9 loss to West Virginia.

Charlie Strong arrived in 2010, and Stein was thrust into a quarterback competition, ultimately serving as Justin Burke‘s backup. When the starter went down against Rutgers, he entered the game and threw his first career touchdown in a 40-13 win.

Stein Dropped a Dime at Kentucky

The game you’ve heard many people reminisce on since Stein was hired was one of the best days of his collegiate career, but also served as the beginning of the end.

He battled true freshman Teddy Bridgewater and the big-bodied athlete Dominique Brown in 2011 preseason camp before receiving the starting nod from Strong. Things got ugly in week two. Future Pro Bowler Ty Hilton went off for FIU, and despite a 349-yard performance from Stein, the Panthers pulled off a shocking 24-17 upset.

The following week, he had a chance for redemption against the school he grew up cheering for. After a slow start, he received some redemption after a Kentucky turnover near midfield, throwing a beautiful 38-yard pass into the end zone to give the Cards an early lead.

This happened the last time Will Stein was at Kroger Field. pic.twitter.com/amMtCgiZ2x

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) December 6, 2025

Unfortunately for Stein, it was his last pass attempt of the game. During the first possession of the third quarter, Stein scrambled and was tackled from behind by Dante Rumph. The enormous defensive tackle forced Stein to land awkwardly on his wrist, sidelining him for the rest of the game.

Strong alternated between Bridgewater and Brown as a Wildcat option for the rest of the game. It was not a fun football game to watch between two bad teams in the Governor’s Cup, but Louisville held on to win 24-17.

The injury to Stein was the start of Bridgewater’s story at UofL. He learned on the fly as a freshman, and by his third season, he threw for just shy of 4,000 yards passing and led the Cards to a Sugar Bowl win.

Even though he never returned to a starting role, Stein still got to celebrate a few big wins, including one with a keg (of nails) stand.