2028 top-ranked prospect talks Will Stein and Kentucky ahead of his visit

Will Stein is working tirelessly to build a new culture of Kentucky football and do it as fast as he can. The best way to do that is not only improve the in-game atmosphere, but you've gotta get the best guys on the field. There isn't many better than Kellan Hall in the 2028 recruiting class. The defensive lineman is not only the best at his position in the class, but one of the top overall in the country and he's on Kentucky's radar.

Hall has gotten off to a very impressive junior season at in-state powerhouse Christian Academy of Louisville as he and Louisville commit wide receiver Ja'Hyde Brown have created havoc for opponents on both sides of the ball. The Kentucky staff has been taking notice and Hall is going to get a taste of what the Will Stein era is like in the beginning stages when the Wildcats take on Alabama in week 2 on Sept. 12 in what will be an electric day in Lexington leading up to the game. The nation's top-ranked defensive lineman, who is ranked #2 overall in 2028 according to 247 Sports, will be in attendance while on his visit to Kentucky. What is the star lineman looking to get out of his visit?

Christian Academy of Louisville’s Kellan Hall (53) celebrates after sacking Owensboro High School’s Tyson Biggs (16) in the first half at Centurion Stadium in Louisville. August 28, 2026 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"I just want to see them keep competing," Hall said of what he wants to see on his visit. "They got a new coach in Will Stein, Coach Bateman, they retained Coach (Stewart), but I just want to see what they're going to do. They got this new nine-game SEC schedule and I just want to see how they do that."

With all of the new surrounding the Kentucky football program, that means Will Stein is having to build relationships quickly with recruits and really get them to buy into what he wants the program to become. Hall says he thinks Stein has started off right in trying to put Kentucky on the map nationally. "Definitely," Hall said when asked if he is intrigued with what Stein is trying to build at Kentucky. "I mean, he's trying to build it to be the best in the country. He's starting from ground zero, and I think he's taking steps in the right direction to do that."

Hall also dove into what his conversations have been like as he tries to get to know Will Stein, a first-year head coach looking to turn a lifelong dream into reality and help his beloved Wildcats become a powerhouse. "It's like talking to a normal person. He takes the football stuff out of it. He always says, 'I want my dreams to be the same as yours'. That's to be a first-round pick. He's gonna coach like he's gonna put me in a first-round pick position. He's gotta be the best coach he can be to get his players in the best position ever."

The top-ranked lineman says defensive coordinator Jay Bateman has been his primary recruiter along with coach Anwar Stewart on the defensive line. Hall says he keeps in touch pretty frequently with the two. Who are the schools reaching out the most along with the Wildcats? Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Oklahoma are some to name a few, all of which are receiving official visits from Hall, along with Georgia, Texas A&M, Oregon, and Texas. That's certainly some stiff competition for Stein and Kentucky to be involved with, but the Wildcats seem to have position themselves well with the in-state star.

We'll see how things shake out over the next few months, but Jay Bateman's impressive past with having top-ranked SEC defenses could be intriguing to Hall as he weighs his big decision. Sept. 12 just got even bigger, BBN.

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