Kentucky in mix for top quarterback in transfer portal

Will Stein is already searching for his guy to replace Cutter Boley at quarterback for Kentucky.

New Kentucky Wildcat head coach Will Stein makes remarks as he is introduced at Kentucky on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The transfer portal opens at midnight, just a few hours away as we sit here on Thursday night. As we prepare for Kentucky to be linked to a number of guys in the portal once it does open, the Wildcats have already been linked to one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal.

On Thursday morning, Kentucky was mentioned to be in the mix for TCU standout quarterback Josh Hoover by ESPN's Pete Thamel. In the report, Thamel also mentioned two other power four teams that are expected to be in the mix for Hoover, as both Indiana and Louisville are seen as the other top contenders early for the star quarterback.

Here is what Thamel said in his report on Thursday: "The widespread expectation in the NFL is that Mendoza is going to go pro after the season. He obviously just won the Heisman Trophy. To replace him, I’ve been told Indiana is expected to target Josh Hoover, the former TCU quarterback. Hoover was initially committed to Indiana out of high school. Also in the market for Hoover are Louisville and Kentucky. So, those are the big moves that are going to dictate the chaos in the portal."

Nov 29, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) comes off the field during the game between the Horned Frogs and the Bearcats at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

This interest by new Kentucky head coach Will Stein and the offensive staff should not be shocking at all, especially with the news today that quarterback Cutter Boley would be entering the transfer portal and explore his options once it opens. Now, Stein gets to hand-pick the guy he wants to lead his offense, a position that he is known to have had success with in the past, coaching guys like Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, while new Kentucky offensive coordinator Joe Sloan coached Jayden Daniels at LSU in 2023. Safe to say the staff has had plenty of experience handling the quarterback position, so Kentucky fans should trust them with who they have in mind to bring in.

At his introductory press conference at the beginning of December, Stein talked about what he looks for when recruiting a quarterback: "You start, kind of in your career, do they fit the measurables? But at quarterback, it's so much more than that. It's do they have the mental makeup to be the top, toughest M'Fer on the field? Because that's what they got to be. They got to be mentally and physically tough. That's really where it starts with me, and then processing ability, being extremely accurate thinking. If you look at the guys that I've coached recently, all over 70% passers, if you're not over 70% High School, it makes you think you're going to be 70% college. So we look at that, arm talent only takes you so far. You rarely ever throw it 70 yards, unless it's a Hail Mary situation. So can you be accurate? Can you throw on time? Can you withstand the confines of a pocket? And then in today's modern football, you got to be mobile."

No time to relive those comments again that right now, because Stein is searching far and wide to see who best fits the mold to play in his offense. Hoover will have one year of eligibility remaining. We'll see how far the Kentucky interest goes, as Indiana currently seems like the early favorite.