Will Stein is seeing real growth in Kenny Minchey

So far this season, Kentucky football is 1-1 in their big tests against high-quality opponents. After a Week 1 where fans saw starting quarterback Kenny Minchey throw for 301 yards and four touchdowns, the first big test came the following week against Alabama, and it showed, as the pressure from the defense really got to Minchey. But, against Texas A&M, he showed real growth.

Heading into Week 2 against the Crimson Tide, Stein wanted to see how he performed when the pocket gets muddy and pressure is put on the quarterback. The offense struggled mightily, as Minchey threw for just 136 yards and one touchdown, while also throwing one interception and getting sacked four times. Kentucky crumbled in a game where the defense put them in a great position through the first half. Another big test followed this past weekend in College Station and Minchey looked ready for the moment. The first-year starter threw for 252 yards and generated a number of key explosive plays that helped Kentucky pull of an upset that has only happened a few times in the program's history. Will Stein talked about the growth he has seen from his quarterback in the last two weeks.

Sep 19, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Kenny Minchey (3) hands off the ball to running back Jason Patterson (26) during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I think Kenny just played within himself, played within the system, and got the ball out quickly. We obviously protected him better in this game than we did the previous game, so it allowed him to see the field. I think he just played on time. He used his feet when he needed to," Stein said of Minchey during his Tuesday press conference, who he says benefited from his rough showing against Alabama. "I thought the best thing that happened to Kenny was not playing well against Alabama and understanding that Alabama is a lot different than Youngstown State. And those teams, the Alabamas and Texas A&Ms, even South Alabama coming in here, they’re going to pressure the heck out of us. You have to be able to get the ball out on time. I’m excited about his growth from Week two to Week three and anticipating more growth this week."

Minchey played a very clean game, which Stein says was a major part in Kentucky coming away with the 31-21 win on the road against the top 10 Texas A&M Aggies, along with the explosive plays that the QB initiated. "I think we just played clean. From huddle to snap on offense, the operation was clean. Nothing pre-snap really altered the drives. We converted on some third downs and fourth downs and we made plays when we needed to. I think the explosive plays were much better (than against Alabama). Whenever you can create explosives, you just you score more points."

Now, Minchey is trying to climb the ranks among quarterbacks in the SEC as he looks to build on an impressive showing in his first road start, and against a top 10 team, at that.

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