2026 Mizzou Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 11: Kentucky

Missouri will face four teams with a new head coach in 2026, with the last on that list being the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky hired former Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein to take over the program. At 36 years old, Stein is the second-youngest head coach in the power conferences.

Under Stein, Kentucky will be aiming to find its first winning season since 2023. Looking to change the trajectory of the program, the Wildcats brought in the fifth-highest rated portal class in the Southeastern Conference, according to 247Sports.

That 2023 season was the last time the Tigers faced off against the Wildcats. It was a pivotal game for Missouri on the season, with the Tigers rallying back from an early 14-0 deficit to earn a 38-21 win on the road.

The 2026 matchup will be the first time Missouri hosts Kentucky since 2022. Here's an early look at the challenges the Wildcats will bring to Faurot Field.

Offense

Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey throws a pass — JULY 31, 2025; South Bend, Indiana; Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey, now at Kentucky, throws a pass during a football practice at Irish Athletic Center. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During his stint at Oregon, Stein was one of the best offensive minds in the country. In his three years guiding the unit, the Ducks finished in the top 25 in the country in both yards and points per game each season. In his first season, Oregon finished second in both yards (531.4) and points (44.2) per game.

His offense revolves around quarterback-friendly, quick passing concepts, and a focus of creating opportunities for the best playmakers, especially after the catch.

Quarterbacks and playmakers have excelled in his offenses at Oregon. At quarterback, Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore have all been elite in the system.

At Kentucky, Stein will look to mentor Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey to similar success as the leader of his offense. The former four-star prospect competed with CJ Carr in the 2025 offseason for Notre Dame's starting quarterback job, but ultimately ended up as the team's backup. In 2025, he completed 23 of his 26 pass attempts for 126 yards. He also rushed for 84 yards on seven carries.

Minchey's blindside will be protected by another one of Kentucky's top portal additions, Tennessee transfer Lance Heard. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound senior started at left tackle in each of the last two seasons for the Volunteers.

Kentucky brought over two other offensive linemen with power-conference starting experience in center Coleton Price from Baylor, and guard Tegra Tshabola from Ohio State.

The offensive play caller for the Wildcats will be offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, who is coming off a two-year stint in the same role at LSU. He brought over with him what should be one of the top playmakers for the Wildcats, wide receiver Nic Anderson.

Defense

Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Ty Bryant (14) intercepts a pass — Nov 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Ty Bryant (14) intercepts the pass thrown to Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Kentucky's defense will be led by someone who has coordinated one of the top defensive units in the country over the last two seasons, Jay Bateman. Coming off a two-year stint as the coordinator at Texas A&M, Bateman has given the Tigers, and the rest of the country, several problems over recent history. Two of Missouri's worst offensive performances over the last two seasons came against Bateman's defense with the Aggies.

Bateman will run a 4-2-5 defense at Kentucky, the same scheme Corey Batoon employs at Missouri.

The defense returns four starters — safety Ty Bryant, defensive linemen Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace and Tavion Gadson, along with linebacker Sam Greene. Bateman's scheme change will likely lead to some tweaking in the positional responsibilities for the returning members of the defensive front.

Bryant is coming off a season where he earned second-team all-SEC honors, recording 76 total tackles and grabbing four interceptions.

The group of transfers for Kentucky's defense was headlined by former Texas linebacker Elijah Barnes and former Florida safety Jordan Castell.

Castell will pair with Bryant to create one of the most experienced, and possibly best, defensive backfields in the SEC, with Castell bringing over three years of starting experience from his time with the Gators.

Barnes was rated by 247Sports as the third best linebacker in the class of 2025, but only appeared in four games in his freshman season.

Schedule

By the time Missouri hosts Kentucky, the Tigers will be coming off what should be the toughest stretch of the schedule. Out of the four games that precede it, Missouri will be on the road for three of them, including games at Ole Miss and Georgia.

Kentucky will be coming off a home game against Florida.

Outlook

Missouri's performance in the key stretch before hosting Kentucky will likely determine how important this game is for the Tigers. To still be in playoff contention at this point in this season, the Tigers will likely need to have pulled off several impressive wins in the middle stretch of the season.

Predicting how much of a challenge the Wildcats will be for the Tigers depends on how well talented, but inexperienced, transfers such as Minchey and Barnes play, plus whether or not Stein is able to successfully implement his offense.

Game Info

TIme and television network to be determined.

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