Breaking Down Kentucky’s Strengths, Weaknesses & 1 Thing That May Upset Texas A&M

Under first-year head coach Will Stein, the Wildcats’ offseason overhaul presents a sneaky early test for Mike Elko’s squad.

Nov 22, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) before a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field. | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

In Week 3 of the 2026 regular season, head coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M football welcome Kentucky to Kyle Field. 

The Wildcats will travel to College Station for the first time since 2018, marking the second meeting between the two schools since the Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012. 

In 2025, Kentucky fell to 2-6 in conference play, leaving the Wildcats no choice but to move on from former head coach Mark Stoops and appoint former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as their new leading man. 

On Sept. 19, A&M will reunite with former defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who left the Aggies to join the Wildcats in 2026, despite a recent trip to the College Football Playoff. 

In its first season under Stein, Kentucky has already acquired talent on both sides of the ball, making it a formidable opponent for A&M at the beginning of the year. But will the new coaching staff's inexperience limit their regular-season success?

Strengths

Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) during the game against Louisville Saturday, November 29, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky. The Cats fell to 5-7 with the 41-0 loss to the Cardinals, missing out on a bowl. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the start of a new era in Lexington, the Wildcats lost a plethora of key players to the transfer portal. But with veteran returners, as well as 33 offseason additions, Kentucky fans remain faithful in the new coaching staff’s vision for the 2026 season.  

Avoiding a total roster overhaul, Stein retained pivotal playmakers from last season, including tight end Willie Rodriguez, wide receiver DJ Miller, defensive lineman Tavion Gadson and safety Ty Bryant. 

Like Elko, Stein believes that winning in January starts in the trenches.

Needing to replace all five offensive linemen, Stein and his staff searched for power-conference experience, signing left tackle Lance Heard (Tennessee), center Coleton Price (Baylor) and right guard Tegra Tshabola (Ohio State), all of whom have started multiple seasons at the highest level. 

Following the adoption of NIL in college football, roster turnover is at an all-time high. But in Year 1 of Kentucky’s program rebuild, both returners and incoming talent will give Stein an essential advantage if the Wildcats wish to compete in the SEC.

Weaknesses

Nov 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores defensive lineman Jaylon Stone (92) chases after Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Though Stein added powerful playmakers to Kentucky’s offense, running backs CJ Baxter and Jovantae Barnes and WR Nic Anderson have worrisome injury histories that put the Wildcats’ availability in question. 

Baxter entered the 2024 season as the No. 1 running back recruit out of the 2023 high school class, only to miss the entirety of the Wildcats' conference campaign with a knee injury.

Barnes missed a combined 9 games over the course of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while Anderson suffered back-to-back injuries at Oklahoma and LSU. 

Starting a new program, the biggest question is experience. With a first-year head coach, revamped personnel and an entirely new system, Kentucky’s 2026 roster will have little familiarity with Stein’s methodology. 

Meanwhile, A&M enters its third season under Elko, with key returners such as quarterback Marcel Reed, WR Mario Craver and RB Rueben Owens II, whose relationships span multiple offseasons.

Kenny Minchey Puts Texas A&M on Upset Alert

Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey throws the ball during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Over the course of his time in Eugene, Stein served as Oregon’s quarterback coach, developing highly talented prospects such as Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore.

Both Nix and Gabriel were named as finalists for the Heisman Trophy during their respective seasons under Stein, while Dante Moore is currently projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. 

With Stein’s most recent projects evolving into NFL franchise quarterbacks, the sky is the limit for junior quarterback Kenny Minchey.

Minchey joins the Wildcats after three seasons at Notre Dame, where he appeared in 10 games for a combined 212 passing yards. With Minchey’s lack of on-field experience, Stein will be given a blank slate to develop his new quarterback into a premier field general. 

On Sept. 19, if the Aggies fail to prepare for their SEC opener, Stein’s young and hungry squad, led by Minchey, has the opportunity to march into Kyle Field and make a statement. 

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