Will Stein came into Lexington knowing the quarterback room needed a full reset, and Kentucky’s backup job is now starting to come into focus.
The Wildcats entered the offseason with the expectation that Stein’s incoming quarterback would battle Cutter Boley for the top spot, but Boley eventually transferred to Arizona State. That sent Stein back into the market, where he landed Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey after Minchey flipped his commitment from Nebraska to Kentucky.
With Minchey now positioned as the QB1 favorite, the real question has become who backs him up. Kentucky answered that by adding JacQai Long from Marshall, retaining Brennen Ward after his strong spring, and bringing in more competition through Matt Ponatoski, Callum Wither, Carson Cruver, and Will Drakeford Jr.
Long didn’t see the field during Marshall’s Sun Belt title run in 2024, though he did play in five games in 2025. Wither, meanwhile, arrived in Lexington after three seasons at Ohio and a return to Canada, where he threw for just under 2,500 yards at Wilfrid University. He had originally committed to Maryland before landing at Kentucky.
For a while, the backup race looked like it might be a fight between Ponatoski and Wither. After Saturday’s first fall scrimmage, though, Wither seems to be pulling ahead.
“I think that started to shape up a little bit more,” Stein said regarding Kentucky’s QB2 battle. “Kenny obviously got the majority of the reps.
Callum got a significant amount of the reps as well. I think there’s still a battle between those other three guys, so I think the next week or so it starts shaping up, and then once we get closer to the game, we’ll end up making sure that we have a true two.”
Kentucky offensive coordinator Joe Sloan echoed that sentiment and pointed to Wither’s growing comfort in the offense.
“I think he’s gotten better at all the nuances of what we’re doing and being able to command the guys when it comes to that,” Sloan said. “As he’s gotten comfortable, now he’s making the throws.
At times, he was in the right spot, but maybe he was a little bit late or whatever that might be, and that’s to be expected. He’s a full spring behind everybody else.”
Sloan also liked what he saw from Wither in the scrimmage itself.
“I thought you started to really see that (ability) show up today,” Sloan said. “But I think definitely his experience and his age and how he carries himself is really good.”
Kentucky still hasn’t officially named a QB2, but Wither’s workload and the coaching staff’s praise make him look like the clear frontrunner. With the opener drawing closer, the next few weeks should decide whether the three-year Ohio veteran locks down the job behind Minchey.
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