New Kentucky Football head coach Will Stein knew he needed to revamp the Wildcats’ quarterback room when he took over the program.
Initially, many expected a quarterback competition between Stein’s incoming quarterback and Cutter Boley. However, Boley ultimately transferred to Arizona State, forcing Stein to look elsewhere for his starting quarterback.
Stein got to work and landed Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey, who flipped his commitment from Nebraska to Kentucky. With Minchey seemingly in control of the QB1 competition, Stein then turned his attention to finding a reliable QB2.
Kentucky added JacQai Long from Marshall. Long did not appear in a game during the 2024 season when Marshall won the Sun Belt championship, but he played in five games during the 2025 season.
Stein also retained Brennen Ward, who impressed during Kentucky’s spring practices. Since then, the Wildcats have added even more competition to the quarterback room.
Matt Ponatoski, a 4-star quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class, joined the team, while Callum Wither also arrived in Lexington. Wither played three seasons at Ohio before returning to Canada, where he threw for just under 2,500 yards at Wilfrid University. He originally committed to Maryland before ultimately landing at Kentucky.
Kentucky also has Carson Cruver, who transferred from FAU, and Will Drakeford Jr., a late addition from the 2026 recruiting class.
With all of those options, many expected the QB2 battle to come down to Ponatoski and Wither.
After Saturday’s first fall scrimmage, however, it appears Wither may be starting to separate himself from the competition.
“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 also praised Wither’s development and his ability to command 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 continued to praise Wither’s performance during Saturday’s scrimmage.
“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 has yet to announce its QB2 officially, but with Wither receiving significant reps and earning praise from the coaching staff, the three-year Ohio veteran appears to be emerging as the frontrunner for the backup job.
With the season opener approaching, the next few weeks could determine whether Wither ultimately secures the role behind Minchey.