By SCOTT FELTS
The Opponent: Kentucky Wildcats
When: Saturday, November 7th, 6 or 8 p.m.
Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville TN
They remember what you do in November. The Vols will start the month of November of 2026 with the easiest chance to make good memories as Kentucky rolls into Knoxville with a brand-new staff trying to prove the Wildcats can hang with the big boys in the Southeastern Conference. Nothing says “rebuilding year” quite like showing up in the loudest stadium in college football against a team that loves reminding you who owns the series. At least basketball season will be around the corner for the Wildcat fans.
Coach Background
New head coach Will Stein arrives in Lexington after a successful four-year stint as offensive coordinator at Oregon. Stein’s reputation as a tireless worker, creative play-caller, and strong teacher gives him a solid foundation to begin his head coaching career.
His coaching philosophy is straightforward and practical: “Feed the studs” and play “common sense football.” Stein designs schemes around his best players’ natural strengths rather than forcing a rigid system. He prioritizes getting the ball as often as possible to his most talented skill players. His challenge will be translating his offensive success into overall program management, recruiting, and defensive oversight which are areas thar are new to him as a head coach.
Staff Facts
Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan arrives at Kentucky from LSU, where he spent four years as quarterbacks coach and the past two as offensive coordinator. Prior to that, he spent nine years on the staff at Louisiana Tech. Sloan’s biggest claim to fame is developing Jayden Daniels into the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner during his time as QBs coach at LSU.
Sloan’s offenses are heavily pass-oriented. At LSU in 2024, the Tigers threw the ball about 60% of the time (6th nationally), making them one of the most pass-happy teams in the country. He shows a clear reluctance to run the ball on early downs, especially first down because he prefers to stay out of obvious passing situations. He relies a lot on quick screens and short-to-intermediate passing concepts rather than heavy play-action.
Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman joins from Texas A&M. His Aggies defense ranked in the top 35 nationally in tackles for loss and scoring defense in 2024 and 2025 and helped the Aggies reach the College Football Playoff last season. He’s also a former Broyles Award finalist.
Bateman is known for running a highly multiple, aggressive, and adaptable scheme. He doesn’t stick to one fixed alignment. Instead, he uses a variety of looks, based on the opponent and game situation. A 4-2-5? A 3-4? A 3-3-5? Opponents might see all three within the confines of a single game.
His calling card is chaos, making offenses uncomfortable with constant pressure and schematic variety.
Quarterback Preview
The Wildcats should be led by redshirt junior Kenny Minchey (6-2, 2-11), a transfer from Notre Dame. Spending three years as a backup for the Fighting Irish, Minchey saw limited action in 2025 (20-of-26, 196 yds, 86 rush yds, 1 TD). He’s a dual-threat quarterback with good mobility and arm talent, and Stein’s offense should give him plenty of opportunities to run and throw in space.
Minchey is a very accurate passer with a tight, compact throwing motion who can extend plays with his legs, escape pressure, and pick up first downs with his feet. He can make every throw on the field while keeping his eyes downfield. Minchey processes the game quickly, has strong leadership qualities, and pays excellent attention to detail.
However, his entire college career consists of mostly mop-up duty and spot appearances. Can he show poise under pressure in a hostile SEC environment? Also, Minchey lacks elite arm strength or elite speed compared to top dual-threat quarterbacks. Some evaluators see him as slightly undersized for the position.
Key Offensive Player
Juinor RB CJ Baxter (6-1, 200) brings SEC experience as a transfer fro Texas and should be the lead back in Kentucky’s revamped offense. He’s a physical runner who can contribute in the passing game and will be asked to carry a heavy load in 2026. He was the No. 1 running back recruit in the country in the class of 2023 and had a promising freshman year for the Longhorns before injuries derailed him.
Baxter runs with a physical, downhill style and excellent contact balance. He can power through arm tackles and extend plays, while also eluding tacklers thanks to his quickness and long speed; he was timed in the 4.4 range in the 40 in high school. His reliable hands out of the backfield, combined with the ability to catch check-downs and make plays in space should fit, well into the offensive scheme.
Baxter missed all of 2024 with a serious knee injury (LCL and PCL tear) and was limited by a hamstring injury throughout 2025. This has caused him to miss significant development time.
Key Defensive Player
Junior OLB Sam Greene (6-2, 251) is one of the few impact returning defensive pieces for the Wildcats. He provides speed and athleticism on the edge and will be a key part of Bateman’s aggressive scheme. Greene plays with a tough, rugged style and good strength at the point of attack. He can set a hard edge and is effective against the run. He’s also versatile with experience as both an edge player and off-ball linebacker, showing good instincts and tackling ability.
He’s a bit undersized for a traditional edge rusher in the SEC, which can show up when taking on bigger blockers. He needs to develop a more diverse set of moves and counters to be consistently effective against bigger SEC offensive tackles.
X-Factor
How quickly will Stein’s offense click? With a new coordinator, new quarterback, and heavy reliance on transfers, Kentucky’s offense could be explosive if the pieces fit, or still struggling not to be sloppy this late into the season. Tennessee’s defense, led by new coordinator Jim Knowles, will look to exploit any communication breakdowns or schematic growing pains.
The Schedule
Both teams come into this game after a bye the prior week. Kentucky’s eight-game stretch before the open date is brutal. Here’s the SEC list preceding the Vols: Alabama, A&M, South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt. Ouch.
How the Wildcats Can Win
Kentucky wins if Minchey and Baxter find a rhythm early, the offensive line holds up, and Bateman’s aggressive defense creates enough negative plays and turnovers to keep the game within striking distance. The Wildcats could win if Tennessee treats this like a guaranteed victory and shows up flat at home. Playing to their opponents’ level is something that’s happened more often than Vols fans would like to remember.
How the Wildcats Can Lose
Kentucky loses if the new offense struggles with execution and chemistry, Minchey gets rattled by Neyland’s crowd, and a defense already thin on experience, gets gashed by Tennessee’s tempo attack. It will also be hard for Kentucky to win this game if the Vols actually show up to play.
Prediction: Tennessee 46, Kentucky 14.
This should be a comfortable home win for Tennessee. The Volunteers’ greater continuity on both sides of the ball and the electric atmosphere of “Neyland at Night” should lead to a decisive Vols victory. Kentucky should show some flashes under the new regime, especially on offense, but is not ready to go toe-to-toe with Tennessee just yet. Starting off as a head coach in the SEC isn’t easy. Stein might be fine long term, but a November trip to Neyland will have the Wildcats wishing they were back in the mines.
Predicted Vols Record: 8-1 (5-1)