4 Lessons Learned from Will Stein's First Kentucky Football Camp

Hundreds of campers made their way to Kroger Field on Monday morning for the first of two Will Stein Football Camps. It’s an opportunity for Kentucky to host talented recruits, but also evaluate underclassmen in person.

Players receive official combine measurements, then participate in individual drills. From an operational standpoint, it wasn’t too much different than the past. There was one new addition at the end of the camp, a 7-on-7 competition. There also appeared to be an upgrade in talent, with about two dozen participants who had already received a scholarship offer from Kentucky or another Power Conference program. KSR had boots on the ground for the event. Here’s what we learned.

Noteworthy 2027 Players Visit Kentucky’s Campus

It wasn’t that long ago that these camps served as a setting for rising seniors to prove themselves. As the recruiting calendar started earlier and earlier, it has become rarer to see older players participate, with a few exceptions.

Kentucky commit Matthias Burrell used the opportunity to get real hands-on work with Cutter Leftwich. The Kentucky offensive line coach does not lack intensity. The heavy-handed interior offensive lineman received plenty of individual attention from his future coach during individual workouts.

At these camps, you also might get the chance to see some rising seniors who are simply taking in the sights during an unofficial recruiting trip. That was the case for four-star defensive lineman Seth Tillman. The No. 131 player in the 2027 class made the trip with some of his teammates in South Carolina and spent plenty of time chatting it up with Anwar Stewart. Kentucky has some ground to make up with Georgia in this elite prospect’s recruitment.

Things Are Not Always What They Seem

You don’t need a trained eye to discern which players are legit prospects. However, some times you gotta dig a little deeper and then you might truly be blown away.

One of the largest humans in the building was Jacob Carter. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound offensive lineman was using tree-trunk thighs to explode off the line of scrimmage. That wasn’t the shocking part. Carter is only 14 years old. The rising freshman will suit up for Boyd County next fall with a Kentucky scholarship offer on his resume.

After a great conversation with Coach Leftwich blessed to receive a Division 1 offer from the University of Kentucky!! #Brotherhood🏈 #feedthestuds @UKFootball @CutterLeftwich @coachEFerg12 @ClaytonMc64 @Captain__Mike @KYFUTURESTARS @BCLionsFootball pic.twitter.com/65i5QNRhIr

— Jacob carter (@302bigjake606) June 1, 2026

Carter wasn’t the only class of 2030 prospect to pick up a scholarship offer from Kentucky after camping on Monday.

Another Power-K Sighting

Many of the Kentucky football coaches were rocking gear to support the Bat Cats ahead of Monday night’s regional championship. There were also a few Power-K sightings. This feels like a rather prominent one. What is Will Stein cooking up for BBN?

Other Top Players Who Camped at Kentucky

Kaiden Buchanan: The 2028 linebacker from Tupelo is a Top-200 player in his recruiting class. During the 7-on-7 competition, he jumped a passing lane to pick off a pass, arguably the most impressive highlight of the day. Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman spent plenty of one-on-one time with the talented recruit.

Marcus Washington: A talented quarterback in the 2029 class, Washington traveled from California to show off his stuff for Joe Sloan. There aren’t recruiting rankings for this class yet, but you can expect it to be high when it’s the QB with a Kentucky offer’s turn.

Keith Nolen: A two-way player (wide receiver, cornerback) from Virginia, he’s already considered a Top 500 player in the 2028 recruiting class. Nolen has numerous Power Conference scholarship offers, including one from Kentucky.

Want more intel from Kentucky football camp? Catch up on our live updates and see Justin Rowland’s complete rundown of top performers on KSR+. Join now during the Summer Sale and receive 50% off an annual subscription.