Will Stein praises QB Matt Ponatoski: “One of the best young arms I’ve seen in a long time”

Kentucky Football head coach Will Stein appeared on his weekly radio show Wednesday with Tom Leach, covering several topics as the Wildcats prepare for their next game.

Although Stein has not released an official depth chart since taking over as Kentucky’s head coach, his comments provided some insight into the quarterback competition behind starter Kenny Minchey.

It sounded as though fifth-year quarterback Callum Wither earned the backup position ahead of true freshman Matt Ponatoski. Wither saw action earlier this season against Youngstown State, giving him valuable game experience early in the season.

Despite Wither appearing to have the edge for the backup role, Stein had plenty of praise for Ponatoski and his development during his first season in Lexington.

“The guy’s got one of the best young arms I’ve seen in a long time,” Stein said on his weekly radio show. “And he’s just wired the right way.”

Ponatoski, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound freshman from Cincinnati, arrived at Kentucky as a highly regarded quarterback from Archbishop Moeller. He was a four-star prospect and ranked as the No. 13 quarterback nationally in the 2026 class by the 247Sports Composite.

Ponatoski was a four-year starter at Moeller and had an impressive high school career. As a senior, he completed 66.1% of his passes for 2,395 yards and 28 touchdowns with just one interception in 12 games.

His junior season was even more productive. Ponatoski threw for a school-record 4,217 yards and 57 touchdowns with only three interceptions while leading Moeller to a 14-2 record and the OHSAA Division I state championship.

Ponatoski also excelled in baseball and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 18th round of the 2026 MLB Draft. He was named Ohio’s Gatorade Player of the Year in both football and baseball as a junior, becoming only the third athlete in the award’s history to win it in two sports during the same school year.

The freshman ultimately chose Kentucky over Alabama, Arkansas and Oregon, giving Stein and his staff a talented young quarterback to develop for the future.

While Ponatoski may currently sit behind Wither on the depth chart, Stein’s comments indicate the coaching staff remains encouraged by what it has seen from the freshman quarterback.

For Kentucky, it is great to see the potential of Ponatoski, as Stein continues to rebuild the program from scratch.