LEXINGTON, Ky. — With fall camp underway and the 2026 season a month away, new Kentucky football head coach Will Stein is preparing for his inaugural campaign by emphasizing fundamental execution and scheme mastery. Stein and his team met with media at UK's annual media day, with the first-year coach eager to transition from talking points to on-field performance.

"Fall camp is all about details and execution of our scheme," Stein said. "That really is where we're building currently and where we will continue to build throughout the next 30 days or so until we play on September 5th." The Wildcats face off against Youngstown State on September 5 at Kroger Field, with the game scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on SECN+. The matchup represents the beginning of what many consider one of college football's most challenging schedules, with the Wildcats facing Alabama the following week before traveling to face Texas A&M.

Unlike the spring, Stein said he would not name starters heading into fall practice, instead fostering competition throughout the roster. "There's going to be a lot of competition out there," Stein explained. "I want this team to be as competitive as possible from top down with the roster. Why? Because we have to have strength in numbers." The coach, a 36-year-old Kentucky native who previously served as Oregon's offensive coordinator, believes depth will be crucial during the conference schedule in October and November.

Stein, whose father played football at Kentucky and whose mother is a UK graduate, is emphasizing process over championship talk. "We just talk about our process. We just talk about what we have to do every single day to be our very best," he said. "You have to master the mundane, the little things every single day to even give yourself a chance at those moments." The focus on fundamentals underscores Stein's approach to rebuilding a program that posted losing records the past two seasons.

The coach aims to use the roughly 30-day preparation window to refine both physical conditioning and technical skills. "It is also time to get into playing shape," Stein said. "Summer is about getting ready for practice. Now fall camp, it's execution details and then playing ourselves into shape for that first contest."