Will Stein, right, was at UK's basketball game in Rupp Arena Saturday but he's adding talent daily via the transfer portal. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Will Stein might be known as an offensive guru for his work with quarterbacks recently at Oregon but the new Kentucky coach obviously understands the value of an outstanding offensive line.
Kentucky’s offensive line has been far from dominant in recent years but Stein and new UK offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich, the assistant offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Oregon last season, certainly are adding pieces through the transfer portal that indicate change is coming.
The latest addition Monday was Ohio State starter Tegra Tshabola. The right guard has one year of eligibility remaining and picked UK over Auburn and Mississippi.
Kentucky has added offensive linemen in the portal before but not like this. He was a four-star recruit out of Lakota West in Cincinnati, the same school where UK linebacker Alex Afari played. He’s also related to former UK offensive tackle Georgia Asafo-Adjei.
He was the No. 8 player at his position in his recruiting class. He earned a starting spot at right guard in 2024 for Ohio State’s national championship team and also started this season. Tshabola has 25 career starts and close to 1,500 career snaps for the Buckeyes.
Remember Kentucky earlier added Baylor center Coleton Price, one of the best centers in the portal and a three-year starter, and Tennessee left tackle Lance Heard, a two-year starter who gave up only three sacks total in 2024 and 2025.
Alabama backup offensive lineman Osauf Alinen also has signed with Kentucky to compete for a starting guard spot. The Cats have also added Tennessee’s Max Anderson and UTEP’s Mark Robinson to bolster the offensive line. The 320-pound Robinson started his collegiate career at Southeastern University before transferring to UTEP last season where he started all 12 games at left tackle and gave up 23 pressures, 17 hurries, five quarterback hits, and one sack in 800 snaps.
Kentucky redshirt sophomore Aba Selm, who was injured most of last season, also signed a new deal with UK Monday to stay with the Cats.
Alinen is confident Kentucky is putting together a quality offensive line.
“I think coach Cutter is an awesome coach. He does a great job at developing players and fixing their weaknesses and whatever they need to get better at,” Alinen said “He really seems like a guy you can enjoy playing for and who will do great things at Kentucky.”
5 Responses
If you don't have a solid O line, you don't have an offense.
Fine with Stein so far, but I am a little surprised that, at least so far, he hasn't pulled any Ore transfers to Lexington. He has done a very good job for short time on the job!
As you can tell unlike most coaches he finished the job. He doesn't seem like the type that would poach players but if someone came to Oregon to play for Stein then that is another story. I think we are pretty much done in the portal at this point. I know we will have the best offensive line we've had here since 2020 and maybe even better than that line. The lineman we have coming in were starters for major college brands. Last year we got guys from new Mexico state and the MAC confrence as plug and play starters. This year were getting guys who start for the teams with a lot better players. Stein knows to win you have to win the line of scrimmage. We look great on the offensive and defensive line.
We need another wide receiver or two and I think that will pretty much complete the roster.
The question is can they stand up with the rugged SEC teams. Time will tell this fall.