A highly anticipated Kentucky football season is right around the corner. Buzz has been building for the Will Stein era in part to what this SEC program did in the transfer portal. Two of the additions in January are expected to be among the best in college football.

ESPN published a top-100 ranking for this year’s transfers on Monday. A pair of Kentucky players at priority positions made the cut.

31. Lance Heard

Tennessee transfer Lance Heard is owns 24 career starts and was added to be Kentucky’s starting left tackle. That’s exactly where Heard was at during spring practice. The former blue-chip recruit brings two-way production to this offensive line and can be a dominant force in the run game. Kentucky is expected to ask a lot of this big-ticket addition. A minor injury forced Heard to miss the spring game but UK expects him back at full strength this summer.

The expectations are very high.

“Heard, a former top-100 recruit who began his career at LSU, is back in the portal after developing into a two-year starter at left tackle for Tennessee,” ESPN’s Max Olson wrote. “He showed significant improvement as a junior after ranking among the bottom five SEC starting tackles in pressures allowed (20) and blown block percentage (3.8%) in his first season with the Vols, according to ESPN Research. Heard allowed pressure on only 1.7% of snaps in pass protection in 2025, which ranked fifth best among SEC tackles and helped him earn third-team All-SEC recognition.”

Heard will enter the season as one of the best and most accomplished players on this Kentucky football team.

52. Kenny Minchey

Notre Dame quarterback transfer Kenny Minchey was committed to Nebraska before flipping to Kentucky during the only transfer portal window of the offseason. Minchey is a Greater Nashville native with two years of eligibility remaining who has not yet received extended playing time in college football. The quarterback lost a tightly contested QB battle with CJ Carr last summer and will now get to be QB1 in Lexington. Minchey owns a well-rounded skill set and seems to have legitimate high upside.

“Minchey, a former ESPN 300 recruit, competed with CJ Carr to become QB1 for the Fighting Irish in the offseason, and by all accounts he performed well and made it a close call,” ESPN wrote about the UK quarterbacker. “He played a dozen or more snaps in five blowout wins and was efficient, completing 20 of 26 passes for 196 yards and rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown. After three years in South Bend, he’s ready to be a starter and a leader at his next school.”

Minchey is the unquestioned QB1 for Kentucky in 2026.

Luckett’s Scouting Notebook: Lance Heard and Kenny Minchey

What are Lance Heard and Kenny Minchey bringing to the Kentucky offense? This was my scouting write-up on each high-profile transfer from this winter.

Lance Heard

The multi-time SEC transfer is an experienced starting left tackle with prototypical size, terrific length (36-inch arms), and good positional athleticism. The former blue-chip recruit did not play offensive tackle until his junior year in high school. Heard moved to tackle in the 2021 season and then took off. The big man owns a rare combination of play strength and foot agility.

Heard plays with heavy hands, stays balanced with a wide base in pass protection, and can swallow up rushers due to his natural size and wingspan. Does a good job working through stunts and staying square. Hands are vice grips when the left tackle gets locked on in his pass set. Also has jolting power in the run game. Heard was an excellent puller on Tennessee’s tackle wrap concept. Creates easy movement on doubles and works up well to linebackers. Shows comfort in zone concepts that require lateral movement. Pad level could use some refinement in all areas. Rushers who can bend and get underneath his pads gave this left tackle the most issues. Penalties (14 in 1,640 snaps at Tennessee) need to be cleaned up.

Heard is proven left tackle with good play strength, size, and movement ability. The tackle can be dominant in the run game. This is a two-way producer at tackle who will make an immediate impact on Kentucky’s offense. Some overall refinement is needed to take his game to first-round pick level, but this is an addition at a priority position with an established high-floor. Should immediately upgrade UK’s play at left tackle and take some pressure off the rest of the unit.

Kenny Minchey

In limited playing time at Notre Dame, Minchey was comfortable on bootlegs and showed accuracy on rollouts both to his right and left in Mike Denbrock’s pro-style offense that mixes in numerous modern spread elements. The quarterback owns a quick release and showed some three-level accuracy in limited snaps with the Irish in 2025. The quarterback can hurt defenses on draws and scrambles, but the run threat won’t be something an offense can rely on weekly. Flashed good instincts in the pocket with loose athleticism to avoid rushers. Has experience with traditional play-action fakes out of the pistol. Showed the ability to throw with touch.

The transfer addition is a pass-first quarterback with solid positional athleticism. Minchey will fit in a modern RPO offense and can execute the boots and play-action fakes that Will Stein’s Oregon attack have utilized. Quick release and accuracy should allow Minchey to be productive in the screen game. Has the arm with touch to become a terrific vertical passer. Owns a well-rounded skill set and showed quick processing potential both in high school and limited college snaps.

Very limited experience but there is legitimate high upside due to a combination of raw tools and natural feel for the position.

Luckett’s Scouting Notebook: What Kentucky added to roster in transfer portal