The Kentucky and Louisville football programs find themselves in similar situations, and it’s not just because both teams are coached by former Trinity quarterbacks.

Will Stein and Jeff Brohm both have a reputation for developing quarterbacks. They each recruited players with similar backgrounds. Lincoln Kienholz and Kenny Minchey were both four-star prospects in the class of 2023. They each were pushing for starting jobs at Ohio State and Notre Dame, respectively, but ultimately came up short late down the stretch. Now, they’re getting their time to shine as starters in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

So who will be better in 2026? That was the question Brandon Walker asked CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli.

“I think Kienholz could be good,” Fornelli responded. “He’s working with Jeff Brohm, so there’s plenty of reason to think he’s going to be fine because Jeff Brohm typically doesn’t have bad quarterbacks. But Miller Moss wasn’t exactly lighting it up last year… We kinda started to see a chink in the armor with what Louisville was doing. Now, their offensive line wasn’t spectacular last year, and I think it should be better this year. They did a decent job addressing it in the portal. I think Kienholz will be fine.”

Kienholz may be fine for Louisville, but Stein’s recent track record is too good for Fornelli to overlook.

“But man, you look at what Will Stein has been able to do with quarterbacks. Bo Nix was just a meme. ‘This could be the year for Bo Nix.’ Then he went to Oregon, and holy crap, he actually was good. We were able to get the best out of him. Then Dillon Gabriel comes in, and they get the best out of him. Dante Moore, they get the best out of him,” said the CBS Sports college football expert.

“So Minchey being identified as Will Stein, who didn’t just want him, he was willing to steal him for Nebraska for all intents and purposes by overpaying what Nebraska was willing to give him to get him out of that commitment to come to Lexington, saying this is the guy that I want to be my quarterback to build something here. That to me gives him the slight edge. I don’t think either is really going to outperform the other by a lot. And I think Minchey has a more difficult schedule because he’s in the SEC rather than the ACC, but I just think talent-wise, I lean Minchey.”

The host of the Brandon Walker College Football Show was unwilling to choose a side in this Governor’s Cup quarterback competition. However, when the conversation turned to Auburn, he did commend Stein’s roster-building efforts.

“Compared to somebody like Will Stein at Kentucky, if you look at the talent and where they got their guys for the offensive line, it blows you away, it blows you off the page,” said Walker. “And Auburn, outside of Byrum Brown, nothing blows me off the page.”

It’s Talking Season. Takes are flying. No matter your opinion on the matter, the topic is one that has been seemingly overlooked in the Commonwealth. Similar to Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey, Minchey and Kienholz are bringing similar backgrounds to the state of Kentucky and arriving at the same time. Their production will be compared to one another, and it will serve as a reflection of each one of their head coaches.