Will Stein is the Second-Best Play-Caller in College Football

Will Stein is bringing offensive innovation to Kentucky. The Wildcats’ new head coach rose to prominence as a play-caller at Oregon, and some believe he is among the best in college football.

During Stein’s time at Oregon, the Ducks ranked in the Top 20 in yards per play every single season. Each year, things looked a little different, sometimes out of necessity. That is why Dan Casey believes Stein is one of the top play-callers in the sport.

“Oregon got really banged up this year, and they were able to run the football out of 20 personnel, and got really creative with everything that they did. In spite of dealing with a lot of injuries, they were still extremely explosive on offense,” said Casey.

The Ducks had 100 plays of 20+ yards last fall, more than any other team in college football. Oregon averaged 36.9 points per game, ranking 10th in the FBS, en route to the CFB Semifinals.

In a feature for On3’s Crain and Cone, Casey ranked the Top Five Play-Callers in college football. Even though Stein will not serve as the Wildcats’ primary play-caller, his ability to innovate and develop quarterbacks has him No. 2 on this list, trailing only Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.

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“I just think in terms of quarterback development, I don’t know if many people are doing it better than Will Stein right now, in terms of the guys that he’s had through his system the past few years at Oregon,” said Casey.

“Obviously, it started with Frank Harris at UTSA, and then you go to Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and Dante Moore. It just seems like every year that system takes a step forward, the quarterbacks play extremely well, but I thought they took a huge step forward in the run game this past year at Oregon.”

Kentucky’s passing offense ranked No. 73 in yards per game during Liam Coen’s first season in Lexington. That’s about as good as it got in the Mark Stoops era. The Wildcats struggled to move the ball down the field via the forward pass.

With Will Stein leading the charge, Kentucky has a proven quarterback developer and a malleable offensive scheme that adapts to its talent. After years and years of sluggish offense, expect that to change right away in 2026.