Kentucky football among elite finalists for star 2026 QB recruit

Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football coaching staff are making a push after a four-star quarterback in the 2026 class from a familiar state.

Matt Ponatoski is a four-star quarterback from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is ranked as the 278th-best player in the 2026 class. Today, Ponatoski cut the list of schools he is considering down to four, including Kentucky, Arkansas, Oregon, and Alabama.

Kentucky, thanks to Coach Stoops, has recruited well over the years in Ohio, so hopefully, this will help the Wildcats in the recruitment of an excellent quarterback.

With an uncertain future around Cutter Boley, the Kentucky coaching staff is looking for the future quarterback of the program, and perhaps Ponatoski could be that player.

Ponatoski is still aways away from a decision about where he will play, but Kentucky is in the mix, and this is a name for Big Blue Nation to pay attention to over the next few months.

Here is the scouting report on Ponatoski from Andrew Ivins of 247Sports, "Stocky pocket passer with eye-popping production that brings accuracy and intelligence to the position. Can throw with both pace and touch. More importantly, can get the ball out fast and push the tempo. Moves like a middle infielder and will deliver some off-balance dimes, which makes sense seeing as how he’s a nationally-ranked shortstop that has drawn interest from MLB scouts. Flashes rare juice when targeting the first and second levels, but the ball can hang when he looks to go deep. Will stand his ground as pressure builds and drop the arm slot to throw around defenders, but isn’t the type of quarterback that’s going to create a ton of opportunities with his legs. Took a major step forward between sophomore and junior seasons, setting multiple school records as an 11th grader. Owns one of the better turnover ratios in the class, but long-term success is likely going to hinge on his ability to diagnose different coverages and hit his marks when the protection isn’t clean. Projects as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Four level that can fit into a variety of different systems with his quick setup and decision-making."