Mark Stoops addresses Kentucky's plans to add at wide receiver

Behind Dane Key, Barion Brown and Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky has had little to no production at wide receiver this season. Robinson is out of eligibility after 2023, and there has always been the prospect of Key or Brown leaving Lexington for the transfer portal.

Both Key and Brown are expected to earn themselves a shot in the NFL down the road, so if the latter ends up being the case — Mark Stoops might be scrambling to find wide receiver production in 2024.

“We have to go and attract some, we have to get some just for numbers,” Stoops said. “You have got to build your depth. It takes four or five, six receivers even throughout the season to really contribute and to help, so we’ll work at that.”

Luckily for Kentucky, they’re being proactive in the transfer portal early and often this season. Days after signing former five-star quarterback and former Georgia backup Brock Vandagriff, Stoops went out and had former Texas A&M wideout Raymond Cottrell commit to the Wildcats on Saturday.

For Vandagriff, he just finished up his third season in Athens and has two College Football Playoff national championships under his belt. While he wasn’t directly responsible for those titles as a reserve, he has seen exactly what it takes for a team to make it the distance. With the expanded field being introduced in 2024, that’s certainly exciting for Wildcat fans to mull over this offseason.

Cottrell, meanwhile, only spent one season at Texas A&M, appearing in three games. His lone reception of the season was a touchdown in the Aggies’ win over UL Monroe in Week 3 — though, he only played in three games and used his redshirt. He was a top 250 player out of the 2023 class and has four seasons of eligibility to make plays for Kentucky.

Whether that’s enough to keep Key and Brown in the program remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure — Stoops is trying to build something special in Lexington. Still, he wouldn’t give any hints on who he might be targeting next.

“We’ll work through it — I think it would be negligent for me to talk about anything right now,” Stoops said. “Just get to work.”

For now, Stoops will need to focus on preparing his team for Dabo Swinney and Clemson in teh TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The Wildcats and Tigers kick off from EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida and will air live on ESPN and ESPN+. Clemson has opened as a seven-point betting favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under line is set at 46.5 total points.