Kentucky tackle Deondre Buford enters transfer portal

The spring transfer portal closed on April 30, but some late names are leaking out on Monday. For the Kentucky football program, offensive line coach Zach Yenser lost another offensive tackle with playing experience.

One day after David Wohlabaugh Jr. entered the transfer portal, Deondre Buford followed suit.

Kentucky OL Deondre Buford has entered the transfer portal, per @mzenitz

The former 4-star made two starts this past season for the Wildcats. https://t.co/pqiWZbuHQI pic.twitter.com/nWS4rIWltM

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) May 1, 2023

A former four-star recruit out of Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King, Buford spent three seasons in Lexington. After taking a redshirt year in 2020, the tackle saw action in two games as a redshirt freshman in 2021. Buford then emerged as a potential left tackle leading into the 2022 season. However, fall camp did not go well and he lost the job to David Wohlabaugh. After just one week, Yenser would decide to flex out guard Kenneth Horsey to tackle for the rest of the season.

Last season, Buford played 194 snaps for Kentucky drawing starting assignments against South Carolina (right tackle) and Georgia (left tackle). The developing lineman received a 57.0 grade from PFF with poor marks in pass protection (45.0). Buford allowed nine pressures with four sacks in less than 100 pass protection reps.

Deondre Buford will be a redshirt junior in 2023 with three years of eligibility remaining.

Kentucky has 5 scholarships available

After the latest departure news, KSR has Kentucky down to 80 scholarships accounted for. The Wildcats have seen a lot of tackle movement in this spring window with the addition of Courtland Ford preceding these latest two departures.

Kentucky’s current roster has 41 scholarship players on offense, 36 scholarship players on defense, and 3 scholarship specialists.

— QB (4): Devin Leary (Super), Deuce Hogan (RJr.), Kaiya Sheron (RSo.), Destin Wade (RFr.)

— RB (7): Justice Dingle (Super), Ramon Jefferson (Super) Ray Davis (RSr.), JuTahn McClain (Sr.), Dee Beckwith (RJr.) La’Vell Wright (RSo.), Jamarion Wilcox (Fr.)

— WR (9): Tayvion Robinson (Super), Dekel Crowdus (RSo.), Barion Brown (So.), Dane Key (So.), Jordan Anthony (RFr.), Brandon White (RFr.), Ardell Banks (Fr.), Anthony Brown (Fr.), Shamar Porter (Fr.)

— TE (7): Brenden Bates (Super), Izayah Cummings (Sr.), Jordan Dingle (RSo.), Josh Kattus (So.), Khamari Anderson (Fr.), Jakob Dixon (Fr.), Tanner Lemaster (Fr.)

— iOL (8): Kenneth Horsey (Super), Tanner Bowles (RSr.), Eli Cox (RSr.), Jager Burton (RSo.), Paul Rodriguez (RSo.) Grant Bingham (RFr.), Koby Keenum (Fr.), Austin Ramsey (Fr.)

— T (6): Marques Cox (Super), Jeremy Flax (RSr.), Courtland Ford (RJr.), Josh Jones (RJr.), Nikolas Hall (RFr.), Malachi Wood (Fr.)

— Offense: 41

— DL (12): Josaih Hayes (Sr.), Sam Anaele (RJr.), Darrion Henry-Young (RJr.), Octavious Oxendine (RJr.), Tre’vonn Rybka (RJr.), Jamarius Dinkins (RSo.), Kahlil Saunders (RSo.), Keeshawn Silver (RSo.), Deone Walker (So.), Tavion Gadson (Fr.), Kendrick Gilbert (Fr.), Tommy Ziesmer (Fr.)

— EDGE (5): J.J. Weaver (RSr.), Keaten Wade (So.), Tyreese Fearbry (RFr.), Noah Matthews (RFr.), Grant Godfrey (Fr.)

— LB (5): Luke Fulton (RSr.), D’Eryk Jackson (RJr.), Martez Thrower (Jr.), Trevin Wallace (Jr.), Jayvant Brown (Fr.)

— CB (8): Andru Phillips (RJr.), Jantzen Dunn (RSo.), Maxwell Hairston (RSo.), Jordan Robinson (RSo.), JQ Hardaway (So.), Elijah Reed (RFr.), Nasir Addison (Fr.), Avery Stuart (Fr.)

— S (6): Jalen Geiger (RSr.), Zion Childress (Sr.), Jordan Lovett (RSo.), Alex Afari (So.), Jaremiah Anglin (Fr.), Ty Bryant (Fr.)

— Defense: 36

— Specialists (3): Chance Poore (Super), Wilson Berry (RSo.), Jackson Smith (RFr.)

— Total: 80