The Fascinating Stories of 3 New Kentucky Defensive Linemen

Kentucky added 20 players from the transfer portal this offseason. While most of Big Blue Nation’s attention is probably on the new quarterback or the offensive linemen, the three defensive linemen each share fascinating stories filled with trials and tribulations that ultimately led them to Lexington.

To be completely candid, I did not know what to expect when walking into some of these interviews. Even though we only spent a brief time together, I was blown away by what I learned.

Jaden Williams Plays for His Late Mother

After three years at Wyoming, Jaden Williams will suit up in a No. 91 Kentucky football jersey. It’s a long way from his home in L.A. where he discovered his purpose, his mother.

“Before my senior year, I didn’t have any offers. I was talking to my Mom about college and having to get a scholarship so I could pay for it. She told me I could do it, I could get that scholarship. Then right before my senior season, she passed away,” he siad.

“It was really my main motivation going into that year, trying to help out my family, knowing I can. God put me in a position to be able to get a scholarship to go play football somewhere, so I used that opportunity the best I could.”

Cleo Branch suffered a fatal brain aneurysm at age 48. Williams was only 16 years old when his mother died. In an L.A. Times story, his high school coach described the event as a “complete transformation” for the un-recruited prospect. Over the first five games of his senior season, he played left tackle and defensive line, recording 30 tackles, five sacks, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. It was enough to catch the eyes of coaches at Wyoming. Despite playing limited minutes during his first two years, he burst onto the scene in 2024 to become a hot commodity in the transfer portal.

“It’s not your timing, it’s God’s timing. You gotta trust the process,” Williams said. “There’s going to be some days where you’re stressed and you’re wondering why you’re not getting in, stuff like that, but you gotta keep focused on the main goal, one day at a time.”

Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace’s Incredible Growth Spurt

Between my eighth grade and freshman year of high school, I grew from 6-0 to 6-5.5. There were plenty of growing pains along the way, but many thought it was remarkable. It’s nothing compared to the most famous Kentucky growth spurt. Anthony Davis grew ten inches during high school.

Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace’s growth spurt came later than most. He started his career playing safety for Cincinnati Princeton. The more he grew, the closer he got to the line of scrimmage. Grace was 5-9 as a sophomore. By his senior season, he was a 6-4 defensive end.

The lack of tape at the position meant there weren’t many offers out there. He found a home at South Dakota where he learned how to perfect his pass-rushing skills.

“I kept developing,” Humphrey-Gacee said. “My first year, I knew I had the athleticism, but I knew I had to get the fundamentals down.”

During his redshirt sophomore season, Humphrey-Grace tallied 17.0 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks to become the Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Year.

Kentucky got a Package Deal with the Gustas

David Gusta would not be at Kentucky without conference realignment. “Excuse my language, but it was a shit show.”

Gusta was a talented nose guard at Washington State when the Pac-12 was raided by the Big Ten. He watched his talented teammates get bought out by bigger schools that had deeper pockets because of their conference affiliation. The Cougs fought through the adversity and were 8-1 in mid-November before things really fell apart. When his coach and quarterback left, he knew the writing was on the wall.

“It’s honestly kinda sad, because if you look at the roster we had at Washington State, we had Fa’alili (Fa’amoe), John Mateer, we had Cam Ward. But with the realignment, we had these kids and we can’t pay for them with NIL,” Gusta told KSR.

“It’s just hard because we had all this talent. Last year we were basically going undefeated, lose to Boise State. As the season goes on, our team gets bought out because of realignment; we can’t afford nobody, so my dreams of the College Football Playoff got crushed. It sucked. You work really hard for something, and it goes away because of money. You can’t really develop anybody anymore. It’s just sad.”

The writing was on the wall. His dreams were crushed, but it opened the door for another opportunity. Gusta went looking for a new home with his brother, Devon. The 6-0 safety spent two years at UC-Davis. Wherever David was going, Devon was coming with him. They’re overjoyed to play together for the first time since high school.

“We both wanted to be together. We decided that wherever I was going, he was going too because we just trusted each other. I know that when I have him, I’m a better player and a better person.”