First Down Kentucky: Unexpected Twists and Turns in the Transfer Portal

The transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh away. Kentucky football fans experienced both emotions on Tuesday.

Six players had already departed the program when the day started. On the outside looking in, it didn’t seem like there would be much more movement, with a roster prepared to handle 2-3 new acquisitions. The BBN was thrown for a loop when Jaremiah Anglin shared he’ll be leaving Lexington. The former four-star talent finally was healthy enough to pick off a pass in the spring game. Playing a position of need, nobody wanted to see him go before scratching the surface of his potential.

As the transfer portal taketh, it appears to be giving Kentucky another outstanding running back.

Peny Boone became a four-letter word in the city of Louisville when the 2023 MAC Offensive Player of the Year announced his departure from the program after one spring practice with the Cards. While Kentucky fans giggled, Mark Stoops’ coaching staff went to work. Boone made an unexpected trip to Lexington on Monday. By the time he left campus, On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong submitted predictions for Boone to become a Wildcat.

Things move fast in the transfer portal. You gotta keep your head on a swivel.

Final NFL Draft Rankings for Former Kentucky Wildcats

In just over 48 hours Roger Goodell will be greeted with boos by thousands at the NFL Draft in Detroit. Ahead of the spectacle, the top prognosticators in the profession are sharing their rankings that will appear on the screen throughout the broadcast. The NFL Network’s chief guru is a big fan of Dru Phillips.

Daniel Jeremiah’s Top 150 NFL Draft Prospects

No. 51 Dru Phillips
No. 81 Ray Davis
No. 96 Trevin Wallace

Mel Kiper’s Top 150 NFL Draft Prospects

No. 72 Dru Phillips
No. 133 Ray Davis
No. 134 Trevin Wallace

Kiper Position Rankings

Devin Leary is QB13
Ray Davis is RB8
Tayvion Robinson is WR43
Jeremy Flax is OT27
Trevin Wallace is LB6
Dru Phillips is CB11

Phillips gets a Detailed Profile in The Athletic

We’ve known about Dru Phillips for quite some time. His father, Carlos, played with Freddie Maggard at UK. Even though Freddie won’t take much credit for ensuring Phillips wore blue and white, he deserves some. We knew he was an outstanding athlete from day one. What we didn’t know until this story in The Athletic is that he grew his own vegetables while he was in elementary school.

Growing up in Louisville, Ky., Phillips built a garden in his parents’ backyard. He weeded and watered it daily. By the end of summer, his family was eating radishes grown by a first-grader. He spent hours in the woods and built a treehouse that would’ve made adults jealous, using stuff he found lying around. At Kentucky, Phillips read to elementary school kids and encouraged others to speak their minds freely. He loves his dogs, Jet and Bruno. He fishes. He’s a mental health advocate, with his own story to share.

Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic

Football can be all-consuming and Phillips is not letting the sport he loves, and admittedly obsesses over, define him.

Why Kentucky with @AndruPhillips. pic.twitter.com/QzbVIEU3vv

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) April 18, 2024

Dru Phillips on 11 Personnel

In case you haven’t heard enough from the former Kentucky cornerback, tonight he joins 11 Personnel to share his favorite Kentucky football memories and talk about the pre-Draft process. Ever heard folks talk about Top 30 visits? He’ll share what those look like and so much more as he prepares for his NFL dreams to come true. The show starts at 8:30 pm EST on the KSR YouTube Channel.