Former Kentucky DL Keeshawn Silver, QB Target Maalik Murphy Pick West Coast Teams

A former Wildcat has found a new home. After spending a couple of years in Lexington, Keeshawn Silver is taking his talents to Big Ten country. Pete Nakos reports that Keeshawn Silver has signed with USC. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Silver was a five-star recruit in the class of 2021 when the Rocky Mount, NC native initially committed to play for Mack Brown at North Carolina. He was ranked higher in his class than Drake Maye. After things didn’t work out at North Carolina, he got a second chance at Kentucky and made the most out of it.

A two-gapper in the trenches, Silver also filled the gap left by Justin Rogers in 2023 and he stepped up once again when Josaih Hayes suffered an Achilles injury in spring practice. In two years the enormous nose guard played in 24 games, totaling 43 tackles, 3 TFLs, and 1 sack.

Before landing at USC, Silver took visits to Miami, Florida, and Michigan. He also considered a return to North Carolina to play for Bill Belichick. One of the pricier prospects in the transfer portal, the interior defensive lineman commanded a big price tag at a premium position, defensive tackle.

Maalik Murphy Heads West

Kentucky hosted a pair of quarterbacks from the transfer portal this week. Maalik Murphy was the first to make a stop in Lexington. The guy who arrived a day later, Zach Calzada, ultimately was the choice.

Murphy swung and missed at Auburn and Kentucky. Rather than knocking on more doors in the SEC, he went to the West Coast. Murphy landed at Oregon State. He’ll play in the new-look Pac-12 for the Beavers next fall.

Where Kentucky Players have Transferred

• WR Barion Brown — LSU
• TE Jordan Dingle — South Carolina
• DL Keeshawn Silver — USC
• DL Tommy Ziesmer — EKU
• OT Courtland Ford — UCLA

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