Former Kentucky Wildcats Generating Serious Buzz in the Transfer Portal

While most of Big Blue Nation’s attention is focused on who is entering the transfer portal that may join the Kentucky football team, three players who have already left the program have quickly become popular players in the transfer portal.

ESPN ranked the Top 25 players in the transfer portal and three of the top 16 were wearing Kentucky uniforms last fall.

Keeshawn Silver comes in at No. 16. The interior defensive lineman was a five-star talent when he signed with North Carolina out of high school. After starting for two years at noseguard for the Cats, Pete Nakos reported that he will be one of the top-paid non-QBs in this transfer portal cycle. Silver is down to four schools: Florida, Miami, Michigan, and USC. That’s a decent list.

It’s a who’s who of SEC schools after Barion Brown, along with Florida State. Most transfer portal reporters believe LSU is the early leader in his recruitment. ESPN ranked Brown as the No. 5 available player one day into this cycle, although I’m a bit skeptical of the analysis after the scout described Brown as a player who “excelled in one-on-one situations, consistently winning jump-ball matchups.” I think most Kentucky fans would say that is his greatest weakness as a player, not a strength.

Dane Key is considered one of the best available wide receivers. ESPN ranks the Lexington native as the fourth-best available player, where On3 tabs the former Cat at No. 3 overall. Expected to be WR1 or WR2 at his next stop, Georgia and Nebraska are the only contenders in his recruitment.

It’s a tough look for Kentucky fans, but it checks out. The sum was always worse than the parts. Mark Stoops’ 12th football team had exceptional individual talent, yet the coaches couldn’t figure out a winning formula. Kentucky went 4-8, so those players are looking for success elsewhere. That’s life as a college football fan in 2024.

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