Kentucky Football Targets Ahead of Second Transfer Portal Wave

There are three transfer portal periods that each have varying degrees of activity. Kentucky is gearing up for another wave of visits and (hopefully) commitments.

The most active period ended when the dead period began right before Christmas. It’s when all of the players depart and rush to secure spots as quickly as possible. Kentucky hosted 20 or so players during that time and received signatures from 14 players.

The least active window is after spring practice. Players have ten days to enter the transfer portal in April. You can only expect 2-3 departures and arrivals per team.

The second wave is right in between. Kentucky has found quality late additions after the dead period, most notably Keeshawn Silver. They’re looking for a few more gems before Jan. 17, the last day to add a class at UK for the spring semester. If Kentucky can land one of these defensive players, he might be the best add of the entire transfer portal period.

Top Transfer Portal Targets

Mi’Quise Grace
South Dakota EDGE

It’s hard to find players who can set an EDGE and play with enough bend to get to the QB in the pass rush. Grace looks like one of those guys. This fall, he was an FCS All-American and Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Year after recording 17.0 TFLs and 9.5 sacks. Vince Marrow should have the inside track on the Cincinnati native, but USC and Mississippi State are expected to host him for visits. Texas A&M and Oklahoma are also trying to make a move for this disruptive EDGE.

David Gusta
Washington State DT

According to On3, Gusta is the third-best available defensive lineman in the transfer portal. He’s started in 21 games over the last two seasons, and last fall he had 22 QB pressures, three TFLs, and a sack. Texas A&M received the first visit. He’ll follow that up with trips to Kentucky and then Tennessee.

Shiyazh Pete
New Mexico State OT

Kentucky needs a true left tackle and this is arguably the best available. He has 31 career starts at the position and he took a huge step forward in 2024. Pete already visited Oklahoma State. Michigan is sniffing around too, but the big one to watch is Vanderbilt. The Commodores took New Mexico State’s head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterback, and much, much more a year ago. They’re getting the first visit and there’s a good chance he never makes it out of Nashville to visit Lexington. Survive that trip, and the Cats got a shot.

Tru Edwards
JUCO/Hawaii/Louisiana Tech WR

The 6-foot-3 pass-catcher is one of many former JUCO players who’s getting an extra year of eligibility thanks to Diego Pavia. It’s happening at the perfect time. Edwards was not very productive until 2024, when he became an All-C-USA First Team selection by leading the league in receptions (84) and finishing second in receiving yards (986) on a bad passing offense. Edwards is visiting Sunday and could quickly fill the void at X-receiver left by Dane Key.

Other Players to Watch

Chris Murray
TCU/Sam Houston State EDGE

Murray visited Nebraska, Missouri, Mississippi State, and Kentucky before the dead period. He’ll visit Florida State and Auburn in the coming days. Even though one of his former teammates, Landyn Watson, is at Kentucky, six visits feels excessive. He must be looking for something he didn’t find during the first wave when he spent time in Lexington.

Cortez Braham
West Virginia/Nevada Wide Receiver

Braham had 56 receptions for 724 yards and four touchdowns last fall. He’s been in contact with Kentucky and tells Jacob Polacheck that he plans to visit Kentucky a week after making a trip to Kansas. We’ll see if that visit ever materializes.

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