Kentucky Football Transfer Portal Preview

The first week of the Kentucky football offseason was eventful. That’s small potatoes compared to what lies next.

The transfer portal officially opens for all FBS players tomorrow. Any college football player can enter the portal between now and Dec. 28. That’s the deadline to leave a school, not a player’s deadline to find a new school. There are some exceptions, most notably, a new window opens for players to hit the portal if their head coach leaves the school.

Things move quickly in the transfer portal. You have to keep your head on a swivel during the hectic month. Before we share a few things you need to keep an eye on, make sure you’re subscribed to KSR+. That’s where you’ll hear scuttlebutt before it becomes news that potentially changes the future of the Kentucky football program. Now, here are a few things you need to know before the most massive roster overhaul of the Mark Stoops era.

How Many Kentucky Players Will Hit the Portal

To be candid, I was surprised how many people were surprised by the amount of players who announced last week that they were leaving the Kentucky football program. Things aren’t getting worse for the program. This is just what happens when you lose eight games in a season.

The roster needs to be flipped and attrition is the first step. So far, 15 players have revealed they will hit the portal, giving the coaching staff seven roster spots to bring in more free agents. They need to bring in more than seven free agents. That’s why that number should double before this week is done. I’m suspecting around 35 departures this offseason. Who’s announced they’re making a move so far:

• DL Keeshawn Silver
• DB Avery Stuart
• LB Jayvant Brown
• LS Walker Himebauch
• TE Tanner Lemaster
• TE Khamari Anderson
• TE Jordan Dingle
• OL Courtland Ford
• OL Ben Christman
• DL Tommy Ziesmer
• WR Dane Key
• WR Barion Brown
• WR Anthony Brown-Stephens
• EDGE Tyreese Fearbry
• EDGE Noah Matthews

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. Keep closer tabs on the Cats with our staff-only sticky thread on KSBoard, which will have updates on departures and targets throughout the offseason.

Positions the Cats will Target

There’s a good chance that Kentucky will take a player at almost every position this fall, but some need help more than others. Kentucky is in the market for Tier-1 starters at the following positions.

EDGE

The two EDGE players behind J.J. Weaver on the depth chart are departing and Weaver is out of eligibility. Kentucky recruited some EDGEs in the 2024 recruiting class, but they need to find an experienced starter. This position is the top priority for the defense.

Nickel

Zion Childress was one of Kentucky’s most disruptive defensive players and it’s unclear if there’s someone currently on the roster who can fill that void. We already have one name to monitor at the spot, South Alabama DB Jordan Scruggs, who told KSR+ that a visit to Kentucky may be on the horizon.

Offensive Tackle

Kentucky needs two starting-caliber offensive tackles and they won’t be cheap. On3’s Pete Nakos estimates that a tier-1 offensive tackle runs between $400,000-$1 million.

Center

The only offensive lineman who physically touches the football is the same one who calls out the protection to the rest of the group. It’s an important position and the coaching staff isn’t going to rely exclusively on redshirt sophomore Koby Keenum to fill that void.

Quarterback

Even though Mark Stoops believes in Cutter Boley, he’s just a redshirt freshman, who will be backed up by two true freshmen. That’s not a recipe for success.

Running Back

Chip Trayanum is expected to return and Mark Stoops believes Jamarion Wilcox is ready to run it back, but Kentucky will likely be looking for another Ray Davis this offseason.

Transfer Portal Trends

The Wildcats took in eight transfers in 2022. That number grew to 15 in 2023 and 14 during the last cycle. At least one player didn’t make it to fall camp in each of the 23 and 24 portal classes.

Over the last three years, seven of the 37 incoming transfers have left Kentucky via the transfer portal. On the opposite end of the spectrum, about 30% of those incoming transfers started for the Cats the following year. At this hit rate, Kentucky will need to add about 24 players to find seven starters for the 2025 team.

Skepticism is Warranted

This offseason will have more roster turnover than any other offseason in Kentucky football history. With graduating seniors and NFL Draft entries included, about half of the 2024 roster will be gone, opening the door for Kentucky to load up on new players.

There have been transer portal success stories — Ray Davis, Keidron Smith, Wan’Dale Robinson — but the misses have been more frequent than the hits as of late. The coaches have passed some of this season’s blame on this year’s group of transfer portal players. What will fix this problem? More transfers!

That’s just one reason why I suspect each addition will be scrutinized to a greater degree than their predecessors. Devin Leary was the best quarterback on the market. Brock Vandagriff was a former five-star talent. Each greatly underwhelmed. Expecting the next to be better might be bad for your health.

There is not one player who can bring in a magic wand and change the tone and tenor surrounding this program. Yet the coaching staff needs to find between 7-10 players that can step in and play well right away. The future of the Mark Stoops era is riding on the backs of this year’s crop of free agents.