Where Kentucky transfer portal departures landed this offseason

Kentucky’s 2025 roster is now set following the addition of 25 scholarship transfers and 21 high school signees. There will be a lot of new for the Wildcats this season after Mark Stoops and his coaching staff completed a roster reboot this offseason after a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2025. But movement is two-way in college football free agency.

Players that Kentucky spent time recruiting and invested resources in have left the program and will continue their college football careers somewhere else. Many are headed the Group of Five route but some will have starting roles for power conference programs.

KSR is taking a look at all 29 scholarship departures from last season and seeing where each landed for the 2025 season.

Kentucky transfer portal departures

Khamari Anderson (Arizona State): The four-star recruit out of Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech that Kentucky flipped from Cincinnati following Luke Fickell’s departure spent two seasons in the SEC and played a big role in 2024. The Y tight end will be a true junior in Big 12 playing for an Arizona State team with College Football Playoff expectations in year three under Kenny Dillingham.

Barion Brown (LSU): The former top-100 recruit out of Nashville was a multi-time All-SEC performer as a kick returner and left Kentucky after three years with 122 career receptions in 37 games. Brown will spend his final season of college football playing in Tiger Stadium. It sounds like the senior had a very good spring in Baton Rouge.

Jayvant Brown (Temple): The late addition to Kentucky’s 2023 high school recruiting class spent two seasons in Lexington at linebacker. The South Florida native entered the transfer portal in the winter window and landed at Temple where Brown will play for first-year head coach K.C. Keeler in the American Athletic Conferece.

Anthony Brown-Stephens (Tulane): A former top-500 recruiting win for Kentucky, Brown-Stephens appeared in 25 games over two seasons in Lexington and recorded 10 total receptions. The Springfield (Ohio) High product will spend his junior season playing for Jon Sumrall.

Ben Christman (UNLV): The former four-star recruit spent two seasons at Kentucky after starting his career at Ohio State. Christman landed at UNLV but passed away in February.

Anfernee Crease (Texas State): Eric Wolford added the junior college transfer last summer but the tackle lasted just one season with the program. Crease will play in the Sun Belt in 2025.

Jordan Dingle (South Carolina): The Bowling Green (Ky.) High product was a big recruiting win for the program in the 2021 high school cycle. Dingle started 21 games over four years in the program and finished his Kentucky career with 43 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns. The transfer will spend his final year of eligibility playing for Shane Beamer. South Carolina hosts Kentucky in Week 5.

Tyreese Fearbry (Wisconsin): A blue-chip prospect in the 2022 high school recruiting cycle, expectations were high for Fearbry due to his pass-rush tools. Unfortunately, there was never the week-to-week consistency established. The outside linebacker decided to enter the transfer portal during the winter period and landed in the Big Ten. Fearbry will be a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining in 2025.

Courtland Ford (UCLA): The former USC transfer spent two seasons at Kentucky and served as a backup. The tackle is now back in Los Angeles with one year of eligibility remaining. Ford has started 13 games during his collegiate career but has had issues remaining healthy.

Kendrick Gilbert (Louisville): The Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral product flipped from Purdue to Kentucky in the 2023 high school class. Gilbert spent two seasons with the UK program but had issues keeping on weight and could not carve out a role in 2024 despite there being a depth issue due to injury attrition. The defensive tackle left the program in spring practice and landed at Louisville where the coaching staff that recruited him to Purdue is now employed.

Hardley Gilmore IV (Nebraska): The four-star recruit who reclassified from 2025 to 2024 had a solid debut season before transferring to Nebraska. Gilmore then became a double-dip transfer and quickly signed with Kentucky once the spring transfer portal window opened.

Darrion Henry-Young (Coastal Carolina): Henry-Young was a blue-chip recruit out of Cincinnati (Ohio) Princeton who spent two seasons at Ohio State before spending three seasons with Kentucky. The defensive lineman did not play in 2024 as he recovered from a knee injury. Despite receiving some power conference interest during the spring portal, Henry-Young will play in the Sun Belt this fall.

Dennious Jackson (Colorado State): A late addition to the 2024 roster as a junior college transfer, Jackson was added to provide instant depth at nose tackle but that never happened. The Peach State native entered the portal after one season and received a heavy amount of Group of Five interest.

Dane Key (Nebraska):  Kentucky football legacy and a four-star recruit at Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass, Key spent three seasons at UK and started 35 times in 38 career games. The 6-foot-3 wideout posted 126 receptions for 1,870 and 14 touchdowns during his career. Key will be a popular preseason All-Big Ten selection this summer.

Koby Keenum (Mississippi State): A notable three-star recruiting win over multiple power conference schools in the 2023 high school cycle, Keenum entered the portal in the winter and quickly landed at Mississippi State after spending two seasons at UK.

Tanner Lemaster (Eastern Michigan): An early commitment in Kentucky’s 2023 high school class, Lemaster never found playing time and left the program after two seasons. The Ohio native will be a redshirt sophomore in the MAC with three years of eligibility remaining.

Quavo Marshall (Liberty): A high three-star recruit, Marshall redshirted in his first year at Kentucky as he recovered from injury. After competing spring practice, the 6-foot-4 cornerback entered the transfer portal and will play in the C-USA this fall.

Noah Matthews (Delaware): A late addition in the 2022 recruiting cycle, Matthews became a rotational player for Kentucky at outside linebacker before deciding to leave the program. The EDGE has returned to his home state to play for the Blue Hens as they transition from FCS to FBS.

Daniel Mincey (Transfer Portal): A surprise addition to the 2024 high school class, Mincey entered the transfer portal after spring practice and is currently looking for his next college football home.

Marc Nave Jr. (Purdue): The Toledo native was a former Ohio State commit who ultimately signed with Kentucky. The class of 2024 product entered the portal after spring practice and quickly landed in the Big Ten.

Dylan Ray (Minnesota): A former walk-on at West Virginia, Ray started 12 games over two seasons at Kentucky playing both guard spots and some tackle. The two-time transfer will spend his final year in the Big Ten.

Caleb Redd (Kansas): After taking a redshirt in his first season at Kentucky, Redd entered the transfer portal after once season and moved closer to his St. Louis home. The former three-star recruit will be a redshirt freshman at Kansas this season.

Keeshawn Silver (USC): The former blue-chip recruit spent two seasons at North Carolina before becoming a two-year starter for Kentucky at defensive tackle. Silver entered the portal with one year of eligibility remaining and landed in Los Angeles.

Avery Stuart (Ball State): A four-star recruiting win in Alabama for the Cats, Stuart never made a push for playing time at Kentucky and left the program for the MAC after two seasons in Lexington.

Chip Trayanum (Toledo): Expectations were high for the former Arizona State and Ohio State tailback in his only year at Kentucky. Unfortunately, injuries kept Trayanum out of the lineup and led to him leaving the program. UK will see the tailback in Week 1 when the Rockets come to Kroger Field.

Wallace Unamba (Virginia): The New Mexico transfer was a winter transfer portal addition for the Wildcats. After playing right tackle in the Mountain West, Unamba was running with the second unit at guard during Kentucky’s spring practice. The multi-time transfer entered the portal in the spring and will be at his fourth school in 2025.

Brandon White (Hawaii): The Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller product spent three years at Kentucky before entering the transfer portal. White will be a redshirt junior in the Mountain West this season.

Gavin Wimsatt (Jacksonville State): A spring addition last season, Wimsatt was a rotational quarterback in his only year at Kentucky. The multi-time transfer decided to move on after the season and will play in the C-USA this fall.

Tommy Ziesmer (EKU): The Danville (Ky.) Boyle County product spent two seasons with the program before entering the portal. An undersized defensive lineman, Ziesmer made the short move to Richmond where he should be able to find playing time immediately.