Kentucky Lands Kevin Larkins Jr, D-II Defensive Back Transfer

A year ago the BBN was shocked when the Wildcats landed a defensive back transfer from Livingstone College, Jordan Robinson. History is repeating itself. Shortly after visiting the Lexington campus, KSR has learned Kevin Larkins Jr. will move up from the D-II ranks to the SEC at the University of Kentucky.

Larkins was one of the most productive players in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference in 2022. As a freshman he picked off eight passes in nine games to lead Division II in interceptions per game. He picked off three passes in one game and also returned one interception for a touchdown.

In addition to the interceptions, Larkins finished his true freshman campaign with 40 tackles, two for loss, 4 PBUs and a forced fumble. He received three noteworthy postseason honors: Defensive Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-CIAA and Defensive All-CIAA Rookie Team.

From a physical standpoint, he checks multiple boxes for the Wildcats. At 6-foot-2, he has the desired size Kentucky is looking for in boundary cornerbacks. Additionally, he shows plenty of positional versatility on tape. He primarily played deep safety for Livingstone, but also covered receivers in the slot and lined up at cornerback.

What the Kevin Larkins Addition Means for Kentucky

In this phase of the recruiting calendar, Kentucky is looking for the best available players from the transfer portal to get to 85 scholarship players. The Wildcats have some scholarship capital to use and they’re doing it by adding reinforcements to the secondary.

In the first portal window Kentucky added two cornerbacks, Jantzen Dunn from Ohio State and JQ Hardaway from Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Wildcats lost three scholarship defensive backs. Kevin Larkins is a developmental add to the roster with a ton of upside that will help fortify Kentucky’s depth in the secondary.

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