Wide receiver room is most transfer-heavy on Kentucky's roster

Kentucky needed to flip the roster as the program moved on from a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2024. That meant losing some starters to the transfer portal and replacing them with incoming transfers. Nowhere was that more true than wide reciver.

After the surprising departure of wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts Jr., offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan has reunited with wide receivers coach L’Damian Washington after the duo spent the 2020 season on Eliah Drinkwitz‘s first Missouri staff. The first order of business was to find some reinforcements at the receiver position after Kentucky lost Barion Brown, Anthony Brown-Stephens, Hardley Gilmore IV, Dane Key, and Brandon White to the transfer portal.

The Wildcats signed five high school prospects in December to help supplement the room. During the winter transfer portal window, the program has added three transfers to the roster with J.J. Hester (Oklahoma), Kendrick Law (Alabama), and Troy Stellato (Clemson) joining the program. They will be joined by former transfers Fred Farrier II (UAB) and Ja’Mori Maclin (North Texas).

That makes wide receiver the most transfer-heavy position on Kentucky’s roster. No other position has a higher rate of transfers.

Position	Scholarship Players	Former Transfers	Transfer Share
QB	4	1	25%
RB	4	1	25%
WR	11	5	45.4%
TE	4	1	25%
OL	16	6	37.5%
DL	14	5	35.7%
EDGE	5	2	40%
LB	8	2	25%
DB	16	4	25%

Kentucky needed reinforcements on the line of scrimmage and at EDGE. We have seen that play out. Joshua Braun (G, Arkansas), David Gusta (iDL, Washington State), Kameron Olds (Kent State), Evan Wibberley (iOL, WKU), Jaden Williams (iDL, Wyoming), and Alex Wollschlaeger (T, Bowling Green) are each expected to fill big roles in 2025. The Cats needed multiple line of scrimmage starters but the wide receiver room also needed a lot of help.

No position on the team will be more dependent on former transfers in 2025.