Kentucky WR Anthony Brown-Stephens to Enter Transfer Portal

Another member of the 2023 Kentucky signing class is leaving the program. Anthony Brown-Stephens is also the third wide receiver in the last 24 hours to announce he will be entering the transfer portal. Dane Key shared his decision Wednesday night and Barion Brown pulled the trigger early Thursday.

Brown-Stephens caught five passes in each of his two seasons in Lexington. He had 44 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman, followed by 77 yards and two touchdowns in the fall of 2024. He also had seven carries for 31 yards.

A three-star talent from Springfield, Ohio, he was the latest in a line of players that Vince Marrow recruited who were coached by former Wildcat Mo Douglass. As a high school athlete, Brown-Stephens looked like a potential SEC slot receiver, but despite his hard work, it just never worked out.

I’d like to emphasize the “hard work” part for a moment because this guy did everything the right way. How he carried himself is exactly how Stoops and Co. wanted everyone to go about their business. The intangibles were there, but the production didn’t follow.

Even though he didn’t light up the stat sheet, he did help Kentucky’s NIL efforts. He recruited his uncle, John Legend, to perform this summer for an exclusive donor group, “500 Strong.” The fundraising event laid a strong foundation for Kentucky football’s NIL efforts over the next few years.

Brown-Stephens is the tenth member of the class of 2023 to enter the transfer portal. That class only had 19 people. The misses are clearly putting a strain on the Kentucky football roster. Kentucky has 10 scholarship wide receivers following the latest departure.

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Kentucky Portal Tracker

The transfer portal does not officially open until Monday, Dec. 9, but so far we know of 11 players who will be seeking out greener pastures this offseason.

• DL Keeshawn Silver
• DB Avery Stuart
• LS Walker Himebauch
• TE Tanner Lemaster
• TE Khamari Anderson
• LB Jayvant Brown
• OL Courtland Ford
• DL Tommy Ziesmer
• WR Dane Key
• WR Barion Brown
• WR Anthony Brown-Stephens

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. Not a KSR+ member? Try it out today.