Kentucky WR Hardley Gilmore will Transfer to Nebraska

One of the strangest transfer portal stories in recent memory is ending like many others. On3’s Pete Nakos reports wide receiver Hardley Gilmore has signed with Nebraska. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Gilmore is the second Wildcat to follow former Kentucky wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts to Nebraska. Dane Key will also be suiting up for the Huskers for his final season of college football in 2025.

One of the few bright spots from Kentucky’s anemic passing offense, the former four-star pass-catcher from Florida had 6 receptions, 153 yards, and one touchdown. He only appeared in five games after suffering a broken collarbone in the preseason. In that short amount of time, he showed a ton of potential. Gilmore looked like a building block for the future of the Kentucky offense.

“He is in my opinion as complete of a young receiver as I’ve been around,” Hamdan said in August. “He’s got top-end speed, he’s a good route-runner, he’s tough, he’s physical. There’s a lot of things there.”

Without Gilmore, the Kentucky wide receiver room is running out of experienced options. Ja’Mori Maclin is the leading returner in the room. The Wildcats brought in a pair of transfers without a lengthy stat sheet on their resumes. Five of the ten players in L’Damian Washington’s wide receivers room are true freshmen.

This unexpected departure puts the Kentucky offense in a tough spot. He entered the transfer portal on deadline day, and for a time, it looked like he might be convinced to return to Kentucky. Instead, he’s heading to the land of Corn. The optics have not been good this offseason for Mark Stoops’ program.

Kentucky Football Players in the Transfer Portal

There have been 22 transfer portal departures this offseason, many of which will continue to play football in the Power Conference ranks.

• DL Keeshawn Silver (Committed to USC on Dec. 19)
• DB Avery Stuart
• LB Jayvant Brown
• TE Tanner Lemaster (Committed to Eastern Michigan on Dec. 22)
• TE Khamari Anderson (Committed to Arizona State on Dec. 22)
• TE Jordan Dingle (Committed to South Carolina on Dec. 18)
• OL Courtland Ford (Committed to UCLA on Dec. 17)
• OL Ben Christman (Committed to UNLV on Dec. 27)
• OL Dylan Ray (Committed to Minnesota on Dec. 21)
• OL Koby Keenum (Committed to Mississippi State on Dec. 22)
• DL Tommy Ziesmer (Committed to EKU on Dec. 15)
• WR Dane Key (Committed to Nebraska on Dec. 24)
• WR Barion Brown (Committed to LSU on Dec. 14)
• WR Anthony Brown-Stephens
• WR Brandon White (Committed to Hawaii Dec. 28)
• WR Hardley Gilmore (Committed to Nebraska on Jan. 1)
• EDGE Tyreese Fearbry (Committed to Wisconsin Dec. 22)
• EDGE Noah Matthews
• EDGE Caleb Redd (Committed to Kansas on Dec. 20)
• RB Chip Trayanum (Committed to Toledo on Dec. 24)
• QB Gavin Wimsatt
• LS Walker Himebach (Committed to Colorado State on Dec. 22)

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.