New Kentucky Additions Featured in ESPN Transfer Portal Rankings

The recruiting window is closing. In-person visits between coaches and prospects have concluded. Over the next 72 hours most of the news from the high school recruiting and transfer portal ranks will be in the form of commitments. Kentucky has already made four solid additions from the transfer portal and they are far from finished.

On3 ranks teams based on incoming and outgoing transfer portal players. Kentucky is currently in the top 10 with four impact additions. ESPN ranked the top 75 players to enter the transfer portal this offseason and all four of Kentucky’s new guys made the cut.

24. Ja’Mori Maclin, North Texas Wide Receiver

ESPN on How he fits at Kentucky: Maclin is going to be part of a revamped offense with Georgia quarterback transfer Brock Vandagriff, Ohio State running back transfer Chip Trayanum and Texas A&M receiver Raymond Cottrell. The Wildcats’ leading receiver had 553 receiving yards this past season and Maclin should help increase those numbers and give the offense an explosive playmaker at the position.

34. Raymond Cottrell, Texas A&M Wide Receiver

70. Chip Trayanum, Ohio State Running Back

74. Brock Vandagriff, Georgia Quarterback

ESPN on How he fits at Kentucky: The Wildcats need to replace starter Devin Leary, who transferred from NC State, and is out of eligibility. Vandagriff is unproven at the college level, having only completed 12 passes in his three years at Georgia. He was highly regarded coming out of high school, though, and had quite a few major programs after him. That included Oklahoma, where he was originally committed to before decommitting to sign with Georgia. He is a passer first, but can make plays with his feet and should fit in with what Kentucky wants at the quarterback position.

Kentucky Targets in ESPN Rankings

Like I said, Kentucky’s work in the transfer portal is far from finished. Here are a few other players KSR is keeping a close eye on as the Early Signing Period approaches.

26. Jamon Dumas-Johnson: The former Georgia All-American middle linebacker could be exactly what the Kentucky defense needs after Trevin Wallace declared for the NFL Draft Friday night. Dumas-Johnson visited Kentucky and Auburn over the weekend. The Wildcats could be receiving good news in the near future.

57. Chris Brazzell: A 6-foot-5 pass catcher from Tulane, Brazzell was a productive redshirt freshman that led the Green Wave with 711 receiving yards and scored five touchdowns. Tennessee really wants him, but the Cats are lurking.

66. Jake Johnson: The former Texas A&M tight end is brothers with QB Max Johnson. They grew up in the same areas as Brock Vandagriff. The connection is there, but I don’t think Kentucky will continue to kick the tires after Jordan Dingle removed his name from the transfer portal over the weekend.