Transfer Portal Bio Blast: Troy Stellato
The winter transfer portal window closed on Dec. 28. We’ve seen some heavy player movement in this free agency period. Teams are working rapidly to close these fast-paced recruitments and are currently hosting prospects on visits before the spring semester begins.
Kentucky hosted another wide receiver over the weekend for a visit and are officially a finalist for Clemson transfer Troy Stellato.
Wide receiver became a bigger need for Kentucky once Hardley Gilmore IV left the program for Nebraska. Another transfer addition is needed after J.J. Hester (Oklahoma) and Kendrick Law (Alabama) joined the program in December. Could Stellato become the latest former four-star recruit to join Kentucky’s wide receivers room this offseason?
KSR’s Transfer Portal Bio Blast is taking a closer look at the redshirt senior with two years of eligibility remaining.
Blue-chip recruit out of South Florida
Over his sophomore and junior seasons at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons, Troy Stellato accumulated 86 receptions, 1,433 yards, and 14 touchdowns. That high-level production in the one of the hottest recruiting areas in the country led to Stellato becoming a blue-chip prospect.
The wideout became a top-300 recruit in the 2021 high school cycle and a top-50 player in Florida. Kentucky was one of many schools to pursue the four-star wideout. Stellato named Alabama, LSU, USC, and North Carolina finalists after his junior season before trimming his list to two. In a battle between Clemson and Ohio State, Dabo Swinney‘s program won this South Florida recruitment.
Multiple injuries in four years at Clemson
Troy Stellato was a true freshman on Clemson’s 2021 team that struggled to generate offense with DJ Uiagalelei taking over for Trevor Lawrence at quarterback. The wideout played in only two games and took a redshirt season in his first year on campus. Then the injuries started to pile up.
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Stellato missed entire redshirt freshman season in 2022 thanks to an ACL injury suffered during fall camp. The wideout bounced back in 2023 as a redshirt sophomore finishing Clemson’s 9-4 season with career highs in snaps (594), targets (58), receptions (38), and receiving yards (321). Stellato recorded four receptions for 42 yards in Clemson’s Gator Bowl win over Kentucky to end the season.
The wideout returned for his redshirt junior campaign in 2024 but was knocked out for the season with a hand injury after nine games. Stellato finished the year with 25 receptions (34 targets), 264 yards, and one touchdown. After playing outside receiver in 2023, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley shifted Steallto into a slot role this past season.
Troy Stellato entered the transfer portal on Dec. 3 just a few days away from Clemson’s meeting with SMU in the ACC Championship Game.
Luckett’s scouting notebook
Kentucky appears to have a type in the transfer portal this offseason at wide receiver. Troy Stellato fits that player profile. This is yet another former blue-chip recruit who was a part starter for a high-level power conference program with a bunch of snaps under his belt.
This is my scouting write-up on Kentucky’s latest wide receiver visitor.
Troy Stellato (6-1, 190) is an experienced power conference wideout with inside-outside versatility and 65 career receptions. Drops (9.3% drop rate) were an issue in 2023. The wideout was mainly a short-to-intermediate target at Clemson with a career average depth of target of 6.9 yards. Shows some toughness running in between the hashes. Made his biggest impact with crossers over the middle of the field. Only had four vertical targets over the last two seasons. Does a solid job create yards after the catch in the short passing game.
The Clemson transfer is a slot receiver with some positional versatility who can be a reliable short-to-intermediate target between the numbers. Was not a field stretcher in the ACC but was a valuable efficiency weapon who helped keep this offense ahead of the chains.
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