It’s been nearly two weeks since a bad loss to Louisville ended a frustrating 4-8 Kentucky football campaign. In speaking with reporters head coach Mark Stoops said he expected a number of players to leave the program in the off-season. As it’s turned out truer words were never been spoken as the Wildcats have one of the biggest roster turnovers in college football. Let’s show you who’s leaving, and who could be headed to Lexington. We’ll start with the guys who’ll be playing elsewhere next year.
2025 Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker
Losing A Dynamic Duo
As it stands right now, Kentucky’s portal has been a one-way street. So far 19 Wildcats entered the portal. That’s the third most among Power Four programs. Only Mississippi State with 21 and Arkansas with 20 had more. Stoops and the Cats haven’t brought in anyone. It’s not just guys looking for more playing time, it’s some of the top Cats from last season.
Topping the list is wide receiver Dane Key. The Lexington native immediately became one of the top names. In fact, 247 Sports ranks him as the seventh-best player available. Even with the much-discussed passing game struggles Key led the team with 47 receptions for 715 yards and two touchdowns. He leaves Lexington fifth all-time in receiving yards with 1,752.
The next day his running mate Barion Brown also hit the portal. He sits just a few spots behind Key in the portal rankings. Brown hauled in 29 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns. Of course, he gained national attention as a kick returner with an SEC record five returns for a touchdown. The Nashville native had been rumored to transfer each year to Kentucky. However, he finally did it this year.
One And Done
Two other high-profile players leaving are quarterback Gavin Wimsatt and running back Chip Trayanum. A Kentucky native who transferred from Rutgers, Wimsatt was brought in as a compliment to Brock Vandagriff. When Stoops decided to start Cutter Boley against Louisville it seemed a given he would leave. As for Vandagriff, there’s no official word though he’s expected to leave as well. Expect UK to find an experienced signal caller to go along with Boley.
In the case of Trayanum big things were expected after transferring from Ohio State. Unfortunately, he broke a bone in his hand at the end of spring practice and missed most of the year gaining only 101 yards. On signing day Stoops told reporters he planned on returning for 2025. However the next day Trayanum entered the portal. Likely he’d be behind Jamarion Wilcox and Jason Patterson had he returned.
Continuing on with our 2025 Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker let’s look at another position hit hard.
Needing An Almost Entirely New Group
Overall the pass catchers were hit hard by transfers. In addition to Brown and Key Anthony Brown-Stephens and Brandon White are gone. While maybe being best known as John Legend’s nephew Brown-Stephens had 10 receptions for 121 yards and three touchdowns in 25 games at Kentucky. White played in six games over three years but never recorded a reception.
Another group that needed reinforcements for next year is the tight end. Khamari Anderson, Jordan Dingle, and Tanner LeMaster all hit the portal. Anderson caught five passes for 29 yards in 2024 while Dingle had nine receptions for 71 yards and a score. LeMaster appeared in one game in two years. The emergence of Willie Rodriguez late in the year and UK’s second-highest incoming recruit Mikkel Skinner likely led to the defections.
As we continue with our 2025 Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker let’s look at the other side of the ball.
Holes To Fill
The most notable defensive transfer is nose guard Keeshawn Silver. A five-star player coming out of high school, Silver transferred to Kentucky after originally committing to North Carolina. In 23 games for the Wildcats, he made 43 tackles and had a sack. 247 Sports lists him as the 31st-best player in the portal.
There’s one position the Cats will need help with the edge position. Tyrese Fearby, Noah Matthews, and Caleb Redd are all headed out of Lexington. All three likely would have been competing for starting spots in 2025. However, they’re all looking for fresh starts. While the Cats have a few young players hopefully ready to step up, look for that to be a point of emphasis.
That’s a lot of talk about who’s leaving but who potentially is coming to Lexington. Let’s examine some names as we finish our 2025 Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker.
Potential New Faces
So far the Cats have several names lined up for visits. However, on first look, they don’t jump off the page. One player is Western Carolina offensive tackle Derek Simmons. That’s a spot where Kentucky needs tons of help.
Most of the other players are on defense. They include two linebackers, Marshall’s Landyn Watson and Jacksonville State’s Reginald Hughes. Watson had 65 tackles and an interception for the Sun Belt champs while Hughes made 82 stops and had 4.5 sacks for the Conference USA winners.
In addition, UK is set to host three defensive linemen: USC’s Sam Greene, Illinois State’s Steven Curtis, and Sam Houston’s Chris Murray. Again these aren’t huge names but could definitely provide depth.
Thanks for checking out our 2025 Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker. As more players come and go we’ll provide you with updates.
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