2025 Kentucky Position Previews: Offensive Line

Kentucky’s fall camp is right around the corner. Before the Cats officially begin the 2025 season, KSR is taking a closer look at the roster and analyzing each position group. Personnel, storylines, questions, and one bold prediction will be included.

Next up is a position that this program spent a lot of resources on in the offseason.

Position Preview: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End

Expected Starters

Shiyazh Pete (6-8, 322, RSr.)

Pete started three years at left tackle for New Mexico State before entering the transfer portal. The Montana native produced some strong pass protection production in 2024. The winter window roster addition is a long left tackle with good movement skills.

This is a former All-CUSA performer with ton of experience and some impressive reps on tape as a pass protector at left tackle. Winning with power and physicality in the run game is a question mark but Kentucky’s new left tackle should be able to efficiently protect the blindside.

Joshua Braun (6-6, 342, 6th)

A four-star recruit in the 2020 high school recruiting cycle, Braun signed with Florida and started seven games over three seasons. The offensive guard entered the transfer portal following the 2022 season and landed at Arkansas. Started all 24 games for the Hogs over two seasons. Owns 31 career starts in 50 games played. Received second-team All-SEC honors in 2023. Has played both guard spots. Braun has logged 2,435 career snaps.

Durability (zero missed games at Arkansas) is a real asset that the SEC transfer brings to Kentucky. Braun has size, experience, play strength, and awareness. The transfer gives offensive line coach Eric Wolford a proven SEC veteran who should immediately help stabilize the interior of Kentucky’s offensive line.

Jager Burton (6-4, 323, RSr.)

The Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass product has started 34 games during his Kentucky career. That number should extend into the mid-40s this season. Burton has hit the offseason program hard and secured a starting position during spring practice as he shifted back to center.

Snapping accuracy was a major issue for Burton in 2023 but it is clear that Kentucky has a lot of faith in the veteran and is betting on the returnee having a big season in the pivot this fall.

Jalen Farmer (6-5, 318, RJr.)

Farmer was a full-time starter for Kentucky at right guard in 2024 after spending his first two seasons at Florida. The Covington (Ga.) Eastside product is someone that UK is investing in by allowing him to stick at right guard after Braun played that position at Arkansas.

The SEC transfer quietly had a solid first season as a starter and appears to have All-SEC/draft pick potential. This is a big year for the former three-star recruit.

Alex Wollschlaeger (6-7, 311, 6th)

The Chicagoland native signed with Bowling Green in the 2020 high school cycle and developed into a three-year starter for the Falcons at right tackle. Earned first-team All-MAC honors in 2024. Has played over 2,400 career snaps. Owns one year of eligibility remaining.

Wollschlaeger is a strong, sturdy, and smart player who shows power as a run blocker and has a big frame defenders must work around in pass protection.

Kentucky’s Offensive Line Room

Eric Wolford is now in his third season as the offensive line coach at Kentucky and played a big room in rebuilding that room in the offseason. There are plenty of new faces on the Big Blue Wall and some key young players who the Wildcats will need to develop this season.

Evan Wibberley (6-5, 304, RJr.)

The Edgewood (Ky.) Dixie Heights product started 15 consecutive games at center for WKU. Played nearly 800 snaps as a redshirt sophomore in 2024. Owns two years of eligibility. Wibberley is an experienced center who put good pass protection production on tape last fall. There are some play strength concerns that will need to be answered as he moves up in competition. Will enter the season as UK’s top interior reserve.

Rob Fogler (6-7, 308, RSo.)

The Cincinnati (Ky.) St. Xavier product spent his first two seasons in college football at Ball State. Fogler still has three years of eligibility remaining. Developmental transfer addition who will likely fill a depth need at tackle his first year on campus.

Cameron Jones (6-6, 341, RSo.)

The West Virginia native spent two seasons at James Madison before entering the transfer portal. The true tackle prospect has three years of eligibility remaining. Another developmental transfer addition.

Malachi Wood (6-8, 328, RSo.)

The Richmond (Ky.) Madison Central product started five games as a redshirt freshman but had some struggles at right tackle. Wood will begin the season as Kentucky’s swing tackle after the program added two starters in the transfer portal.

Aba Selm (6-4, 323, RFr.)

The Northern Kentucky native took a redshirt season in year one on campus but is still on track to become a starter sooner rather than later at center or guard. Selm projects to be the top interior backup after Wibberley in 2025. An important young development prospect in the offensive line room.

Hayes Johnson (6-4, 300, RFr.)

The in-state native is back for year two after a redshirt season. Johnson is a former three-star recruit projects as a depth piece at guard/center who will use 2025 as a development year.

Jermiel Atkins (6-8, 329, Fr.)

Massive young offensive tackle prospect out of Dayton. Developmental player who will need time to increase fundamentals and add good weight in Kentucky’s strength and conditioning program. Size and movement skills give Atkins a potential high-ceiling.

Bryan J. Auguste (6-4, 298, Fr.)

South Florida native will start his career at tackle. Showed a good blend of athleticism and strength on tape but will need to add some size to becoming a productive SEC trench player. Expect a redshirt season to begin Auguste’s collegiate career.

Jayden Clark (6-4, 325, Fr.)

A young offensive line prospect with center potential. Must continue to add strength but has road grader potential along with the athleticism to be effective in pass protection. Missed junior season with injury.

Jason Ekperuoh (6-6, 335, Fr.)

A late addition to the 2025 signing class, Ekperuoh is a Canada native who moved to the United States in 2023 to pursue a football career. This is another developmental tackle prospect who will need some time to grow in Kentucky’s program.

Darrin Strey (6-7, 322, Fr.)

A true tackle prospect who was a very, very big recruiting win for Kentucky in Michigan. Strey owns a combination of size and flexibility that make this four-star recruit a tantalizing prospect. Could become a contributor sooner rather than later at the next level. Enters fall camp as the fourth tackle for UK.

Big Question: Does the transfer portal spending spree fix the problems?

Kentucky’s offensive line play was atrocious in 2024. Everyone knows this. It nearly felt as bad as the 2022 season and the 2023 year was not much better. Trench play has been a massive issue for this program since the 2021 season ended with a win in the Citrus Bowl. Kentucky made a concerted effort to fix this problem by spending big in the transfer portal this offseason.

Will it work? We’re about to find out.

The Wildcats landed a former All-SEC guard (Joshua Braun), beat out multiple power conference programs for a right tackle (Alex Wollschlaeger), and had to make a big push to secure a tackle from a left tackle (Shiyazh Pete). This type of free agent talent accumulation in the transfer portal is not cheap. Kentucky used quite a high volume of NIL dollars to fix this offensive line.

Can you build a good offensive line through free agency? It’s a fair question to ask but the Cats had no other choice after a three-year slide. Kentucky desperately needs this unit to become one of the most improved in the SEC.

Top Storyline: Jager Burton’s second stint at center

Back in 2023, Kentucky decided to make a fairly big position switch. The Cats moved Jager Burton to center heading into his redshirt sophomore season after a tough first season as a starter at guard. There was legit buzz for what this move could do for the offensive as center appeared to be the most natural position for Burton.

Unfortunately, the experiment did not last long.

Burton was pulled from center due to snapping accuracy after three games and shifted back to right guard. After starting at left guard for Kentucky in 2024, the former blue-chip recruit has moved back to center in 2025.

Will this second move for the redshirt senior work?

It’s clear at this point that Burton has emerged as a team leader and has added legitimate mass and strength to his frame in the weight room this offseason. Kentucky is depending on the veteran to provide leadership and a steadying force in the middle of this rebuilt offensive line. If this switch doesn’t work again, there likely won’t be a spot in the lineup for Burton.

Bold Prediction: Joshua Braun becomes Kentucky’s first All-SEC selection since 2021

In 2021, Luke Fortner and Darian Kinnard both earned first-team All-SEC honors after a big year for the Kentucky offensive line. Each would become draft picks that following spring. Kentucky is looking for its first all-conference performer and draft pick since that season.

They will find that in 2025.

Joshua Braun was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2023 and enters this season as one of the top returning guards in the conference. The sixth-year player will prove that again this season.

The former Florida and Arkansas starter will become one of the best players on Kentucky’s team, receives recognition for that, and then hears his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft.