Former Kentucky defensive lineman Darrion Henry-Young is headed to the ACC

Will Stein‘s Kentucky program has added over 30 players to the roster in the transfer portal while some former Wildcats are on the move. One more found his next college football home on Sunday.

After spending one season at Coastal Carolina, Darrion Henry-Young will play for a fourth school in 2026. The Cincinnati native is returning to power conference football and will play for Virginia this upcoming season.

COMMITTED 🔶🔷 LETS BALL 🏁 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/dZJyRsazXS

— Darrion Henry-Young (@darrion_henry) January 17, 2026

Darrion Henry-Young started his career at Ohio State and spent two seasons in Ryan Day‘s program before transferring to Kentucky. As a redshirt sophomore in 2022, Henry-Young appeared in five games and played 34 snaps for Kentucky. That playing time increased to eight games and 113 snaps in 2023 when the defensive lineman recorded 10 tackles and two tackles for loss. Unfortunately, Henry-Young’s year ended early after suffering a season-ending knee injury in SEC play. Henry-Young would then take a redshirt year in 2024. In his only year in the Sun Belt, Henry-Young recorded eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in a career-high 134 defensive snaps.

The portal officially closed on Friday but the player movement has not stopped yet.

Kentucky transfer portal tracker

The transfer portal window officially closed at midnight on Jan. 16. However, that is just the deadline for players to share with schools their intent to leave. Wee could learn of more departures all the way through Wednesday. Heading into Monday, there have been 21 full scholarship players leaving the Kentucky program.

• LB Landyn Watson (Committed to Kansas on Jan. 4)
• EDGE Steven Soles Jr. (Committed to Arkansas on Jan. 7)
• QB Stone Saunders (Committed to San Diego State on Jan. 6)
• WR David Washington Jr.
• WR Preston Bowman (Committed to Ohio on Jan. 7)
• DT Austin Ramsey (Committed to Kansas State on Jan. 6)
• WR Troy Stellato
• EDGE Javeon Campbell
• CB DJ Waller Jr. (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 3)
• EDGE Jacob Smith (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 6)
• DL Jerod Smith II (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 6)
• QB Cutter Boley (Committed to Arizona State on Jan. 3)
• WR Montavin Quisenberry (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 8)
• RB Dante Dowdell (Committed to Georgia on Jan. 12)
• S Cam Dooley (Committed to Florida on Jan. 7)
• DB Quay’Sheed Scott (Committed to South Carolina on Jan. 8)
• RB Jamarion Wilcox (Committed to Marshall on Jan. 15)
• WR Cameron Miller (Committed to Ole Miss on Jan. 12)
• WR Hardley Gilmore (Committed to Louisville, then flipped to Baylor on Jan. 12)
• OT Darrin Strey (Committed to LSU on Jan. 12)
• C Evan Wibberley (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 17)