First Down Kentucky: One Week into College Football Free Agency

The first week of college football free agency created chaos around the sport. Updates flew fast and furiously as players entered and exited the transfer portal. Things have slightly slowed down since Kentucky hosted about a dozen official visitors over the weekend. Now that the dust is settling, let’s take a closer look at all of the moves before another big move happens.

Kentucky Departures So Far

There have been 13 departures via the transfer portal so far this offseason. Shamar Porter dipped his toe into the portal, but removed his name late Friday night. DL Jamarius Dinkins found a new home in the Big Ten, committing to Purdue over the weekend. Only two starting caliber players are exiting the program, tight end Jordan Dingle and EDGE Keaten Wade.

Quarterbacks: 2
— Destin Wade
— Kaiya Sheron
Defensive Backs: 1
— Jalen Geiger
Wide Receivers: 1
— Dekel Crowdus
Running Backs: 1
— JuTahn McClain
Defensive Linemen: 1
— Jamarius Dinkins
Offensive Linemen: 1
— Grant Bingham
Tight Ends: 2
— Izayah Cummings
— Jordan Dingle
Linebackers: 2
— Luke Fulton
— Martez Thrower
EDGE: 1
— Keaten Wade
Punter: 1
— Heath Jehu

In addition to the portal, running back Ray Davis announced he will enter the NFL Draft, freeing up a scholarship in the UK backfield.

Kentucky Football Additions

The 14 departures are opening the door for more additions from both the transfer portal and the high school ranks. We’ve received some clarity at multiple positions over the last week.

— Brock Vandgriff was the first big domino to fall. The former five-star quarterback from Georgia has two years to develop into an NFL Draft pick in Lexington.

— Raymond Cottrell was the first wide receiver to jump on board following the addition of Vandagriff. The former Texas A&M pass-catcher has four years of eligibility to blossom into a star X-receiver. Cottrell pulled the trigger less than 24 hours into his Kentucky official visit.

— Zion Childress confirmed he will be returning to Kentucky in 2024. The former Texas State safety was a team captain last fall.

— Quaysheed Scott was pursued heavily by South Carolina. Many put him on “flip watch” but the Cats brought their big guns to the closing table. Ranked as the No. 291 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class by On3, he reaffirmed his commitment during this weekend’s official visit and canceled his trip to Columbia.

Transfer Portal Targets

After hosting a talented group of official visitors over the weekend, a few players could soon join the Big Blue Nation. KSR is keeping a close eye on the following prospects.

— Former Ohio State RB Chip Trayanum is an intriguing prospect rom Akron. After two years at Arizona State, he transferred closer to home to play linebacker, but injuries put him back on the offensive side of the football. Rocket Sanders‘ name has been thrown around as another option at running back, but the Cats may have already found their guy.

— Kentucky initially missed on DeCarlos Nicholson. The lengthy cornerback was a UK commit, until he flipped to Mississippi State at the eleventh hour. He may get a second chance to reverse that decision. Nicholson visited Kentucky over the weekend.

— We might have to throw a homecoming party for Beau Allen. Kentucky needs some experienced depth in the QB room and the Lexington native could provide that for two years.

— Raymond Cottrell will not be the only wide receiver addition from the portal. This weekend Kentucky hosted Donaven McCulley (Indiana) and Ja’Mori Maclin (North Texas). They are each highly sought after portal players, but the Cats made serious moves early in the process. They’ll each likely take another visit or two before reaching a final decision.

— Kentucky is in the market for an offensive lineman. We’re scratching Zeke Correll off the board after the legacy recruit committed to NC State over the weekend. Carter Smith (Indiana) did not commit on his visit to Ole Miss, leaving the door open for a visit to Kentucky this weekend. Smith isn’t the only player Kentucky has made contact with over the last week.

Name of Note in Search for Wide Receivers Coach

Scott Woodward was the only assistant not retained this offseason by Mark Stoops. The window for applications has come and gone. There have been a handful of names that have emerged in this search for a new assistant, but we’re circling one in particular: Daikiel Shorts Jr.

A rising star in the coaching ranks, Shorts was Dana Holgorsen’s leading receiver at West Virginia in 2015. After spending some time on an NFL practice squad, he returned to Morgantown as a program assistant. He spent the last three years serving as Houston’s wide receivers coach where the Cougars ranked fifth nationally in receiving touchdowns under Shorts’ guidance.

Keeping Ls Down

Photoshoots are now limited only to players on official visits. This weekend provided an opportunity for future Wildcats to spend some time in their new uniform and try out their Ls Down.

Helluva weekend with the family. #BBN #SackemSoles #SLSBoys pic.twitter.com/yKnRPsHBUP

— Steven Soles Jr (@6kSteven) December 11, 2023

New KSR Football Podcast Tonight

We’ve written extensively about all of the moves from the transfer portal waiver. Tonight is a good time to talk about them all. Join us when we go live at 8:15 pm EST on the KSR YouTube Channel. Who needs the Manning Cast when Drew Franklin is sweating out the Titans vs. Dolphins?