Scholarship Tally: Kentucky has 84 spots accounted for after Signing Day

Last week, Kentucky hit a very important checkpoint on the recruiting calendar. Wednesday served as the late signing period as college football programs had one more day to add high school players to the roster. The Wildcats made one big addition.

Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral defensive lineman Kendrick Gilbert was a long-time target for Kentucky and the Wildcats were able to flip the four-star recruit with excellent measurables from Purdue on National Signing Day. That means Kentucky ended the 2023 cycle with 19 high school signees and 10 were top-500 prospects. Only 2014, 2020, and 2022 classes signed more in the Mark Stoops era.

Kentucky also added seven transfers to the program and each is enrolled in school for the spring semester. Another transfer portal window will also open for two weeks in May where programs can make some more additions to their roster before the 2023 season arrives. With that window will likely come some more attrition.

But we can cross that bridge when we get there. For now, we know what Kentucky currently has on the roster heading into spring practice. By KSR’s count, the Wildcats have spent 84 of the 85 available scholarships. Let’s see how the coaching staff is spending this roster capital.

Balanced spending on offense

As we sit on Super Bowl week, Kentucky’s offense has spent 41 scholarships (48.2% of available capital) for this season. The coaching staff has done a good job of making sure every position has some type of depth.

With no current injuries expected to rule anyone out come Labor Day weekend, the offensive roster is in great shape at the moment.

— QB (4): Devin Leary (Super), Deuce Hogan (RJr.), Kaiya Sheron (RSo.), Destin Wade (RFr.)

— RB (6): Ramon Jefferson (Super) Ray Davis (RSr.), JuTahn McClain (Sr.), Dee Beckwith (RJr.), La’Vell Wright (RSo.), Jamarion Wilcox (Fr.)

— WR (9): Tayvion Robinson (Super), Dekel Crowdus (RSo.), Barion Brown (So.), Dane Key (So.), Jordan Anthony (RFr.), Brandon White (RFr.), Ardell Banks (Fr.), Anthony Brown (Fr.), Shamar Porter (Fr.)

— TE (7): Brenden Bates (Super), Izayah Cummings (Sr.), Jordan Dingle (RFr.), Josh Kattus (So.), Khamari Anderson (Fr.), Jakob Dixon (Fr.), Tanner Lemaster (Fr.)

— iOL (8): Kenneth Horsey (Super), Tanner Bowles (RSr.), Eli Cox (RSr.), Jager Burton (RSo.), Paul Rodriguez (RSo.) Grant Bingham (RFr.), Koby Keenum (Fr.), Austin Ramsey (Fr.)

— T (7): Marques Cox (Super), Jeremy Flax (RSr.), Deondre Buford (RJr.), Josh Jones (RJr.), David Wohlabaugh Jr. (RSo.), Nikolas Hall (RFr.), Malachi Wood (Fr.)

There has been no official return announcement for Ramon Jefferson, but the former FCS transfer has been included in photos of winter workouts by the Kentucky social media team and all signs point to him receiving a medical redshirt. The tailback will be a seventh year senior in 2023.

Questions loom regarding quarterback and tackle depth. Kentucky could still look into adding a transfer that can compete for a starting spot at right tackle and be a backup quarterback behind Devin Leary. But overall, this offense is in good shape with both positional and class balance.

Defense loads up everywhere but the second level

During the offseason, Kentucky added 12 players to the roster as the Wildcats are now spending 40 scholarships (47.1%) on defense. But two obvious needs immediately jumped out for Brad White’s unit.

The Wildcats have loaded up on the defensive line and secondary spending 29 of the 40 scholarships leaving both linebacker and EDGE a bit light on depth.

— DL (12): Josaih Hayes (Sr.), Sam Anaele (RJr.), Darrion Henry-Young (RJr.), Octavious Oxendine (RJr.), Tre’vonn Rybka (RJr.), Jamarius Dinkins (RSo.), Kahlil Saunders (RSo.), Keeshawn Silver (RSo.), Deone Walker (So.), Tomiwa Durojaiye (RFr.), Tavion Gadson (Fr.), Kendrick Gilbert (Fr.)

— EDGE (6): J.J. Weaver (RSr.), Keaten Wade (So.), Tyreese Fearbry (RFr.), Noah Matthews (RFr.), Grant Godfrey (Fr.), Tommy Ziesmer (Fr.)

— LB (5): Luke Fulton (RSr.), D’Eryk Jackson (RJr.), Martez Thrower (Jr.), Trevin Wallace (Jr.), Jayvant Brown (Fr.)

— CB (9): Andru Phillips (RJr.), Jantzen Dunn (RSo.), Maxwell Hairston (RSo.), Jordan Robinson (RSo.), JQ Hardaway (So.), Elijah Reed (RFr.), Andre Stewart (RFr.), Nasir Addison (Fr.), Avery Stuart (Fr.)

— S (8): Taj Dodson (RSr.), Jalen Geiger (RSr.), Zion Childress (Sr.), Vito Tisdale (RJr.), Jordan Lovett (RSo.), Alex Afari (So.), Jaremiah Anglin (Fr.), Ty Bryant (Fr.)

Over the last two seasons, Kentucky has seen a projected starter lost for the year during spring practice. After losing D’Eryk Jackson in 2021 and Vito Tisdale in 2022, Kentucky was able to dip into the portal late to find quality players with Jacquez Jones (LB, Ole Miss) and Zion Childress (S, Texas State) committing to the program in the late spring. The Wildcats will give themselves some wiggle room to address defensive depth after seeing what happens on the practice field in March and April.

On paper, Kentucky needs to address off-ball linebacker as there are huge depth concerns after Jackson and Trevin Wallace. However, the strengths jump out on paper. This group will go as far as the defensive line and safety groups take them this season.

Do we see some transfer activity at kicker?

New special teams coach Jay Boulware has been a busy man since joining the coaching staff in December. The Wildcats have added multiple walk-on specialists to the roster while also getting Chance Poore back for one final season.

— Specialists (3): Chance Poore (Super), Wilson Berry (RSo.), Jackson Smith (RFr.)

Per KSR’s Nick Roush on the latest episode of “11 Personnel“, Poore is returning for an extra year to compete for Kentucky’s starting punter position. That leaves placekicker wide open. No one is really sure how the Wildcats will address that critical role.

Don’t be surprised if there is a late transfer addition here.