Two Players with Kentucky Connections will be Free Agents

The college football transfer portal does not officially open until Jan. 2, but it is not stopping players from announcing their intentions now. As we learned on Thursday, one Kentucky Wildcat, Steven Soles, has already entered his name into the free agency pool. There were also a couple of other familiar names for Kentucky football fans who entered the mix.

About 53 weeks ago, Marquise Davis was the highest-ranked recruit in the 2025 Kentucky football class. A four-star talent from Cleveland, he was a Top-200 recruit, ranked by On3 as the No. 5 running back in the class. During his final two season of prep football, Davis rushed for more than 3,800 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns.

Shortly after Kentucky ended its disastrous 2024 season with a 4-8 record, Davis reconsidered his options. With just a few hours until it was time to put pen to paper, Davis flipped to Missouri.

That recruiting loss was amplified in the transfer portal. Kentucky was considered a top option for Ahmad Hardy, and once again, they lost him to Missouri in the eleventh hour. Hardy was the nation’s second-leading rusher with 1,560 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Hardy’s success limited Davis’ impact in CoMo. The freshman tallied only 34 carries for 200 yards and two touchdowns. It’s probably a reason why he shared on Thursday that he will enter the transfer portal.

Kentucky will be in the market for a running back during the upcoming transfer portal cycle. Even though Vince Marrow took the lead on his recruitment, there’s a chance the Wildcats try to rekindle that fire for a player who still has four years of eligibility remaining.

A Kentucky Legacy Goes Portaling

Tavion Wallace spent many of his Saturdays in Lexington where he watched his older brother Trevin make plays on the gridiron. The older Wallace brother was a significant late recruiting win for the Wildcats, and he did not disappoint. He only spent three seasons in Lexington, but started at inside linebacker for two of them, and created an unforgettable moment by returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown against Florida. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Despite that history with the program, the man who recruited Trevin Wallace to Kentucky, Jon Sumrall, wasn’t with the Wildcats when Tavion became a can’t-miss recruit. A four-star talent ranked as the No. 231 player in the 2025 class, he made a surprising move by committing to Arkansas over Florida State.

Wallace redshirted during his freshman season. Now that there has been a coaching change in Fayetteville, he’s looking for a new home. Kentucky has an opening at inside linebacker, and he’s always shared his fondness for the program on social media, but there are reasons to believe he will follow his brother’s lead and decide to play for his old position coach in Gainesville.