What Darrion Henry-Young's Addition Means for the Kentucky Defense

Kentucky just got better in the trenches. Defensive end Darrion Henry-Young announced Monday morning that he will be taking his talents to the University of Kentucky. As you’ll see, the timing of his decision and its impact is significant.

The commitment comes after Henry-Young spent his weekend in Lexington. It was not his first trip to see Vince Marrow at UK’s campus. Recruited by the Big Dog as a high schooler, the bridges in that relationship were not burned when Henry-Young committed to Ohio State. When minor injuries sidelined him and he was buried on the Buckeyes’ depth chart by five-star talent, Kentucky was waiting with open arms.

How Mark Stoops’ staff treats prospective, current and former players has helped Kentucky benefit from the transfer portal. Henry-Young may not make a Wan’Dale Robinson-like impact, but he is bringing a lot to Brad White’s defense.

Henry-Young Adds Sizable Depth

Thanks to Henry-Young, life after Josh Paschal will not be as difficult for Anwar Stewart. The Kentucky defensive line coach now has a 6-foot-4, 270 pound athlete that can fortify the 5-technique defensive end position. When you look at the 2022 depth chart, there is not much drop off at all in the two-deep, despite losing two important seniors.

• Defensive Tackle: Octavious Oxendine, Kahlil Saunders
• Nose Guard: Justin Rogers, Josaih Hayes
• Defensive End: Tre’vonn Rybka, Darrion Henry-Young

As we saw in 2020, injuries happen, especially on the D-line. Marquan McCall and Ox missed multiple games. Successful defensive lines need at least two reliable players at each spot and Stewart will have that next fall.

Star Power in the Trenches

Henry-Young was one of the highest-ranked recruits in America as a high school senior. The Princeton (Cincinnati) product was the second-ranked player in the state of Ohio, a top 20 defensive lineman in America and the No. 126 player overall. He’s not the only blue chip player on the defensive line.

Justin Rogers was the highest-ranked commitment in school history before Kiyaunta Goodwin signed with UK in December. Ox and Rybka were ranked by Rivals as four-star prospects. Hayes was a top 250 player when he surprisingly committed to Kentucky over Ole Miss. Saunders is the only player without a four-star recruiting ranking, yet he might have been the most productive true freshman of the entire group.

The Big Blue Wall receives a ton of praise, and justifiably so, but Kentucky’s defensive line is transforming into one of the league’s best thanks to exceptional recruiting.

Timely Arrival

This addition happened at the perfect time for a variety of reasons. Henry-Young revealed his decision on the first day of the spring semester at UK, allowing him to enroll right away. From a football perspective, it’s important that he will be on campus, working with his coaches and teammates for 15 spring practices. There will be no adjustment or acclimation period over the summer. He will know Stewart’s expectations.

There’s also an intangible significance to the big addition on the defensive line. Kentucky swung and missed on Khris Bogle and Tyler Baron. A successful transfer portal program cannot continue to be successful if it keeps missing on its top targets. The Wildcats got one of their guys, maintaining momentum as Stoops and Co. set their sights on adding another player to the secondary.