Have The Cats Upgraded Enough?
A couple of months ago we went position by position looking at the 2024 Kentucky Football team. While the Cats are firmly set at a few positions, there are others where we thought they needed help. As a result, we expected Mark Stoops and his staff to be very active during the recent transfer portal period. Did they hit all the high spots? Let’s find out with our Kentucky Transfer Portal Update.
Help At The Marquee Position
The spring quarterback room consisted of three players. Projected starter Brock Vandagriff spent three years at Georgia in a backup role. Behind him is Beau Allen, who was a backup at Kentucky before transferring and is now back. The third player in the mix is true freshman Cutter Boley
Due to the relative inexperience, we said it was imperative they find an experienced signal caller. The Cats did just that in bringing home Gavin Wimsatt. One of the top players in the 2022, class the Owensboro, Kentucky native was a rare home-state miss for Stoops and Vince Marrow spurning UK for Rutgers.
In 2023 he led the Scarlet Knights to a 7-6 record and a 31-24 win over Miami (Florida) in the Pinstripe Bowl. In the process, it was the first bowl win for Rutgers since 2014.
A season ago, he completed 48 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns. In addition, he ran for 497 yards and 11 scores, a total that ranked him fifth in the Big Ten. When he lost the starting job this spring he hit the portal and came back home.
While his passing numbers don’t wow you, his running ability certainly does. New offensive coordinator, Bush Hamdan, wants a rushing quarterback in his attack, and Wimsatt certainly fits that bill.
As we continue with our Kentucky Transfer Portal Update let’s look at a possible instant-impact defensive player.
A Big Secondary Addition
On the surface, the Cats look pretty well set in the secondary. Maxwell Hairston had a breakout season in 2023 and is back for an encore. A big plus during the spring was the progress of former Ohio State transfer Jantzen Dunn.
Even with some talented players pushing for playing time the Cats were looking for another guy. They found him in DJ Waller Jr. A guy UK originally made a huge push for Waller to sign with Michigan.
Playing in 11 games last season Waller recorded 12 tackles, nine solo, and a pass deflection. As a result, he won Michigan Freshman Defensive Player of the Week five times. He seemed primed to compete for a starting spot for the Wolverines was drawing rave reviews from new coach Sherrone Moore. Instead of playing for the defending champs, he put his name in the transfer portal and quickly became a Cat.
While he’s listed as a safety, there’s a good chance he ends up playing corner for Kentucky. In fact, he may be your starter alongside Hairston when Kentucky opens the season on August 31st.
We’ve hit the offense and defense so far. Now as we wrap up our Kentucky Transfer Portal Update let’s look at special teams.
It Has To Get Better
There’s no graceful way to say it, Kentucky’s punting game was awful in 2o23. Wilson Berry, who came to Lexington when the Cats were all about rugby-style punters, struggled while attempting the straight-ahead style preferred by special teams coach Jay Boulware.
Kentucky signed Montana high school punter Jacob Kauwe, who is also a kicker. While he may be the answer in the future immediate help was needed. Enter Aidan Laros of Tennessee-Martin.
Laros spent two seasons in Charlotte before transferring to UT-Martin. In 2023 he averaged 47.5 yards per punt with a net of 41.5. As a result, Laros was named FCS Punter Of The Year and a first-team All-American. If that wasn’t enough he handled place-kicking duties for the Skyhawks making 43 of 45 extra points and 10 of 16 field goals. UK has a great kicker in Alex Raynor but look for Laros to handle the punting duties.
That’s three areas where UK addressed some possible issues. However, there are a couple of spots with some work left to do.
Still Haven’t Found What They’re Looking For
Two other positions Kentucky scoured the country looking for players were running back and defensive line. Chip Trayanum is the starter while Demie Sumo-Karnbaye is the second back. Neither has been the featured player nor have they run for more than 402 yards in a season.
The Cats missed out on two targets, Damien Martinez and Peny Boone who chose Miami (Florida) and Central Florida respectively. Expect the staff to look for a runner during the summer.
Led by Deone Walker Kentucky’s defensive line is one of the strongest groups on the team. Unfortunately, they won’t be at full strength at the beginning of the season. Near the end of Spring practice, Stoops said UK might have six players ready but may be down a few for at least the first month of the season. Look for the Cats to be active during the summer for linemen as well.
Thanks for checking out our Kentucky Transfer Portal Update here at Last Word On College Football. Next time out we’ll dive into the Wildcat football schedule and some must-win games.
