Hello everyone, and welcome back to our ongoing series looking at the 2025 Kentucky Football team. It’s hard to believe we are two weeks from the first game against Toledo. A big thank you to everyone who’s checked out our previous installments. In case you missed them, we started on offense with the quarterbacks, and from there it was the running backs. The new look receiver room came next, and lastly, the Big Blue Wall. Today, our focus shifts to the defense and specifically the big guys up front. With a roster of nearly 50 new players, transfers will play a huge role in whether the Cats improve from last year’s 4-8 debacle. That definitely includes the defensive line. Let’s look at who’s gone and who’s returning with the 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Defensive Line.
Transfers Look To Lead The Way
Who’s Gone From Lexington
The Wildcats lost a great deal on the defensive line from 2024. Deone Walker went to Buffalo with pick 109 in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. He’s off to a great start as Pro Football Focus graded him highest of any rookie defensive tackle. In addition, Tre’Vonn Rybka and Octavious Oxendine graduated, while Keeshawn Silver transferred to USC.
Taking all four into consideration, that’s over 1,600 snaps gone from a season ago. As a result, defensive line coach Anwar Stewart needed players quickly. As is the norm in college football these days, Stoops and his staff looked to the portal for reinforcements.
Instant Impact Players
David Gusta was one of the biggest gets in the winter transfer portal. He’s the top incoming player for the Wildcats and the second overall defensive lineman in the country. A bit of irony, the only player ahead of him is Silver.
The Washington State transfer recorded 21 tackles, three for loss, one sack, and three pass breakups for the Cougars. In addition, Pro Football Focus also gave him the fourth-best pass rush grade (82.4) by an interior defensive lineman.
He became a starter in 2023, recording 30 tackles, two for a loss, and a half sack. Overall, Gusta had 62 total tackles, six tackles for loss, one-and-a-half sacks, and four pass deflections with the Cougars..
Adding An All-American
The Cats surprised some by using the FCS rankings to pick up a new player. However, it wasn’t just any player. The Cats landed All-American Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace.
Playing for FCS powerhouse South Dakota, the 6′-4″, 255-pound Grace made 64 tackles, including 18.5 for a loss. In addition, the redshirt sophomore had 9.5 sacks and three passes defended. He also forced two fumbles and had two fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown. His numbers tied him for 16th in FCS in sacks and 10th in tackles for loss.
Redshirt senior Kahlil Saunders recorded 20 tackles, two for a loss and a half sack last season. During his career at Kentucky, he’s recorded 48 tackles, nine for a loss, and 2.5 sacks. Saunders is another guy who can play multiple positions on the defensive line.
Those are your expected starters versus Toledo in two weeks. As we continue with 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Defensive Line, let’s look at some guys who should see a lot of playing time.
Shoring Up The Line
First up is Super Senior Josaih Hayes. The 6′-3″, 322-pounder missed most of 2024 due to an Achilles injury. However, he returned for the last three games, making nine tackles, including one for a loss. He’s made 57 tackles, eight for a loss, and two-and-a-half sacks for his career.
The third defensive line transfer is Wyoming’s Jaden Williams. A season ago, he made 20 tackles, two for a loss and a half sack. He played over 300 snaps last year and can play both the nose guard and defensive tackle spots.
Let’s finish up the 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Defensive Line with a look at the players making up the rest of the room.
Pushing For Playing Time
Sophomore Tavion Gadson has six tackles in two years with the Cats. Another sophomore, Austin Ramsey, switched from the offensive line to the defensive line and appeared in five games last season.
Next up are two big recent recruiting wins for the Cats. Jerod Smith II played in all twelve games as a freshman, making seven tackles with one for a loss. We’ve been following Brian Robinson ever since he signed with Kentucky in 2023. However, he redshirted last year and may need more time before he’s the contributor the staff thinks he can be.
Frankfort, Kentucky, native Javeon Campbell was the top player in the Bluegrass State in 2024. The Western Hills star was a basketball player who didn’t start playing football until two years ago. However, he took to it quickly. In fact, he recorded 14.5 sacks in his first year.
Last season, he had 64 tackles, including 44 solo, 20 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, with one for a touchdown. His 16 sacks tied for fourth in the state. Campbell could see playing time as a freshman.
Two other players looking to crack the rotation are freshmen Kalen Edwards and Nic Smith. Edwards had 35 tackles with 7.5 for a loss as a senior. Smith recorded 40 tackles with 11 for a loss and 16 quarterback hurries. Both may end up redshirting this season.
Final Thoughts
Kentucky hit the transfer portal hard after losing several long-term players. As a result, look for the three transfers to play a lot. Both Gusta and Humphrey-Grace have All-SEC potential. Behind the perceived top five in the rotation, Stewart needs at least a couple of players to take that next step forward. If that happens, the Wildcats could be a surprise team.
Thanks for checking out the 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Defensive Line. Next time around, we’ll look at the edge rushers and linebackers.
Main Image: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
