Texas transfer linebacker Elijah Barnes has committed to play for Kentucky in the 2026 season, On3’s Hayes Fawcett has learned. Barnes played only one season with the Longhorns and took a redshirt, so will have four years of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-1, 244-pound linebacker appeared in four games for the Longhorns this past season. He finished the year with four tackles, including one sack for an eight-yard loss in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan.

Barnes played high school football for Skyline in Dallas, Texas, where he was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class. He ranked as the No. 60 overall player and No. 3 linebacker in the cycle according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

As a transfer, Elijah Barnes ranks as the No. 75 overall player and No. 3 linebacker in this cycle according to On3. He is the 19th overall player that Kentucky has added through the transfer portal as well as the second linebacker, joining Arkansas transfer Tavion Wallace.

Kentucky is coming off of a 5-7 finish this past season that resulted in the firing of longtime coach Mark Stoops. The Wildcats hired Will Stein as his replacement and will hope to turn things around and achieve bowl eligibility again after missing the past two seasons.

The transfer portal strategy will of course be a big part of that. So far in addition to the 19 players Kentucky has added, it has also lost 21 and ranks 14th in the SEC transfer portal rankings according to On3.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

More on the transfer portal in 2026

The 15-day transfer portal this winter will be the only window, opening Jan. 2 and closing on Jan. 16. The NCAA opted to eliminate the spring transfer portal window for football, meaning this will be the only opportunity for student athletes to enter their names.

The move to a one-time-only portal is supposed to allow schools to finish their season with their entire team before the transfer portal opens. As has been the previous standard, athletes on College Football Playoff teams still playing would have 5 days beginning the day after their team’s final game to enter the transfer portal.

This season’s CFP semifinals took place Jan. 8 and 9. The CFP national championship game between Miami and Indiana is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.