Hello, friends. We’re still grinding through the transfer portal. Today’s coverage included a gnarly migraine over at KSR HQ. It was an omen for what would become the worst day for the Kentucky football program in this transfer portal period, but it wasn’t all bad news.
Good News: Kentucky Adds Two More Big Bodies
The day started with three transfer portal commitments before 10:30 AM ET. Two of the three commitments came from large humans.
Xavier Daisy is a 6-3 pass-catcher from UAB, giving Kentucky some much-needed length on the outside. Olaus Alinen is a Finnish offensive guard who clocks in at 6-foot-6, 301 pounds. The former Top-200 recruit spent the last three years at Alabama. Now, he’s going to compete for a starting spot on the Kentucky offensive line.
Bad News: Texas A&M Takes Two Kentucky Tackles
Kentucky has three interior offensive line commits and zero offensive tackles. Two of their top three options committed elsewhere today, both to Texas A&M. Kentucky was considered an option for Wilkin Formby, but we do not believe he ever made it to campus. He committed a few hours after Tyree Adams pulled the trigger. Adams was Joe Sloan’s starting left tackle at LSU last fall.
Offensive tackle is a premium position where it’s hard to find replacements. Kentucky had Xavier Chaplin on campus yesterday. They need to close before too many other viable options are picked up elsewhere.
Good News: Most Experienced Secondary in the SEC?
The third commitment of the morning is one of the most experienced defensive backs in the transfer portal. Safety Jordan Castell had at least 54 tackles in each of his three seasons as a starter at Florida. Next year, he’ll line up next to Ty Bryant, creating one the most experienced secondaries in the SEC.
Kentucky will very likely have the most experienced safety tandem in college football next season. Ty Bryant and Jordan Castell own a combined 60 starts, 3,384 snaps, 331 tackles, 7 INT, and 15 PBU. pic.twitter.com/cTcjt637jx
— Adam Luckett (@AdamLuckettKSR) January 7, 2026
That wasn’t the only good news. KSR learned that Terhyon Nichols has re-signed to play for the Cats in 2026. The former four-star talent logged significant snaps as a true freshman, then emerged as a starting cornerback in year two, but was limited by injuries to only seven games. Joining those three at nickel is another Florida DB, Aaron Gates, who’s battled injuries but has All-SEC talent. The secondary is shaping up nicely.
Bad News: New Contenders Emerge for Texas Transfer Portal Targets
Two of the top known transfer portal targets for Kentucky are former Texas Longhorns. They were scheduled to visit Colorado today. It appeared to be a final hurdle for the Cats. Things are not always as they appear.
Running back CJ Baxter never made it to Boulder, but he did schedule a weekend visit to Indiana. Now, Pete Nakos reports that the Hoosiers have confidence they can close the deal after the CFP Semifinal against Oregon. Meanwhile, another CFP has come from the clouds in the pursuit of DeAndre Moore. Ole Miss is picking up steam for the explosive slot receiver.
Bad News: One More Target Off the Board
Late Wednesday night, we learned that another Kentucky target is heading elsewhere. Oklahoma defensive tackle Markus Strong visited Lexington earlier this week. He ultimately committed to Clemson. The Cats have added a pair of interior defensive linemen, LSU’s Ahmad Breaux and Purdue’s Jamarrion Harkless, but they’re still in need of another big body in the trenches.
New Names to Monitor
Terence Roberson, Oachita Baptist (D-11) — The 6-foot-5, 310-pound left tackle has three years of eligibility remaining. Even though he’s a D-II prospect, Kentucky isn’t the only power conference school in the mix. Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU, and Vanderbilt have also issued scholarship offers.
Sebastian Espinoza, Coffeyville C.C. (JUCO) — The 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive tackle won a state title at Bullitt East. He started his career at Youngstown State, then spent last fall at Coffeyville C.C. He told KSR Plus that he plans on visiting this week, maybe as soon as tomorrow.
Rashon Myles, Abilene Christian — The linebacker was an FCS All-American last fall, recording 115 tackles, 8 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and 1 INT. The Indiana native is reportedly visiting Kentucky tomorrow as the Cats cast a wide net to find another linebacker.
Former Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC
We had a transfer portal trade. Kentucky got Gates and Castell from Florida, while the Gators picked up former Kentucky safety Cam Dooley. Meanwhile, Steven Soles found a home in Fayetteville on Ryan Silverfield’s Arkansas squad.
Resetting the Transfer Portal Big Board
The Big Board is being reset. Kentucky has added 13 commitments during the initial transfer portal wave. They may pick up a few more from this first wave, but now it’s time to gear up for another weekend.
Will Stein is coaching in a CFB game on Friday. Regardless of the result, he’ll likely return to campus on Saturday. It’s a very small sample size, but if history repeats itself, you can expect some big-time, surprise visitors for the occasion. Hopefully, Kentucky has a few splashes lined up around the corner.
Kentucky Transfer Portal Commitments
PlayerPositionHigh SchoolFormer SchoolYearOlaus AlinenG/T (6-6, 322)Windson (Conn.) The Loomis Chaffee SchoolAlabamaRedshirt JuniorMax AndersoniOL (6-5, 311)Frisco (Texas) HighTennesseeRedshirt SophomoreJovantae BarnesRB (6-0, 211)Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert PinesOklahomaRedshirt SeniorAhmad BreauxiDL (6-3, 278)Ruston (La.) HighLSUJuniorJordan CastellS (6-2, 213)Winter Garden (Fla.) West OrangeFloridaSeniorXavier DaisyWR (6-3, 210)Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian SchoolUABJuniorAaron GatesNickel (6-0, 198)Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity ChristianFloridaRedshirt JuniorJamarrion HarklessiDL (6-3, 315)Lexington (Ky.) Frederick DouglassPurdueRedshirt JuniorKenny MincheyQB (6-2, 208)Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul IINotre DameRedshirt JuniorAntonio O’BerryEDGE (6-6, 240)Huber Heights (Ohio) WayneTiffin (D-II) | Gardner-Webb6th-Year SeniorColeton PriceiOL (6-3, 318)Bowie (Texas) HighBaylorRedshirt SeniorHasaan SykesCB (6-0, 185)Tuckert (Ga.) HighWestern CarolinaJuniorTavion WallaceLB (6-1, 239)Baxley (Ga.) Appling CountyArkansasSophomore