Kentucky just added star power to its secondary from the transfer portal.
Shortly after visiting Kentucky, Jordan Castell announced he is committed to Kentucky. Castell chose the Cats over Ole Miss and LSU. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
“The main reason I picked Kentucky is Coach [Jay] Bateman, who had a huge impact in that, Coach AB [Allen Brown], and the safeties coach [Josh Christian-Young],” he told Jacob Polacheck of KSR Plus. “I believe in everything that they’re building there. I think we’re going to be a pretty good team this year.”
Bateman was an assistant at Florida when Castell began his college career in Gainesville.
A Top-20 safety in the 2023 recruiting class, he won a starting role in his second-ever college football game and never gave it up. Castell was an ESPN Freshman All-American and named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. He started in 34 straight games, only missing two to minor injuries during his junior campaign. He tallied 50+ tackles in each season, totaling 169, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions.
Castell is the second former Florida defensive back to transfer to Kentucky this week. Aaron Gates will suit up for the Cats next fall and is expected to play nickel. UK’s nickel in 2025, Quay’sheed Scott, recently entered the transfer portal. Safety Cam Dooley is also on the move and could follow his former coaches to Gainesville.
Castell is a plug-and-play starter with invaluable experience in the SEC. He’ll line up next to Ty Bryant next fall, giving the Wildcats an exceptional 1-2 punch at safety. This position should be a strength of the team in 2026.
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
Kentucky Free Agency Additions
We’re still less than a week into the transfer portal period, and the Wildcats have added 13 players to the 2026 Kentucky football roster.
QB Kenny Minchey, Notre Dame
IOL Coleton Price, Baylor
LB Tavion Wallace, Arkansas
DT Ahmad Breaux, LSU
EDGE Antonio O’Berry, Gardner-Webb
CB Hasaan Sykes, Western Carolina
DB Aaron Gates, Florida
IOL Max Anderson, Tennessee
RB Jovantae Barnes, Oklahoma
DT Jamarrion Harkless, Purdue
OL Olaus Alinen, Alabama
WR Xavier Daisy, UAB
S Jordan Castell, Florida
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