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Five Realistic Transfer Options for Kentucky Football

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Wisconsin Badgers Athletics

The transfer portal has transformed college athletics forever, but as head coach Mark Stoops has reiterated time and time again during his tenure, “you have to adapt.”

Just two days since the transfer portal has officially opened and over 1,000 players have entered their names. While this includes 8 eight Wildcats from this season’s roster – which Stoops said he has yet to see a name that surprises him – it also includes talented and immediate replacement options for Kentucky.

Given a lackluster 2023 recruiting class, and glaring holes on the roster – specifically at quarterback offensive line, and running back – the staff will look to bring in a decent number of transfers into the program

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With that said, here are five of the best and most realistic options for the Wildcats.

Note: Rankings come from 247 Sports Composite.

Tanner Bowles (RG/RT), Alabama

Notable Stats: Backup, played 86 snaps in 19 games.
HS Ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 290 overall, No. 19 offensive guard

Kentucky needs help on the offensive line and looking at a former Glasgow high school star from Alabama will be one of the first places that Mark Stoops will look.

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Coming out of high school, Tanner Bowles was ranked as one of the best offensive guards in the country. However, during his time at Alabama, he showed that he could play multiple positions on the offensive line, including center, right guard, left guard, and right tackle.

In four seasons with the Crimson Tide (including a redshirt season), Bowles never became a starter but appeared in all 12 games this season for one of the best offensive lines in the SEC.

Before his commitment in 2019, Bowles had a Crystal Ball pick to go to Kentucky. Given his prior interest in his home school and Kentucky’s need for such a player, the Wildcats will be the favorite for Bowles, who could give a huge boost on the ride side of the line where they need it the most.

Marques Cox (LT), Northern Illinois

Notable Stats: Helped NIU to the fourth-ranked rushing offense in 2021; NIU gave up just 10 sacks in 14 games to rank second in the country in 2021.
HS Ranking: 3-star recruit, No. 1306 overall, No. 32 offensive lineman

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Marques Cox from Northern Illinois is a guy Kentucky has been focused on as soon as he announced he would be entering the portal and are leading the odds at the moment to land him. At 6-foot-6 310 pounds, Cox has the size and with over 2,000 snaps of college football, he has the experience.

Before his season-ending injury against the Wildcats back on September 24th, Cox helped lead NIU to the MAC Championship in 2021. In that season, the Huskies had one of the best rushing offenses in the country and gave up just the second least amount of sacks in the nation with (10). In comparison, the Wildcats gave up 42 sacks this season.

Known to be very good in pass protection, Cox would be a much-needed piece at tackle, arguably Kentucky’s worst position.

Graham Mertz (QB), Wisconsin

2022 Stats: 2,136 passing yards, 19 TDs, 10 INTs, 135 QBR
HS Ranking: 4-star recruit, No. 65 overall, No. 3 pro-style QB

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With the loss of Will Levis, Kentucky will be on the search for a new QB1 and one of the hottest names in the portal is Graham Mertz from Wisconsin, a former 4-star pro-style quarterback.

Similar to Levis when he arrived in Lexington, Mertz has yet to put all the pieces together. While he does have the arm talent and leadership ability to succeed, he struggles under pressure and is inconsistent.

Mertz was not a four-star recruit for no reason – ESPN had him ranked as the No. 1 QB – and if he can find a place that can help him put the pieces together, the gamble could pay off. With the proven development skills of the coaching staff and explosive weapons like Dane Key and Barion Brown to throw it to, Kentucky could be that place.

With that said, the QB will largely be dictated by who Kentucky hires as their next offensive coordinator.

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Stephen Herron (DE), Stanford

2022 Stats: 37 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
HS Ranking: 4-star recruit, No. 141 overall, No. 7 edge rusher

Coming out of high school at Trinity in Louisville, Stephen Herron was a four-star recruit and a top 150 prospect in the 2019 class before he committed to play for Stanford. After playing four years for the Cardinals, Herron has put his name in the transfer portal.

Prior to blowing up as a top recruit, Kentucky was one of the first schools to recruit Herron and he formed a close relationship with the late John Schlarman. With that relationship, Kentucky is one of the perceived favorites.

During his time at Stanford, Herron slowly developed but this past season as a senior, he proved himself as an impact player. After the departure of Jordan Wright and the potential departure of JJ Weaver, getting an experienced edge rusher is a must for the Wildcats this offseason from the portal.

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Re’Mahn Davis (RB), Vanderbilt

2022 Stats: 232 rushing attempts, 1,042 rushing yards (4.5 yards per carry), 5 rushing TDs
HS Ranking: 3-star recruit, No. 1869 overall, No. 119 running back

Coming into the 2022 season, Kentucky had a deep running back room. However, that does not look the be the case next season as Chris Rodriguez will enter the NFL Draft as a senior, and both Kaviosey Smoke and Mike Drennen have entered the transfer portal.

This forces Kentucky to look towards the portal to add an experienced back and one with SEC experience is a great start.

Meet Re’Mahn Davis, a 1,000-yard rusher last season at Vanderbilt, including 129 yards and 1 TD against the Wildcats in their upset win at Kroger field in November. With 232 rushing attempts this season, Davis is a high-usage power back and is proven to be able to take the hits of SEC defenses with a respectable 4.5 yards per carry.

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Q & A With Kentucky Football Quarterback Beau Allen

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Beau Allen vs. New Mexico State
Michael Clubb | Associated Press

Beau Allen’s journey back to Kentucky is a story that deserves to be told again, one that sent the Lexington native over 900 miles away from home when he played for Tarleton State during his sophomore season. He then found himself at Georgia Southern for his junior season, eventually having to sit out due to NCAA regulations.

Allen spoke of his time away from home, claiming he grew so much on and off the field before his eventual return to Kentucky last season. Now, with one season left in his college football career, Allen sat down with Kentucky Insider to talk about his confidence in still starting at quarterback for the Wildcats and how he keeps his fire for the sport alive.

Q: How have you been doing? How’s the offseason treating you so far?

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It’s been good! We were off in May, this past week has been the first week we’ve got back into it and it’s been good. We’ve been working out, running, throwing, working out in the weight room, but it’s all been good so far.

Q: You’ve had such a crazy journey throughout college. Deciding to return to Kentucky, what influenced that decision rather than from being from Lexington?

I thought (about) things right around when I was in my fourth year of college at Georgia Southern University at the time, I loved and I had a good time at all my stops that I’ve been around, but I kind of thought I wanted to end my career here (Kentucky) in college, and it just meant more.

All in all, I thought if I had the opportunity to end my career here at Kentucky, I would and I’d take that up and that’s kind of what it came down to.

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Q: How hard was it to combat with maybe going somewhere else and being a guaranteed starter for a full season? Was that decision difficult at all?

It definitely was. It’s obviously harder to play here than it would be at some other schools that I’ve been at before, but, kind of going back to what I said earlier, I thought if I was the best I could be here (Kentucky) and do as much as I could for the team, that’d be something I’d be happy about looking back on my career.

I don’t know if it would’ve been something I ever would’ve done if I didn’t get to start at Tarleton (State) but from like a wide view or if I’m looking back on my career a few years from now, I imagine I’ll probably be happy that I can play a little more and also finish my career at home too.

Q: With the offseason depth charts, does that ever bother you during the offseason, knowing where you rank among the field according to everyone? Is it distracting or anything?

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No, not really. I mean, maybe when you’re younger you thunk about that stuff, but it doesn’t really change anything. You just go into practice every day, or whatever it is, if it’s a workout or even a meeting, just trying to be the best that you can be. Everything else will fall in line after that.

Q: How easy is it to keep the fire going? Do you still envision a world for yourself where you could start at Kentucky?

Oh yeah, I definitely feel the fire. I mean, obviously, compared to last year and like this year, I won’t be the guy that rolls out there week one or anything, you know what I’m saying? Every day still, I still get after it. It’s something I love to do and if my numbers called, I’ll definitely be ready.

Mentally, physically, I’m still attacking it, and that is the way I still go about it and every time again, who knows what happens but I’ll always give it the most I can.

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Q: I want you to take me way back to 2020 when you made your debut against Vanderbilt. How did that moment feel? I know a lot of athletes say they don’t remember their debut and that it’s all a blur, is that the same case for you?

Maybe a little bit. I definitely remember the first play I was in. Eddie Gran was our offensive coordinator back then. I can still remember the first completion I had in college, but it was definitely awesome. It definitely was good to take back and get those moments.

It was kind of similar to Cutter (Boley), Cutter played more serious time than I did when I was a freshman, but, it’s definitely something you’ll never forget, good or bad.

Q: Coming out of high school, I was curious if your decision to commit to Kentucky and then recommit after Georgia Southern, did it have the same feeling for you? Did you want to go home and play from where you’re from?

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I’d say so. I think coming out of high school, I’d say going to be a quarterback at Kentucky was always a dream of mine. At the time, my senior year was like when Lynn Bowden’s (Jr.) year and I knew all the injuries we (Kentucky) had at quarterback. I guess it is a little hard to project it, I guess play style wise, but I love all the people.

We still have so many of the same people around here. Obviously, I know offensive coordinators change a lot, but there’s still a lot of those guys around here. That’s a good thing for me I mean I have a great relationships with all the coaches, that was a big thing in high school. It’s still a big thing coming back, when I was in Tarleton (State) in Texas or Georgia Southern, I kept up with or had a text or texted with at least one of the coaches at all times.

Q: You mentioned Tarleton (State) a lot. How did that year help you and transform you as a player?

Yeah it was obviously huge. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I had a great time at Georgia Southern, but there was a few eligibility issues with transferring at the time. I mean, shoot, if I had to do it all over again, I would’ve stayed there another year, maybe come back after that. I had a wonderful time and we had some great players, some great coaches. I wish we won more games.

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My two highest leading receivers on that roster both made mini camps and are pushing and grinding to make it longer in the summer and try to hopefully get a roster spot.

Q: That 2023 season, leaving Tarleton State and then going to Georgia Southern, when the eligibility thing hit, how did you feel then? Did you feel like you made the wrong decision?

I think that was kind of something that like everything happens for a reason. I thank God, always a part of everything that happens in your life. How it mainly happened, like at the time, the big thing was like you can’t transfer twice as an undergraduate, but you could get a waiver at the time. The year prior, everyone was getting these waivers and we all thought it would work out and obviously it didn’t.

Football wise, I got to do the scout team, which I didn’t do my freshman year. There’s a part of me that kind of, looking back, wished that I did that at UK. There was a two week span where I was pretty down in the dumps about it, but it ended up being a great thing for me, just developing with myself as a quarterback on and off the field.

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Q: I wanted to ask about your dad’s (Bill Allen, Kentucky quarterback from 1984-88) impact. Can you talk about how his experience at Kentucky kind of shaped you into what you are today?

He played kind of similar, probably similar to my career, besides the transferring stuff, in terms of like, playing a little bit here and there, but he was very instrumental. He’s never, and I kind of thank him for it, there’s some of the crazier dads that make their kids throw 1,000 balls a week or something and he never was that way. His perspective kind of allowed me to not, especially at a younger age, not really burn out much or anything, or get tired of football. It’s a big part of why I’m still doing it now. We would throw all the time, but I would be the one to instigate it. I think how he kind of handled being a former player, and his kid playing the exact same position, he had a lot of opportunities to maybe push that kind of nature. How he did it led me to love football a little more naturally than most people are probably able to.

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Two More Wildcats Eye NFL Futures

Two more Wildcats are receiving opportunities to accomplish their NFL dreams.

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UK Athletics

Linebacker D’Eryk Jackson and kicker Alex Raynor are the latest Kentucky Wildcats aiming to make their mark in the NFL.

Jackson, a 6-foot-1, 244-pound linebacker, signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks after impressing during the team’s rookie minicamp.

In his five seasons playing college football, Jackson amassed 216 total tackles including 17 tackles for loss, 9 sacks and five interceptions.

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The former Kentucky standout and the teams leading tackler from 2022 and 2023 will now compete for a spot on the Seahawks final 53-man roster.

Raynor, meanwhile, received an invitation to attend the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie camp, which runs May 9–11.

The Kennesaw, Georgia, native made 25 of 27 field-goal attempts in two seasons with Kentucky, including a school-record 55-yarder.

His performance earned him SEC Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2024 and a shot to prove himself at the next level.

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With the addition of Jackson and Raynor to NFL rosters, the total number of Kentucky Wildcats now vying for a spot in the league has reached 10.

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Saskatchewan Roughriders Sign Octavious Oxendine to CFL Deal

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UK Athletics

On Wednesday, it was officially announced that former Wildcats defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine agreed to play with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Oxendine becomes only the fifth player from Kentucky to take their talents up north. Those before him included fellow Roughrider Micah Johnson, Josh Ali of the Calgary Stampeders, Lynn Bowden of the BC Lions and Quandre Mosely Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Radcliff, Kentucky, native played five seasons in Lexington. Making 19 starts in 47 games played, Oxendine recorded 78 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.

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In 2024, Oxendine appeared in all 12 games for the Wildcats and made one start against Murray State, finishing his final season with a team-second best four sacks.

A key performance by Oxendine helped Kentucky defeat the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi, as the defensive lineman recorded three tackles and a career-high two sacks for a combined 10 yards lost. His first sack came on a third down play, forcing the Rebels to punt, and the second led to Ole Miss letting the clock run out to end the first half.

The standout performance led to Oxendine being named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

In December 2024, Oxendine graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in social work. Additionally, the recent graduate was named the 2025 CATSPY Male Supporting Role Award.  

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Now in green, Oxendine will take the field with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as they are set to kickoff the preseason on Saturday, May 24, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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