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Recapping Kentucky Football Transfers, Stoops Suggests There Could Be More Leaving

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UK Athletics

When NCAA implemented the “one-time transfer rule” and allowed student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) in 2021, it moved college athletics closer to professional sports. As Stoops said a few weeks back, it is now “100% free agency.”

Whether you believe it is good or bad, this is how college athletics has been trending. No longer are the days when a player will wait his turn and develop. If there are players buried in the depth chart that think they can more playing time elsewhere, or a player on a poor team can play for a Powerhouse school or finds a better NIL opportunity, then they will enter the portal.

Since the portal opened on Monday, over 1,000 players have entered their names, including ten from Kentucky. Here are the Wildcats listed and their corresponding recruiting rankings.

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  • Michael Drennen 4-star (RB)
  • Quentel Jones 3-star (DT)
  • Adrian Huey 3-star (CB)
  • John Young 4-star (OT)
  • Demontae Crumes 3-star (WR)
  • Keaton Upshaw 3-star (WR)
  • Kavosiey Smoke 3-star (RB)
  • DeMarcus Harris 3-star (WR)
  • Chris Lewis 4-star (WR)
  • Chauncey Magwood 3-star (WR)

Earlier this week, in his weekly press conference, Stoops said that he “absolutely knew” that “five-six” players would be leaving. While he didn’t specify any names, it seems that there were a few more players enter the portal than expected.

Fortunately, none of these players contributed much this past season, and if they had in past seasons, they had since been recruited over. Stoops expressed at this point, “you just don’t want to be surprised.”

However, Stoops did go on to say that he can read the room and suggested that there could be some more leave based on their body language. “I can just stand in front of the team and look out there and as I talk to them every day, I can read the eyes.”

There could be players waiting until after the bowl game to announce, or waiting to see who is hired as offensive coordinator, as they will most likely want to bring in some of their own guys.

With that said, Kentucky has benefitted from the transfer portal more than it has lost. In the past two seasons alone, they have added key contributors such as Will Levis, Jacquez Jones, and Wan’Dale Robinson among others.

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The Wildcats are off to a good start in 2023 as they look to revamp the offensive line in addition to finding a new quarterback and running back.

On Thursday, a former Glasgow high school star and four-star offensive guard who played for Alabama for four seasons, Tanner Bowles, announced that he would be playing at Kentucky next season.

College football has never had as much turnover as it does in this era, but Stoops and the staff have done a great job at adapting and still being able to compete in the SEC.

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Four-Star Safety, Top 200 Recruit Martels Carter Jr. Commits to Kentucky

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2025 Four-star safety Martels Carter Jr commits to Kentucky Wildcats over Auburn, Colorado, and Louisville.
UK Athletics

YAHTZEE!

The Kentucky Wildcats have added the top-ranked player in the state and one of the top safeties in the country to their 2025 recruiting class.

On Saturday, Martels Carter Jr. announced his commitment to the Wildcats!

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“BBN I’M HOME”

A unanimous 4-star prospect and top 20 safety nationally, Carter chose the Cats over finalists Auburn Tigers, Colorado Buffalo, and Louisville. He also held offers from some of the biggest programs in the sport, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Oregon among others.

Originally from Chattanooga, TN, Carter moved to Paducah last summer where he starred for Paducah Tilghman High School, helping them to an undefeated regular season and a deep run in the 4A state playoffs, falling in the semifinals.

While it’s okay to celebrate his commitment, it will still be a battle until signing day. Auburn is seen as Kentucky’s biggest threat with Carter planning multiple visits, and he also has a family connection to Deion Sander’s Colorado program.

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That said, he will almost certainly take an official visit to Kentucky this fall. Vince Marrow has made Carter a priority of this class and will do everything in his power to retain the talented defensive back.

Carter makes the sixth commitment for Kentucky’s 2025 class, to go along with two talented offensive players and fellow four-star recruits Quintin Simmons Jr (WR) and Marquise Davis (RB).

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Cutter Boley Opens up on Playing for Kentucky, “This Is Where My Heart’s Always Been”

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Four-star quarterback prospect Cutter Boley signing with Kentucky football.
© Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the early National Signing Day for the class of 2024 being over, Kentucky’s newest signed quarterback Cutter Boley discusses why he committed to play at Kentucky.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” Boley tells Kentucky Insider.

Kentucky needed to get some quarterbacks after three players either graduated or transferred with Devin Leary graduating, Destin Wade transferring to Colorado, and Kaiya Sheron electing to transfer as well.

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Kentucky was able to load up in the quarterback room by landing the Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, Georgia Southern transfer Beau Allen, and then signing Boley in the class of 2024. Boley is ready to compete against them and he recognizes their talent.

“I couldn’t be any more excited to learn from them. They’re two really good quarterbacks, like I said, and they’ll have countless things to teach me from the places they’ve been and the offense that they’ve been in,” Boley tells us. “I just can’t wait to learn the things they know and just be able to work and get to work with them.”

One of the reasons why Boley committed to Kentucky is due to him having a connection since he has lived here his whole life.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” said Boley.

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As for finally signing his National Letter of Intent, Boley feels relieved to have it finished.

“It’s definitely a relief to finally put the pen to paper and make it official,” said Boley. “It’s been a long time coming so I couldn’t be any more excited about my decision and where I’m going to be for the next four years.”

What Boley is most focused on is how the offense is run, as at this time he feels like his play style is made to play professionally.

“I’m really hoping to develop into that pro-style quarterback, but I feel like I’m definitely a pro-style quarterback right now, but really develop into just being able to play in that offense at a very high level and get really comfortable in the offense, and I just want to develop all parts of my game and really be a quarterback that the NFL looks for and that type of quarterback they want to have,” Boley tells us.

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With Kentucky having a chance to develop within instead of the transfer route, fans will have a chance to see a quarterback finally develop into potentially starting in the future.

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Kentucky Freshman Hayes Johnson Always Wanted to Play for Kentucky, “I Sure Wasn’t Going to Turn It Down

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UK Athletics

Kentucky is looking to get back to the Big Blue Wall days and what is a better way than recruiting in-state players to beef it back up? The Wildcats were able to get both Aba Selm and Hayes Johnson to commit to Kentucky with both being from the state and it was a big get.

When it came to Johnson’s recruitment, he had his mind made up that he wanted to play for the Kentucky Wildcats and he will be able to do that come this fall.

“I mean honestly, it is just kind of like what I said when I committed, it is just one of the things that I dreamed of doing since I was a little kid,” Johnson tells KYInsider. “I got the opportunity, and I sure wasn’t going to turn it down.”

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With him being from Kentucky he knows it will be a special moment for him to be able to put on the jersey and play inside Kroger Field.

“It’s just immense pride,” Johnson says. “I mean I take so much pride in the University and to be able to represent not only the University of Kentucky but the state of Kentucky and the people, and the people in my hometown, and plenty of other towns like this across the state. It’s truly amazing.”

For a while now, everyone has had big dreams for the Kentucky football program and that is to make it to Atlanta and compete for the SEC Championship and that is no stranger to Johnson at all.

“I mean personally, I mean, I’ve been a Kentucky fan all of my life, and I know what we all want,” Johnson tells us. “We all want to go to Atlanta, I mean that’s really it, to get to work and get to Atlanta.”

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His goals for Atlanta will begin in January as that is when he plans to enroll at Kentucky and it sounds like he is ready to get to work and step foot on to campus very soon.

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