Just one day after the spring transfer window opened on April 16, Kentucky football landed two familiar names: former commits Lorenzo Cowan and Hardley Gilmore IV, who both found their way back to Lexington after brief stints elsewhere.
Cowan, a 6-foot-3 edge rusher from Savannah, Georgia, originally committed to Kentucky on Sept. 10, 2023, but after picking up an offer from Southern California just three months later, he decommitted and left Lexington for Los Angeles.
As originally reported by Pete Nakos, Cowan turned back for Lexington after a redshirt season with USC and Gilmore came back after transferring to Nebraska in the winter portal.
Gilmore, a 6-foot-1 wide receiver, committed to play for Mark Stoops and the Wildcats on Aug. 25, 2023, but after just one season in the blue and white, transferred to Nebraska alongside Dane Key, who both followed former Kentucky wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts Jr. to Lincoln.
Now, nearly two years since their original commitments, Cowan and Gilmore find themselves reunited with coach Stoops and BBN once again.
Amid a landscape of college football where players often take off without looking back, Cowan and Gilmore’s returns are rare. These guys didn’t commit to Kentucky just once – they made the decision to do it again.
So, what kind of impact will their return have, and how do they fit into the Wildcats roster?
After the end of a disappointing 4-8 season, Kentucky’s wide receiver room has undergone a complete overhaul. The loss of starters Dane Key and Barion Brown via the transfer portal to Nebraska and LSU respectively, along with the loss of Anthony Brown-Stephens has left plenty of room for competition heading into camp this summer.
Adding to the disaster, former Louisiana Tech wide receiver, Tru Edwards, who committed to Kentucky in January, will also not be able to suit up for the 2025 season as the NCAA declared that he has used up all of his eligibility.
With that in mind, it’s looking that Gilmore will likely be taking on a significant role as the Z receiver in the Wildcat offense lining up alongside J.J. Hester at X and Ja’Mori Maclin at Y. This expanded opportunity likely played a key role in luring him back to Lexington after transferring to Nebraska for just a three month stint.
In his true freshman season at Kentucky, Gilmore turned heads in fall camp before a broken collarbone sidelined him for the first half of the season. Over the five games he played, he totaled six receptions for 153 yards and one touchdown – a 52-yard score in Kentucky’s blowout win against Murray State in week 10.
On the other side of the ball, Lorenzo Cowan could also take on a meaningful role within Kentucky’s defensive front.
The versatile edge rusher fits well into defensive coordinator Brad White’s scheme, particularly as the ‘Cats look to replace key departures and reload their pass rush following a wave of departures – Deone Walker to the NFL, Keeshawn Silver to the transfer portal and J.J. Weaver, Tre-Vonn Rybka and Octavious Oxendine to graduation.
Preserving his redshirt status, Cowan didn’t appear in a game during his stint at USC, meaning that the high-upside pass rusher will return to Lexington with four full years of eligibility remaining.
Cowan is expected to line up opposite Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, a 6-foot-4 265 pound junior transfer from South Dakota and the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Together, the duo will bring a blend of youth and experience on the edge, and both are expected to play pivotal roles in helping reshape a defensive front that lost several key veteran contributors in the offseason.
As Kentucky looks to bounce back from an underwhelming season and a turbulent offseason, the returns of Cowan and Gilmore offer more than just depth – they bring familiarity, upside and a sense of unfinished business to Lexington.
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