How Has the Transfer Portal Window Impacted Kentucky Football So Far?

The portal has been open for just over one week. How are the Wildcats faring amongst its Southeastern Conference companions?

The college football landscape is forever changed by the new transfer portal window, which opened on Dec. 5 and will run until Jan. 18, a 45-day window for any and every player with any sort of eligibility left to make the jump from one program to another.

Just over one week into the window, chaos has ensued, as hundreds and hundreds of players have entered their names into the portal, either searching for new homes or just window-shopping the potential NIL opportunities that could await on the other side. 

Kentucky — like every other main program in the FBS — is experiencing some turnover. As of Dec. 13, a grand total of 10 Wildcats are traversing through the portal.

Kentucky Football transfer portal tracker can be found here. 

How does this stack up to the rest of the SEC? 

I'm glad you asked. 

Below is where each Southeastern Conference team stands in terms of players currently lost due to the transfer portal: 

1. Texas A&M - 20
2. Florida - 17
3. Arkansas - 16
4. Ole Miss - 14
5. Alabama - 13 
6. Missouri - 11
7. Auburn, Kentucky - 10
8. LSU - 9
9. Mississippi State, Vanderbilt - 8
10. South Carolina, Tennessee - 7 
11. Georgia - 1

Mark Stoops and the Cats fall in the middle of the pack, but just how impactful are the 10 players that are currently slated to leave Lexington? 

The biggest hit comes in the form of veteran running back Kavosiey Smoke, who will leave after 1,583 career rushing yards in blue and white, the 20th-most in program history. He found the end zone 13 times during his long tenure at UK while averaging 5.4 yards-per-carry. After starting the first four games of the 2022 season, Smoke's workload dwindled heavily, as he had just seven carries in the Cats' final eight games.

Wide receiver is the position that will see the biggest turnover, as five wideouts are set to leave. While the depth has dropped severely, the good news is that there isn't much production that's walking out of the door, as the group totaled just 19 receptions for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Chauncey Magwood led the way amongst the portal players with seven grabs for 104 yards and one score.

Just one defender is in the portal for the Cats in Adrian Huey, who didn't see the field in his two seasons in Lexington. 

So, while the number is in double digits for UK, it's clear that it could be in a much worse position, especially when you take a glance at other schools in the conference. 

After perhaps the worst season in terms of expectations in college football history, the 5-7 Texas A&M Aggies lead the league with a whopping 20 players set to potentially leave College Station. Former 5-star prospects CB Denver Harris and WR Chris Marshall highlight some of the big names looking for new homes.

Both Florida and Arkansas are seeing heavy movement, with the Razorbacks seeing some bigger names move out. Alabama, while stacked as always, is seeing skill position talent look to leave while plenty of offensive lineman are on the way out, including Tanner Bowles, who has since committed to Kentucky. 

Pivoting to a school like South Carolina, just seven players are in the portal, but they are some of the Gamecocks' heavy hitters offensively. Tight end Jaheim Bell — who's considered the top of his position — has committed to Florida State, while workhorse RB MarShawn Lloyd is in after notching nearly 600 yards on the ground this season.

Mississippi State is in a similar position to SC, as heavy hitters like Dillon Johnson ( 488 rush, 285 reception yards, three TDs) and WR RaRa Thomas (626 reception yards, seven TDs) will likely end up somewhere not named Starkville. 

Meanwhile, down in Athens...Georgia has seen just one name enter the portal, defensive lineman Bill Norton. How do you do it, Kirby Smart?

The bottom line for the portal is this: Quality over quantity. 

A good chunk of players who enter are simply guys who aren't getting playing time or are in a bad situation, and are looking for places to simply play football and maybe make a few NIL deals along the way. Kentucky isn't worried about the group of players that are currently slated to leave, head coach Mark Stoops has been well aware of who's in and who's out.

"We already had those kind of conversations and might have a wrap up with them, thank them, support them. But you know those (transfers) were coming and there will be several more that we know are coming and then you just don’t want to be surprised– to this point I haven’t been surprised, so I hope it stays that way," Stoops said on Dec. 5. "As I tell the players and I think you can all relate to this, but when you’re dealing with so many, there are some that I absolutely know are coming."

“We’re holding court in the transfer portal. There’s no panic here," he added. 

Find the right players that fit your scheme and culture, pluck the talent that's available to you and play the portal the best way that you know how. Just 35 days remain until the portal window closes, and there are hundreds of dominoes that are yet to fall. 

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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