Another Kentucky player leaves the football program. A 2021 recruit is out, too.
Kentucky’s football team lost a current player and a commitment within an hour on Tuesday.
Kalil Branham, a wide receiver who signed as part of the 2020 recruiting class, is no longer with the program, according to a 247Sports report that was confirmed by a UK spokesperson.
Branham enrolled last January but did not play in a game during the 2020 season. He was one of six true freshmen who didn’t record a snap last season along with four offensive linemen — R.J. Adams, Deondre Buford, Joshua Jones and John Young — and defensive back Rickey Hyatt.
He has not entered the transfer portal, a UK spokesperson told the Herald-Leader. Branham is the fourth player to leave the program this offseason, joining quarterback Terry Wilson, tight end Nik Ognenovic and defensive back M.J. Devonshire. Of those three, only Devonshire (Pittsburgh) had found a new school as of Tuesday.
Within the hour that news of Branham’s departure broke, UK also lost the commitment of junior-college linebacker Joko Willis, currently a player at Independence Community College and a three-star prospect per 247Sports’ composite ranking.
“Officially de-committed from Kentucky,” Willis tweeted.
Willis, an inside linebacker, was the only known commit who did not sign with Kentucky during the early period. His other reported offers include Arkansas, Mississippi State and South Carolina. Hale McGranahan, who covers the Gamecocks, filed a prediction in December that Willis would eventually sign with South Carolina.
The interior linebacking corps was one of Kentucky’s thinnest position groups in 2020 and grew thinner this month when junior Jamin Davis announced he would enter the NFL Draft instead of playing out his senior year this fall. Scholarship linebackers Marquez Bembry and DeAndre Square will both return for their senior seasons. The possible availability of Chris Oats, who was set to start alongside Square in 2020 before a medical event sidelined him for the season, is unknown.
UK’s only other returning scholarship linebackers are Jared Casey (redshirt freshman last year), D’Eryk Jackson (true freshman) and Torrance Davis (a true freshman converted from running back). Kentucky has signed one inside linebacker, Martez Thrower, as part of its 2021 recruiting class.
The Wildcats’ depth at receiver is less concerning. Senior Josh Ali announced his return for an extra year of eligibility and headlines a group of 10 scholarship players expected to return at the position. Kentucky has also signed four receivers as part of its 2021 class.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 4:34 PM.
