Kentucky football addresses key transfer need with FCS Punter of the Year
Kentucky football opened its 2024 transfer portal class by addressing its need for a new starting quarterback, but former five-star Georgia quarterback Brock Vandagriff will need help.
Wide receiver, running back and offensive line are among the other positions Kentucky is expected to pursue transfer reinforcements this offseason. Bookmark this page to follow along with the 2024 transfer class as new commitments are formalized.
P Aidan Laros (UT Martin)
The 2023 FCS Punter of the Year, Laros should address a lingering special teams concern after inconsistency and a back injury have plagued incumbent Wilson Berry throughout his UK career. Laros led FCS punters with a 47.2 yards-per-punt average last season. He booted 18 punts of at least 50 yards and twice hit 70 yards. Laros was born and raised in South Africa before moving to the United States in high school. A former All-American rugby play, Laros also handled kickoffs for UT Martin. He started his college career at Charlotte.
QB Gavin Wimsatt (Rutgers)
The former Owensboro High School star provides UK some much needed experienced depth at quarterback. It remains unlikely Wimsatt unseats Vandagriff as starter, but he could fill a role in certain packages thanks to his rushing ability. And if Vandagriff is injured or struggles, Wimsatt at least has multiple seasons of starting experience in the Big Ten. In 25 games across three seasons at Rutgers, Wimsatt threw for 2,537 yards and rushed for 628 yards. He scored 25 total touchdowns.
CB DJ Waller (Michigan)
Kentucky wasted no time filling one of the most obvious needs in the spring portal window with a commitment from Michigan cornerback DJ Waller. The Youngstown, Ohio, native appeared in 11 games for the national champions last season and was believed to be one of the leading contenders for a starting job at cornerback in 2024 had he stayed at Michigan. Instead, Waller will probably replace New York Giants third-round pick Andru Phillips for Kentucky, allowing spring breakout defensive back Jantzen Dunn to spend most of his time at nickel back. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Waller has three seasons of eligibilty remaining.
OT Gerald Mincey (Tennessee)
Kentucky addressed its need for offensive tackle depth on the final day for students to enroll in the spring semester by nabbing a commitment from former Tennessee and Florida lineman Gerald Mincey. Mincey started 13 games across the last two seasons at Tennessee, splitting time between left and right tackle. He played in 11 games at Florida across two seasons before transferring to Tennessee in 2022. Mincey has logged more than 1,000 snaps in his career already and should compete with Courtland Ford for the starting right tackle job.
DB Kristian Story (Alabama)
A former four-star recruit in the high school class of 2020, Story appeared in 39 games across four seasons at Alabama, contributing primarily on special teams. He did start two games at safety in 2023, including one against Kentucky. Last season, he had 15 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and one interception. Story is expected to play safety at Kentucky, where he will add depth to a rotation that features three players who started games for the Wildcats this season. Story has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
WR Fred Farrier (UAB)
A former Franklin County High School star, Farrier arrives at Kentucky to further address the Wildcats’ depth issues at wide receiver. In the last two seasons at UAB, Farrier totaled 29 catches for 389 yards and two touchdowns. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at Kentucky. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver was named to the Herald-Leader’s Class of the Commonwealth as a senior after totaling 977 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns for Franklin County.
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Georgia)
A first-team All-American in 2022 according to ESPN and The Sporting News, Dumas-Johnson transfers to Kentucky with two national championship rings and a perfect 24-0 record in games he started at Georgia. Dumas-Johnson was not quite as productive in 2023 as 2022, totaling 34 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in nine games before suffering a season-ending arm injury, but he was counted on as a key leader and steadying presence in the heart of Georgia’s defense. At Kentucky, he provides an exciting replacement for Trevin Wallace, who left school early for the NFL draft.
OL Jalen Farmer (Florida)
Two years after Kentucky failed to flip Farmer from Florida on his high school signing day, the offensive lineman is headed to Lexington. He played in four games across two seasons at Florida. With three seasons of eligibility remaining, Farmer should serve as a developmental piece for the future of the offensive line while providing needed depth in 2024.
WR Ja’Mori Maclin (North Texas)
The cousin of former Missouri All-American and NFL wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, Ja’Mori started his career at Missouri before transferring to North Texas in 2022. He enjoyed a breakout campaign this fall with 57 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. Maclin was one of the most popular wide receivers in the transfer portal, reporting scholarship offers from Penn State, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, South Carolina, California, Texas A&M, Colorado, Central Florida, LSU, West Virginia, Baylor, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Louisville. At Kentucky, he likely will step into the starting role vacated by super senior Tayvion Robinson.
RB Chip Trayanum (Ohio State)
Kentucky’s potential replacement for 1,000-yard rusher Ray Davis comes to Lexington from Ohio State, where he spent the last two seasons after starting his career at Arizona State. The Akron, Ohio native has rushed for 1,157 yards and 13 touchdowns in his career. Listed at 5-foot-11, 233 pounds by Ohio State, Trayanum is considered a power back whose rushing style more closely resembles former Wildcats Benny Snell and Chris Rodriguez than Davis. Trayanum originally planned to play linebacker at Ohio State but quickly moved back to running back, where he backed up TreVeyon Henderson. He scored the game-winning touchdown in Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame.
QB Beau Allen (Georgia Southern)
Following the expected departures of Kentucky’s top three backup quarterbacks from the 2023 roster, the staff needed to find more help at the position, even after landing Vandagriff. The needed depth came in the form of a familiar face: former UK quarterback Beau Allen, who left the program just days before preseason camp opened in 2022. The former Lexington Catholic star served as a backup to Will Levis in 2021 then transferred to FCS Tarleton State. After one season there, Allen transferred to Georgia Southern but did not play in the 2023 season because the NCAA denied his waiver request for immediate eligibility as a second-time transfer. Allen knows Liam Coen’s offense already and should serve as a valuable backup to Vandagriff and bridge to four-star freshman quarterback Cutter Boley next season.
QB Brock Vandagriff (Georgia)
A five-star prospect in the high school class of 2021, Vandagriff spent three seasons as a backup at Georgia behind Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck before deciding to transfer in search of a starting opportunity. While Vandagriff has played only sparingly in blowout situations in college thus far, Kentucky will hope offensive coordinator Liam Coen can make the most of the talent that saw the 247Sports Composite rank him as the No. 4 quarterback in his high school class. Vandagriff was ranked ahead of current college stars J.J. McCarthy, Kyle McCord and Drake Maye in high school.
This story was originally published December 9, 2023 at 10:15 AM.