The take on Kentucky football transfers is different than in years past
In the dark past of Kentucky football, various Wildcats would jump from the nearest open window in hopes of greener pastures and fewer struggles. That is if there were any takers among those pastures.
You might think that’s the case these days, what with a spate of Mark Stoops’ troops having entered the NCAA’s ever-popular transfer portal, effectively putting themselves on the open market for open contact with possible suitors. But you’d be wrong.
Just as fortunes have changed for the local 11, so have the motivations behind those on the move. It’s not so much that Kentucky football is a bad place as it’s too much of a good thing.
Take Amani Gilmore, the speedy quarterback from Amite, La., who placed his name in the portal this week. Not that long ago, the redshirt freshman-to-be would have been the subject of a Big Blue Nation crush, a two-way talent (football and baseball) giving win-starved UK fans hope for the future.
Now, however, Gilmore was another quarterback in a very crowded quarterback room. There’s Terry Wilson, the 2018 starter who was lost for the season two games into 2019 but should be ready for 2020, if there is a 2020. There’s Sawyer Smith, the graduate transfer from Troy who took over in Smith’s absence only to succumb to injuries himself. There is Joey Gatewood, a touted transfer from Auburn who hopes to get a waiver for immediate eligibility in 2020. There’s Beau Allen, the true freshman gunslinger from Lexington Catholic.
Don’t forget Nik Scalzo, hoping to be the ultimate comeback story by overcoming not one but two ACL surgeries. And wait, we’re not done yet. Stoops’ already has a commitment from Somerset quarterback Kaiya Sheron for the class of 2021. And word leaked this week that the Cats have already offered Owensboro quarterback Gavin Wimsatt for 2022.
It’s the same situation for a pair of young defensive linemen who have reportedly entered the portal, as well. One is Cavon Butler, a nose guard out of Toledo, Ohio, who redshirted last season after appearing in one game. The other is Davoan Hawkins, a defensive lineman from Hollywood, Fla., who redshirted in 2018 and saw limited action in 2019.
Trouble is defensive coordinator Brad White has good depth returning for 2020 in veteran nose guard Quinton Bohanna, backup Marquan McCall, defensive tackle Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald and senior Phil Hoskins, who was awarded a sixth year of eligibility after missing all of last season with an injury.
Now factor in an incoming defensive line class ranked No. 3 nationally by Rivals and led by five-star prospect Justin Rogers and four-star prospect Josaih Hayes. Where in the past UK coaches were fighting to find someone to put on the field, now the fight is among the players to get on the field.
Surely current circumstances are playing a role. We are in a pandemic, after all, that has kept players off campus. Instead of being around the program, most are home around people known to ask questions such as, “Why aren’t you playing? You sure you wouldn’t be happier somewhere else?”
It’s probably not a coincidence Hawkins’ former high school teammate, wide receiver B.J. Alexander, has also put his name in the portal. In two seasons, Alexander has played in three games and not yet caught a pass. And UK has more receivers on the way.
Bottom line, for the first time in a long time Stoops expects to be at a full 85 scholarships next season. There is little room at the inn, something he discussed back when the abbreviated spring practice started in March.
“There’s a lot of things that we all go through, as programs, as head coaches that we have to do what’s best for our program,” said the coach. “I think for us, we will be one of the few schools that will be at 85 scholarships next year. We should be right at it, but we will see how things go.”
As coaches say, those things often take care of themselves.
