Basketball improved its roster, but Kentucky football also added some portal punch
Kentucky basketball cleaned up in the transfer portal. John Calipari added muscle in Oscar Tshiebwe. He added perimeter threats in Kellan Grady and CJ Fredrick. He added an experienced point guard in Sahvir Wheeler. More might be on the way.
Across campus, however, Mark Stoops didn’t do too badly himself. In fact, you can make a case that what Kentucky football gained in the way of transfers will have much to do with the Wildcats’ potential 2021 success.
Start with Will Levis, the quarterback transfer from Penn State. “Quarterback” is the key word. “Quarterback” is the key word for most every team, but especially for this Kentucky team in this particular year, what with former Los Angeles Rams assistant quarterbacks coach Liam Coen having signed on with Stoops to get a grip on the Wildcats’ woeful passing game.
Levis enters a projected fall quarterback competition with holdovers Joey Gatewood and Beau Allen to replace the departed Terry Wilson. Having transferred from Auburn to UK a year ago, Gatewood is a gifted athlete. A former star at Lexington Catholic, Allen has pure passer potential. But by adding Levis from Madison, Conn., Coen/Stoops must believe the strong-armed junior has a significant shot at winning the starting job for the season opener Sept. 4 against visiting Louisiana Monroe.
Then there’s Wan’Dale Robinson. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is a difference-maker. UK knew that when Robinson was coming out of Frankfort’s Western Hills High School. He confirmed that during his two years at Nebraska. Back in the Bluegrass, the multi-functional receiver figures to be a prime weapon in Coen’s attack, a projection confirmed by his teammates during spring practice. “He’s gonna be the truth,” gushed Josh Paschal.
Add Tre’Von Morgan, the 6-6, 218-pound receiver from Michigan State. Two years ago, both Rivals and ESPN ranked Morgan as the No. 1 receiver in Ohio. As a redshirt freshman, Morgan snagged a leaping 26-yard TD for the Spartans against Penn State last season. And, if you missed it the first time, Morgan is 6-6.
On the defensive side of the ball, there’s Jacquez Jones, the inside linebacker from Ole Miss. The senior from Tuscaloosa, Ala., led the Rebels in tackles a year ago. True, Ole Miss’ defense was 126th out of the 127 Division I teams in average yards allowed during the all-SEC pandemic season, but Jones brings not just experience, but conference experience, to a thin position on the UK roster. He could easily start alongside veteran DeAndre Square.
For added depth, Stoops also brought in Michigan State transfer Luke Fulton, a sophomore inside linebacker from Youngstown and Stoops’ high school alma mater, Cardinal Mooney. Fulton ran into some off-the-field problems at East Lansing. A four-star prospect, the 6-4, 230-pounder has a second chance to pull back on track in Lexington.
A tad overlooked has been Justice Dingle, a former Bowling Green High School star who transferred to UK from Georgia Tech to join his brother, freshman tight end Jordan Dingle. Justice is a 6-3, 262-pound outside linebacker who saw action in 19 games over three seasons with the Yellow Jackets. He’s another player who could blossom under the tutelage of defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Brad White.
Then there is Stoops’ latest addition, Dare Rosenthal, a 6-7, 327-pound offensive tackle from LSU. Blessed with potential, Rosenthal had a bumpy stay in Baton Rouge. He started five games last season, but he also missed time with injuries, left school at one point, was suspended for three games, returned, then departed again last month before picking UK from the portal. If Rosenthal can combine maturity with his athletic ability, he’s a top-tier talent.
To be sure, with the exceptions of Robinson, and possibly Jones, none of the aforementioned are guaranteed starters. Heading into his ninth season, Stoops’ roster doesn’t need many quick fixes. Instead, the pickups should act as reinforcements.
And if they go beyond that, John Calipari won’t be the only coach on campus who has proven to be proficient with the portal.
