The 2024 Kentucky roster and the 2025 version barely look related, like somebody hit “shuffle” and didn’t check the results.
That’s the portal era, sure. But Kentucky’s churn was still jarring, roughly 50 new faces, one extra win, and a fan base left doing what fans do best: tracking the guys who left and asking the question nobody says politely.
Was the grass greener?
Some answers are encouraging. Some are complicated. And a couple are just sad.
Kentucky football transfers in 2025 quarterbacks and skill players
Let’s start with the names fans actually argued about in group chats.
Gavin Wimsatt, QB, Jacksonville State
The numbers show a functional season for a role player: 63-of-112 passing (56.3%), 731 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT, plus 264 rushing yards. He sturggle to pass, did okay running. Kind of the same at Kentucky.
Chip Trayanum, RB, Toledo
This is the big “yep” on the list. 166 carries, 950 yards, 5.7 a pop, 11 rushing TDs, plus 19 catches for 207 yards and two more scores. He didn’t just land. He produced like a featured back.
Barion Brown, WR, LSU
52 catches, 495 yards, one touchdown. Productive enough to matter, not explosive enough to make Kentucky fans feel like they watched a weekly highlight reel walk away. The volume is there. The touchdowns weren’t.
Dane Key, WR, Nebraska
A bit of a set back in overall production for Key. 35 catches, 424 yards, five touchdowns. If you’re looking for “role clarity,” he did became a red-zone answer, but the numbers dipped elsewhere.
Kentucky football transfers along the offensive line
Kentucky’s line departures were always going to be hard to summarize in a stat sheet, because offensive line success is mostly invisible until it isn’t.
Dylan Ray, Minnesota
Ray became a real piece, starts at multiple spots, including right tackle and right guard, with a steady run of meaningful snaps. That’s not just “he played.” That’s “they trusted him.”
Courtland Ford, UCLA
Ford started 11 games at left tackle and logged heavy workloads, including a high snap count in big wins. That’s a solid season in a premium spot.
Koby Keenum, Mississippi State
Rotational role. Not nothing, but not a “built the line around him” situation.
Wallace Unamba, Virginia
Depth option.
Marc Nave Jr., Purdue
Did not play.
Ben Christman
This belongs in its own category. He passed away before playing at UNLV. That’s not football. That’s life, and it’s a reminder that the portal tracker is still a list of people.
Anfernee Crease, Texas State and Daniel Mincey, UAB
Crease was depth. Mincey’s story turned grim with off-field accusations. Sometimes “how did it go” isn’t about stats at all.
Kentucky football transfers on defense and special teams
Keeshawn Silver, DL
17 tackles, 8 solo. Not a dominant headline line, but a contributor, though another guy who stepped back.
Tyreese Fearbry, DL, Wisconsin
Limited production with one sack. Another case of “rotational step.”
Noah Matthews, DL, Delaware
This one pops: 30 tackles, 2 sacks. A real season.
Tommy Ziesmer, DL, Eastern Kentucky
53 tackles and a sack is significant especially for a player who clearly found a role and ran with it.
Jayvant Brown, LB, Temple
13 tackles and half a sack. Smaller line.
Walker Himebauch, LS, Colorado State
Started as long snapper. If you’re a specialist, that’s the dream outcome.
The portal truth BBN should accept
The portal doesn’t work like a divorce court. There isn’t always a winner and loser.
Some guys left and became bigger parts of their new teams. Some guys left and learned how hard it is to climb a depth chart at the next level. And some guys didn’t get a fair football ending at all.
Kentucky’s roster overhaul came with the usual trade: short-term chaos for a chance at long-term fit. The exits are part of the cost.
The only real takeaway is the simplest one. For a lot of these guys, the grass wasn’t magically greener.
It was just different grass. And sometimes that’s enough.