Kentucky football is at the point in the offseason where you stop talking about "needs" like they’re a debate topic. You either fix them, or you spend next fall doing postgame therapy sessions about why the same stuff keeps happening, except with a new coach.
That’s why this portal name matters.
Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine is entering the transfer portal, per CBS Sports. And if Kentucky is serious about getting sturdier on defense in a hurry, this is the kind of guy you call immediately, not "monitor."
The Kansas State transfer is exactly the kind of "tackle machine" the defense is missing
Romaine’s appeal isn’t complicated. He’s productive, he’s experienced, and he finds the football.
ESPN notes he has 162 tackles across the last two seasons, including 66 tackles and seven tackles for loss in just nine games this year. That’s not "intriguing traits." That’s a player who has lived in the middle of a Power 4 defense and done the work.
Kentucky can survive plenty of things. It can’t survive missed fits and soft tackling. If you’re trying to stabilize a defense fast, you start with guys who end drives instead of just escorting runners to the sideline.
Jay Bateman will need to build his identity, and that includes having a guy who just sticks his nose in and gets the job done.
Kentucky football doesn't need any more projects
In a perfect world, you develop linebackers over time. In the SEC, your schedule does not care about your timeline.
If Kentucky wants to be better in 2026, it needs a linebacker who can handle real snaps, communicate checks, and play fast without thinking. That’s what portal additions are for: shorten the rebuild, raise the floor, stop bleeding yards.
And yes, the "All-Big 12" stamp matters. It’s not a fan poll. It’s a signal that people who scout and gameplan noticed him.
Why Romaine must be a priority
This isn’t about being flashy. It’s about being functional.
Kentucky needs defenders who tackle, who don’t panic when offenses spread them out, and who don’t turn every eight-yard run into a "well, at least it wasn’t 30." Romaine checks the first box loudly, and his TFL numbers suggest he can do more than just clean up.
The staff still has to vet fit, personality, and scheme. That’s their job. But from a roster-building standpoint, this is exactly what a "smart portal" swing looks like. Kentucky should be in the fight.