We asked the experts for the brutally honest truth about Kentucky's portal class

With portal season largely behind us, we wanted to take a step back and give you a detailed preview of each new player from the Power 4 level, straight from the people who know them best.

Instead of just looking at just the stats, we reached out to the experts who covered these guys at their previous stops to give you the real inside scoop on what Kentucky is getting. Here is everything you need to know.

Speaking with Ryan Stano, site expert for Ohio State, Kentucky should walk away feeling encouraged about Tsabola.

"Tegra Tshabola has a wealth of experience, but he was never quite trusted at Ohio State. In the last two seasons, he was rotated in and out of the right guard spot because of ineffectiveness. During the Big Ten Championship Game, he was clearly seen blocking for a run play when it was a screen, and that play is what got him pulled from the game. He's just good enough to get on the field, but he’ll never be the best starting lineman"

Kentucky is getting a guy that will contribute in the trenches day one. That is a solid pickup.

Trevor Ripley of Truman's Tales, let us know about Manfred who is a player to watch for the future.

"At the time of his commitment, Mizzou fans were excited to steal a 6-foot-2 corner out of Georgia. He played just one snap this past season, but the plan always seemed to be to get him in the weight room and have him compete in 2026. The Wildcats are inheriting a raw but promising corner with great size and athleticism."

Razorbackers' Ryan Guthrie said Ferguson was a bit more of an unknown as he didn't see the field, but was bummed to see Tavion leave.

"Tavion was a tough loss, four star guy had a ton of potential. Super athletic guy little bit on the smaller side at 6’1, so him at edge was iffy, more of an off-ball backer type, but got the excuse to leave because of Pittman getting fired, and he ultimately wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps and play at Kentucky he pretty much knew where he wanted to go as soon as he entered the portal."

As for Ferguson, we looked to 247 for some insight on the former track star. They said he "Ran a 23.71 200 as a junior, an 11.59 100, and a 23.45 200 during club track competition."

John Mitchell of Bama Hammer said that Alinen was a guy who has a lot of "potential" but couldn't break through at Alabama. Not many players do, but having a guy who was at Alabama and projected to develop into a solid player is definitely a win for Kentucky.

Speaking with Dekota Gregory, site expert over at our Oklahoma sister site, he believes that if Barnes can stay healthy, Kentucky has a good one.

"Jovantae Barnes seemed to be on track to be a lifelong Sooner, but no one can blame him for spending his final season at Kentucky after getting run out of Oklahoma by younger talent. If not for injuries, though, Barnes might have been irreplaceable. He hasn't played more than nine games in a season since he was a freshman in 2022, so during all that time missed, the Sooners learned to function without Barnes as his playing time dipped to an all-time low in 2025. If he can stay healthy, Barnes could definitely be a productive back again for Kentucky, and his experience as a veteran makes his presence underrated in other ways, like as a pass blocker."

In a theme that we will see happen again, Death Valley Voice's Conner Grootenhuis believes Kentucky could have an elite WR on its hands if he can stay healthy:

"Nic Anderson set several Oklahoma freshman receiving records in 2023, but injuries have obstructed his career ever since. He came to Baton Rouge with high hopes, and while he appeared in 10 games, injuries limited him to just 12 catches for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns in his lone season with the Tigers. The potential is there to contribute in a major way, so long as he stays healthy."

With Breaux, he is also optimistic that his versatility could be a great pickup for Kentucky:

"Ahmad Breaux appeared in 25 games over the last 2 seasons, but it’s clear that his role on the LSU defensive line was going to be phased out in 2026. LSU’s incoming recruiting class includes a pair of 5-star pass rushers, Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson, as well as 4-stars Deuce Geralds and Trenton Henderson. Breaux initially began his LSU career expected to contribute at EDGE and/or linebacker, but made the move to the interior defensive line and gained 40 pounds for his new role. He was LSU’s Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2024 and figures to have an immediate impact on Kentucky’s interior defensive line in 2026."

Speaking with Conner Linsner from All for Tennessee, it seems Kentucky grabbed a future NFL star in Lance Heard.

"Lance Heard was the anchor for a young Tennessee offensive line last fall. He started every game at left tackle and only allowed one sack. The former 5-star is a future NFL guy. This is a great addition for the Wildcats."

With Anderson, a lot like Olinen, Kentucky is getting a guy who is on the upswing of his career.

"Tennessee beat out Oklahoma for Max Anderson in 2024. He never registered any snaps versus an SEC opponent, but he played in mop-up duty versus Tennessee’s weaker non-conference opponents and was solid. There’s no doubt he’s a high upside player who has the potential to be a starter in the SEC."

Speaking with Benjamin Henderson of Hail Florida Hail, it seems that Kentucky has acquired two defensive backs with a lot of potential, but also some red flags.

"Gates originally committed to the Gators in 2021 and stuck with his commitment even after Dan Mullen was let go and Napier was hired. 2024 was the first real action Gates got with Florida, and he took 322 snaps. He had a notable interception against Georgia and recovered two fumbles during the season before he suffered an ACL tear against Ole Miss."

When it comes to Jordan Castell, the worry isn't injuries but play style:

"Essentially he played to not get beat deep no matter what. As a result opposing wide receivers had free range to catch anything they wanted in front of him with zero fear of a play on the ball being made. If you go find the infamous clip of Missouri beating Florida in 2023 off a 4th and 17, Castell starts 20 yards off the line of scrimmage and backpedaled another 10."

Here is the play in question:

Maroon and White Nation's Andrew Miller gave us some insight into what to expect from Cyrus Reyes. He was someone who had no real offers outside of Mississippi State at the high level, but did well on special teams. He was "surprised" that he landed at another SEC school, because he hasn't had a lot of playing time thus far on defense. This looks to be a guy who was underecruited, and the defensive staff sees something they like.

Matt Wilson of Hook'em Headlines believes Kentucky found two players who could become really productive in Lexington. Speaking on CJ Baxter, Wilson said:

"Baxter has a really nice combination of speed/power, and he showed more patience as a runner in 2025 when on the field. He was incredible in 2023 as a true freshman, but that ACL injury in 2024 really slowed down his overall development. Being fully healthy and going through an entire offseason program with the Wildcats should help him get back to normal. He could end up being a very productive ball-carrier in 2026 alongside Jovantae Barnes and Tovani Mizell for Kentucky."

There are those pesky health issues popping up again, but if he stays healthy, Baxter will be a big-time contributor. As for Barnes:

"Elijah Barnes, a player who Texas was incredibly bummed to see leave, is a classic thumper as MIKE with enough athleticism to cover tight ends and running backs on a consistent basis. He would’ve been in the running to be a full-time starter in 2026 had he not decided to leave the program and follow Baxter to Lexington. The No.3-ranked LB recruit from the 2025 class heads to Kentucky with a chip on his shoulder and a head full of steam. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him end up playing quite a bit for new DC Jay Bateman next year."

You need a guy who is going to come downhill and just mash people. That is something Barnes can do very, very well.

Kenny Minchey is the QB Kentucky was searching for

When Will Stein was hired, getting Cutter on board or get a new QB. All signs pointed to Sam Leavitt, but when he made it clear he was going to have an extended recruitment, Kentucky pivoted. They quickly snatched Kenny Minchey, who had committed but not signed with Nebraska. We spoke with Oliver Vandervoort of Slap the Sign to get an idea of what to expect from Minchey.

"He was legitimately within a hair's breath of beating out Carr for the starter at Notre Dame. He's got a very accurate, strong arm and while he's not got 4.3 speed he's a good scrambler. I'm bummed."

Taking a guy with the pedigree of Minchey is a big win for Kentucky.

What about the rest of the class?

This covers the major additions from the Power 4 level, but Will Stein didn't just shop at the big-box stores and best conferences. He also found serious talent in the FCS and Group of 5 ranks, players we believe will ultimately be the backbone of the class. For a detailed dive into those players, hit up our tracker, where we link to each of the guys.