Kavosiey Smoke ran for 1,583 yards and 13 scores at UK but is now in the transfer portal. (Vicky Graff Photo)
As of Friday afternoon, my count has five Kentucky receivers, one running back and one tight end officially in the transfer portal.
The first window to enter the transfer portal closes on Jan. 18 but a second 15-day window to enter the portal opens on May 1 after spring practice. Players also have a 30-day window to enter the portal if their head coach is fired. Graduate transfers can enter the portal outside of the designated windows.
The most recent addition to the transfer portal for Kentucky is tight end Keaton Upshaw, who was projected to be one of the stars during the 2022 season before redshirt freshman Jordan Dingle and true freshman Josh Kattus emerged as the top two tight ends.
Upshaw missed the 2021 season with an injury after making 16 catches for 193 yards and three scores in 2020. However, he had one four catches for 50 yards this season.
Upshaw played in 36 games at Kentucky and was part of two 10-win seasons and five bowl trips. He finishes his UK career with 27 catches for 326 yards and four touchdowns.
Here are other UK players that were in the transfer portal as of late Friday afternoon:
— Running back Kavosiey Smith played five seasons and had 1,583 yards rushing and 13 scores. He started the season as UK’s No. 1 back due to Chris Rodriguez’s suspension but had just eight carries in the final eight games once Rodriguez was eligible to play. His most productive season was 2019 when he had 101 carries for 616 yards and six scores. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
— Receiver Tae Tae Crumes was a three-star recruit out of Louisville in the 2019 recruiting class and a top 100 receiver. He played in one game in 2019, no games in 2020, four games in 2021 and no games last season. He had only one career reception.
— A former four-star recruit, receiver Chris Lewis played in 12 games in two seasons. He had just two catches but one was a 2-yard touchdown reception against Youngstown State. He did not play in the final four games this season due to an ankle injury.
— Sophomore receiver Chauncey Magwood played in 25 games the last two seasons. He made one start and had nine receptions for 121 yards.
— Receiver DeMarcus Harris seemed always on the verge of being a big contributor but in four years had only 30 catches for 327 yards and one score. He had just four catches for 90 yards this season as freshmen Barion Brown and Dane Key moved ahead of him.
— Walk-on receiver Rahsaan Lewis, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, had six catches for 65 yards and one score this season. He previously played at Central Florida and Florida Atlantic.
Kentucky now has only six scholarship receivers left on the roster to go with verbal commitments from two high school players — Anthony Brown of Ohio and Shamar Porter of Nashville.
However, thanks to Nick Roush of Kentucky Sports Radio, here is an even more fascinating number — 16 players from UK’s 2019 signing class that included Crimes have left the Kentucky program. Only JJ Weaver, Taj Dodson and Eli Cox remain on the UK roster from the 2019 recruiting class.
3 Responses
The ones leaving have been recruited over. They also have WR commitments from Nasir Addison from NJ, and Jakob Dixon of PRP in Louisville.
The transfer portal is part of the game now, and the portal door swings both ways.
Players from all programs will enter the program when they conclude the grass will be greener for them somewhere else.
The portal taketh and the portal giveth.
I believe UK has benefitted from the portal in other years, and I see no reason that UK won’t benefit again this season.
Hopefully, we will snag a quarterback, a running back or 2, 2 receivers, and 2 or 3 offensive linemen. I guess you could say our offense needs a major makeover including an OC who plays to win versus playing not to lose.