Mark Stoops is loading up on receivers from the transfer portal. (UK Athletics Photo)
Considering that Kentucky coach Mark Stoops says he wants to get back to a physical style of play that features a power running game, UK continues to add receivers via the transfer portal.
The latest receiver to join the Kentucky offense is SMU transfer Ashton Cozart, a former four-star recruit in the 2023 class who was ranked as the nation’s 93rd best player in the class by Sports Illustrated and 94th by ESPN based on his play at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. He finished his senior season with 33 catches for 582 yards and seven touchdowns for 17.6 yards per catch.
He signed with Oregon but redshirted in 2023 before transferring to SMU where he played in four games in 2024. He had one catch in SMU’s first game but that was it. He put his name back into the transfer portal in mid-April and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Kentucky had already added receivers J.J. Hester of Oklahoma, Kendrick Law of Alabama, Troy Stellato of Clemson and Hardley Gilmore of Nebraska. Gilmore played at UK during the 2024 season, transferred to Nebraska and then came back to UK after spring practice. Kentucky has also added true freshman receivers Montavin Quisenberry, Preston Bowman and DJ Miller.
The Cats also have a new receivers coach in L’Damian Washington and seem set to start transfer quarterback Zach Calzada.
The Cats went 4-8 last season and missed a bowl game for the first time since 2015. The 6-3 Cozart is obviously unproven but maybe Stoops is looking at him also as a building block for teams in 2026 and 2027 even though that seems dangerous to do in today’s transfer portal world.
But also remember that Cozart was recruited by Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, UConn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Jackson State, Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pittsburgh, SMU, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, Virginia and Washington coming out of high school.
4 Responses
Cozart is going to be a good receiver. He runs good routes, he has top end speed and he’s still very young. He will be a redshirt sophomore with 3 years of eligibility. He will learn the plays a produce a little this year. Gilmore, Cozart, Miller, and Quisenberry are 4 young great receivers. Boley or Saunders should have plenty of targets. Along with tight ends Brown, Rodriguez, and Skinner. Then running backs Wilcox and Patterson. This group if given a decent offensive line will be very promising for our future.
I’m with you on this one, Larry. Stoops seems to say one thing and do another quite often. He says he wants to involve the TE in the passing game, yet seldom throws a pass their way. He says he wants a Dual Threat QB, but usually goes after a pocket passer. He says he wants to get back to power football, then he loads up the Receiver room.
All these things are fine if you are the type of coach that CAN and WILL change your philosophy and schemes to match what your players do best. Stoops isn’t that type of coach. Stoops wants to play straight up power football and nothing else.
I agree but who plays power football in 2025? You have to pass the ball and keep the defense honest.
It’s funny to see the "discipline " sign in the background in the above picture.