Kickoff is just under two weeks away and it is still unknown who the wide receivers that will accompany quarterback Zach Calzada will be.
“It’s going to be a big committee,” Head Coach Mark Stoops said when asked if any receiver has separated himself after the team’s second scrimmage.
Like most position groups on the team, there was turnover amongst the pass catchers via the transfer portal after a rough 2024.
The Lexington duo of Barion Brown and Dane Key both departed the program after their third season in blue and white.
The fan favorites not only left a void at receiver, but also at kick returner as Brown holds the record for the most kick returns in the SEC history.
In fact, the pass catching paring was first and second on the team last year in receiving yards as Key led with 715 yards and Brown with 361.
Brown remained in the SEC and will be a part of the LSU Tigers and Key will be in the Big Ten as a Nebraska Cornhusker.
The other departure in the portal was Hardley Gilmore IV, who also went to Nebraska but was dismissed from the team in January. However, Gilmore transferred back to Kentucky in April and will suit up in 2025 in the same uniform as last season.
“I don’t look at it [Kentucky] as a school, it’s actually a home for me,” Gilmore said. “I feel very comfortable; there was no reason for me to go anywhere else when I know I have genuine people that care about me and trust me till the end.”
Piecing together the new core for this season will start with Ja’Mori Maclin, who will be returning after transferring in last season and finishing third on the team with 313 yards.
Along with the in-house talents, Kentucky landed some transfers that will be big time players for the 2025 pass catchers.
The biggest of the transfers was Kendrick Law from Alabama. The senior brings three years of experience from the college football blue blood that will make him a focal point of the offense with Kentucky.
“There is a physicality piece to him and an explosive piece,” Offensive Coordinator Bush Hamdan said. “We think he’s got a chance with the ball in his hands to act like a running back when he’s running it and a receiver when catching it.”
However, Law will also be a huge weapon in the return game and a suitable replacement for Brown as he served as a return specialist for the Crimson Tide where he averaged 24.4 yards per return.
Troy Stellato along with J.J. Hester also joined the team via the portal and are expected to be in the mix for playing time.
Stellato joins the team after three seasons with Clemson but came down with an injury that ended his 2024 season after nine games.
Hester joins the Wildcats from Oklahoma where he proved to be a deep ball threat as he averaged 22.5 yards per catch in his final season as a Sooner.
Cameron Miller and Montavin Quisenberry are two freshmen have made waves in fall camp and are now just as in the mix as anyone to seeing playing time.
Miller is a four-star prospect from Winslow Township in New Jersey while Quisenberry is an in-state product from Boyle County and he is a three-star recruit.
Cole Lanter was another Boyle County product, but he will not be suiting up this season as Stoops confirmed he will be out for the season.
“Unfortunately, Cole is going to be down for the year,” Stoops said. “Really disappointing for him, he’s worked extremely hard, he is a great young man, has worked hard and done a lot for this program and I hate to see that for him.”
All of this talent will be dwindled down to three to four guys who suit up to open the game, but it’s likely most if not all of these players will see playing time this season.
“We have a bunch of guys and new guys that can do everything,” Maclin said. “With the depth we got, we can definitely make something happen.”
The coaching staff has 12 days to decide who will take the field when the 2025 season kicks off on Saturday, August 30, at Kroger Field against Toledo.
