Utilizing a potent blend of the transfer portal and traditional high school recruiting avenues, Kentucky has reeled in one of its best football signing classes under head coach Mark Stoops.
The Wildcats officially welcomed 27 new additions to the program on Wednesday, which marked the beginning of the December early signing period. That group currently ranks No. 25 nationally by Rivals.
"We put together a very good class, a Top 25 class," Stoops said. "Very balanced."
The UK class features 14 players on the offensive side of the ball, 12 on defense, and a kicker. Six players have arrived via the transfer portal, while 21 are high school prospects.
On the surface, the six transfers may sound like a modest number, but the Cats came away with several high-profile players they had targeted to address specific needs. Among them were quarterback Brock Vandagriff (Georgia), running back Chip Trayanum (Ohio State), offensive lineman Jalen Farmer (Florida), wide receivers Ja'Mori Maclin (North Texas) and Raymond Cottrell (Texas A&M), and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Georgia).
"We needed a few more guys to add to the gaps on the offensive side," Stoops said.
For the third time in the last four years, UK made a big splash at the quarterback position. Vandagriff, a former 5-star prospect who was considered the No. 2 player at his position coming out of high school, follows in the steps of Will Levis and Devin Leary hoping to make a bigger impact in Liam Coen's offense.
"Obviously, very important for us, a very important piece," said Stoops, who also signed one of the nation's top prep quarterbacks and perhaps UK's quarterback of the future in Lexington Christian standout Cutter Boley.
"When (Vandagriff) came on his official visit, I think if you had just locked them in a room, him and coach Coen would have talked football all day long and been just fine with that. He's definitely a football guy."
Vandagriff (6-3, 210) will have two talented additions to the UK wide receivers room as well in the form of North Texas transfer Ja'Mori Maclin, who was one of the most coveted pass-catchers in the portal, and Raymond Cottrell of Texas A&M.
"A dynamic player," Stoops said of the 5-11, 183-pound Maclin, who hauled in 73 passes for 1,384 yards and 13 touchdowns in 26 games at North Texas. He projects as an inside receiver to complement juniors-to-be Dane Key and Barion Brown on the outside.
Like Vandagriff, Trayanum was an elite prospect when he originally signed with Arizona State out of Akron, Ohio. He spent the last two seasons at Ohio State, splitting time between running back and linebacker, but the 5-11, 233-pound athlete has averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his college career and looks ready to step into the role soon to be vacated by Ray Davis, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and set a new UK single-season touchdown record this year with 20.
"Chip Trayanum is one heckuva football player," Stoops said. "Again, just like everyone we got out of the portal, extremely mature, extremely hard-working. A great fit for us and four our culture.Very physical running back."
On the 6-5, 310-pound Farmer, who can help bolster the Big Blue Wall after the departure of Kenneth Horsey and Jeremy Flax this season, Stoops said: "Gives us a big, physical presence... He was a guy we recruited pretty hard coming out of high school and ended up coming back to us."
Perhaps the biggest news of the day came when another Georgia transfer, Dumas-Johnson, announced he would be signing with the Cats over Auburn and a host of other top programs. The 6-1, 245-pound inside linebacker, who helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022, was a first-team AP Preseason All-American pick before injuries interrupted his 2023 season.
Dumas-Johnson should step into the role vacated by UK standout Trevin Wallace, who recently announced he would enter the NFL Draft.
"A big get for us that I'm sure will get a lot of attention," Stoops said. "... Brings an awful lot to our football team. A guy with unbelievable experience, has that burning desire to bring that winning culture with him.
"'Pop' is a guy who will obviously have an immediate impact on our program."
Among the high school signees, Kentucky once again dominated the in-state recruiting battles, keeping Boley, Covington Catholic tight end Willie Rodriguez, Simon Kenton offensive lineman Aba Selm, Taylor County offensive lineman Hayes Johnson, and four-star Corbin twin brothers Jacob and Jerod Smith (OLB and DL) at home.
The out-of-state high school signees included one-time Ohio State offensive line commitment Marc Nave Jr., four-star linebacker/defensive end Brian Robinson, and four-star corner Terhyon Nichols out of the Buckeye State, as well as four-star wide receiver Hardley Gilmore IV from Florida and fast-rising South Carolina defensive back Quay'Sheed Scott, who emerged as a highly coveted target after giving his verbal to UK but stuck with the Cats.
