Kentucky’s roster build is not over in the transfer portal yet. Will Stein‘s staff has added 30-plus players to the roster from free agency. Another addition occurred on Monday. The Cats are investing in the trenches.

South Alabama transfer Tyler Thomas is moving to Kentucky after spending two seasons in Major Applewhite‘s South Alabama program. Thomas will join fellow South Alabama transfer Dominic Wiseman in Anwar Stewart‘s defensive line room.

Tyler’s twin brother, Trent, has transferred to Tennessee. The two brothers will face each other in November when UK travels to Rocky Top. Tyler Thomas spent the 2023 season and took a redshirt at UAB before leaving that program. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Thomas recorded 20 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and five pressures in 259 snaps. Thomas returned to South Alabama in 2025 and logged 17 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and 14 pressures in 287 snaps.

Tyler Thomas becomes the sixth transfer to join Kentucky’s defensive line this offseason. The Sun Belt transfer will be competing for snaps at defensive end. Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, Sam Greene, Lorenzo Cowan, and CJ Works each return to the program in 2026. Gardner-Webb transfer Antonio O’Berry and Tyler Thomas will look to make a splash in year one for new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.

Kentucky transfer commits

PlayerPositionHigh SchoolFormer SchoolYearOlaus AlinenG/T (6-6, 322)Windson (Conn.) The Loomis Chaffee SchoolAlabamaRedshirt JuniorJesse AndersonS (6-0, 180)Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal GibbonsPittsburghRedshirt JuniorMax AndersoniOL (6-5, 311)Frisco (Texas) HighTennesseeRedshirt SophomoreNic AndersonWR (6-4, 208)Katy (Texas) HighOklahoma | LSURedshirt SeniorElijah “Bo” BarnesLB (6-1, 244)Dallas (Texas) SkylineTexasRedshirt FreshmanJovantae BarnesRB (6-0, 211)Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert PinesOklahomaRedshirt SeniorCJ Baxter Jr.RB (6-1, 227)Orlando (Fla.) EdgewaterTexasRedshirt JuniorAhmad BreauxiDL (6-3, 278)Ruston (La.) HighLSUJuniorJordan CastellS (6-2, 213)Winter Garden (Fla.) West OrangeFloridaSeniorBrock CoffmanWR (6-0, 180)Lexington (Ky.) SayreLouisvilleRedshirt FreshmanCarson CruverQB (6-3, 200)Austin (Texas) St. Michael’s Catholic AcademyFlorida AtlanticRedshirt JuniorXavier DaisyWR (6-3, 210)Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian SchoolUABJuniorJa’Kayden FergusonWR (6-2, 187)Missouri City (Texas) Thurgood MarshallArkansasSophomoreAaron GatesNickel (6-0, 198)Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity ChristianFloridaRedshirt JuniorJamarrion HarklessiDL (6-3, 315)Lexington (Ky.) Frederick DouglassPurdueRedshirt JuniorLance HeardT (6-6, 330)Monroe (La.) NevilleLSU | TennesseeSeniorJacQai LongQB (6-2, 205)Hurricane (W. Va.) HighMarshallRedshirt SophomoreMark Manfred IIICB (6-1, 175)Marietta (Ga.) SprayberryMissouriRedshirt FreshmanKenny MincheyQB (6-2, 208)Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul IINotre DameRedshirt JuniorAntonio O’BerryEDGE (6-6, 240)Huber Heights (Ohio) WayneTiffin (D-II) | Gardner-Webb6th-Year SeniorTom O’HaraP (6-1, 197)ProKick AustraliaMurray StateJuniorColeton PriceiOL (6-3, 318)Bowie (Texas) HighBaylorRedshirt SeniorSpencer RadnotiLS (6-3, 230)Canton (Ga.) CherokeeGeorgia StateRedshirt SophomoreBen ReevesEDGE (6-1, 240)Covington (Ky.) CatholicGeorgetown (Ky.) CollegeRedshirt SophomoreCyrus ReyesS (6-1, 200)Taylor (Texas) HighMississippi StateJuniorMark RobinsonT (6-5, 320)Longwood (Fla.) LymanUTEPJuniorHasaan SykesCB (6-0, 185)Tucker (Ga.) HighWestern CarolinaJuniorTyler ThomasEDGE (6-5, 259)Mobile (Ala.) Cottage Hill Christian AcademyUAB | South AlabamaRedshirt JuniorTegra TshabolaiOL (6-6, 322)West Chester (Ohio) Lakota WestOhio StateRedshirt SeniorTavion WallaceLB (6-1, 239)Baxley (Ga.) Appling CountyArkansasSophomoreDominic WisemaniDL (6-2, 300)Davenport (Iowa) HighSouth AlabamaRedshirt SeniorAdam ZouaguiK (5-11, 188)Herndon (Va.) HighDavidson | South FloridaSenior