How Kentucky football can replace Dare Rosenthal after left tackle enters NFL draft

LEXINGTON - Kentucky football's 2022 offensive line needs help.

Junior left tackle Dare Rosenthal declared for the NFL draft Tuesday, ending his UK career after one season. The departure of the former LSU transfer means Kentucky will need to replace three starters on the offensive line, including both of its tackles.

Rosenthal started all 12 regular season games at left tackle for Kentucky after transferring from LSU. He missed the Citrus Bowl win an undisclosed issue.

The 6-foot-7, 327-pound Ferriday, Louisiana native played in 7 of 10 games for LSU during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. He started five games but was suspended for three others due to an undisclosed violation of team rules.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron cited “continued disciplinary issues” as one factor in Rosenthal’s decision to transfer, according to a July report from the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Still, the LSU coach made it clear he wanted Rosenthal to stay.

“He's a tremendous player,” Orgeron said at the Southeastern Conference’s Media Days in July. “I hate to lose him. … He didn't want to leave. It was hard on him. I think they've got a potential first round draft choice there. And Dare knows he's got some stuff he needs to get better at, and I'm sure Kentucky's going to see that. He's a great young man, a great team player.”

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Rosenthal followed the path of former LSU teammate Kelvin Joseph in transferring to Kentucky. Joseph, also a highly touted high school recruit, transferred to UK before the 2019 season. After sitting out a year per NCAA rules, Joseph turned a breakout 2020 season in to a second-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

Since Rosenthal arrived on campus with similar hype, many expected him to only spend one season in Lexington before jumping to the NFL draft, but his play was inconsistent at times, opening the possibility he could return to school and significantly improve his draft stock for 2023.

“I think he’s still working on some fundamental things he wants to be better at,” UK offensive line coach Eric Wolford said of Rosenthal during the first half of the season. “A work in progress. He hasn’t really played a lot, really if you think about it. He didn’t play a lot of games at LSU. He’s not a 10, 15, 20-game starter, and he’s a converted d-lineman. So, we’re still working through things just trying to get better fundamentally every day.”

Instead, Rosenthal followed Joseph's lead in spending just one season at UK. Now, the Wildcats are left with a major question mark on an otherwise loaded 2022 roster.

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Transfer portal help could be needed to replace Dare Rosenthal

The most obvious solution to replacing Rosenthal appears to be dipping into the same transfer market that brought him to Lexington.

Junior left guard Kenneth Horsey split reps at left tackle with reserve Jeremy Flax during the Citrus Bowl, but the line struggled for much of the afternoon with the shuffling of parts, surrendering six sacks. There is more depth at the interior line positions, opening the chance for Horsey to move to tackle, but UK must also replace All-SEC center Luke Fortner.

A full offseason of preparation to play tackle could better prepare Horsey for the role in 2022, but additional reinforcements are needed.

Five-star signee Kiyaunta Goodwin, a Louisville native who finished his high school career at Charlestown in Southern Indiana, enrolled in classes this week and could compete for early snaps after participating in spring practice. Young offensive tackles Deondre Buford and David Wohlabaugh could earn larger roles after an offseason in the weight room.

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It would be a dangerous proposition to go into 2022 without clear starters at either tackle spot given the strength of the rest of the roster.

Surefire offensive tackle starters are hard to come by in the transfer portal, but Kentucky's offensive line reputation should position the Wildcats well in the race for whatever options become available before the May 1 deadline to enter the portal and be eligible to play next season.

Western Kentucky right tackle Mason Brooks is the highest-rated uncommitted offensive tackle currently in the portal, according to The Athletic, but there have not been any public links between Brooks and UK. More options should become available after spring practice, as Rosenthal did a year ago.

Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football: Dare Rosenthal leaves hole at left tackle for 2022