Latest transfer portal additions could fill two key needs for Kentucky football’s roster

Not every transfer portal addition will be as glamorous as signing the top-ranked quarterback available, but under-the-radar moves can be important when building a college football roster in the portal era as well.

Mark Stoops and company made two such additions to the 2023 Kentucky football roster over the weekend. Commitments from former Northern Illinois linebacker Daveren Rayner and former Georgia Southern kicker Alex Raynor might not generate as much buzz as adding quarterback Devin Leary or running back Ray Davis did, but both players could have important impacts on the Wildcats this season. (Kentucky also added former West Virginia walk-on offensive lineman Dylan Ray as another depth option for future development.)

Here is a closer look at how Rayner and Raynor fit on the 2023 depth chart.

Daveren Rayner

Kentucky coaches found themselves in a difficult position when examining the inside linebacker depth chart after spring practice.

Junior Trevin Wallace and senior D’Eryk Jackson are locked in as starters. Both players bring extensive experience to the roles after filling in for DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones due to injuries a year ago and appear to have the potential to blossom into stars this fall.

Despite the excitement for Wallace and Jackson, there was reason to worry about the position though.

Backups Martez Thrower and Luke Fulton have played only sparingly — mostly on special teams — thus far as Wildcats. Asked about the projected backups during spring practice, defensive coordinator Brad White acknowledged, “We need to build that depth.”

Finding a linebacker transfer who was good enough to spend one of the few scholarships remaining under the 85-man limit on but who was not searching for a guaranteed starting position would be a difficult proposition. In Rayner, Kentucky coaches appear to have thread that needle.

Rayner totaled 126 tackles in 20 games across three seasons at Northern Illinois. As a junior, he was credited with 71 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in eight games. Rayner has two years of eligibility remaining thanks to the extra year granted all players in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He brings some familiarity to Lexington as the former teammate of left tackle Marques Cox.

The best-case scenario for Kentucky at inside linebacker remains that Wallace and Jackson turn into stars while remaining healthy throughout the season. History suggests reinforcements will be needed though.

“In this league, you look every year and you’ve got to play four or more inside linebackers,” White said. “It’s a brutal game there. It’s bound somebody is going to get dinged. They can’t play every snap.”

Between Rayner, Thrower and Fulton, Kentucky now appears better positioned to weather any injuries to the projected starters.

Alex Raynor

Kentucky’s 2022 struggles on special teams have been well-documented. Stoops looked to fix those issues by hiring new special teams coordinator Jay Boulware in December, but until the commitment of Raynor on Sunday the personnel at the specialist positions had remained unchanged.

Super senior Chance Poore, who has impressed as Kentucky’s kickoff specialist but failed to hold onto the primary place kicking job in his first five years as a Wildcat, looked poised to replace Matt Ruffolo as Kentucky’s kicker for field goals and extra points, but Stoops made it clear further improvement was needed on the final day of spring practice.

“You could see days where he was out there and extremely confident and comfortable,” Stoops said of Poore. “He’s got good pop on the ball. You could see that with his kickoffs and his leg strength. He’s been more consistent. We’re working on timing and working on getting quicker, getting the ball up. There’s been days where he’s been very good, and there’s been other days where the inconsistency pops up.”

As a sixth-year scholarship kicker, Poore remains in the pole position for the starting job, but Raynor should at least provide competition and an experienced option if Poore falters. Redshirt freshman kicker Jackson Smith does not appear ready for that role, based on coaches’ comments this spring.

In three years at Georgia Southern, Raynor, who initially committed to Memphis as a transfer in January, converted 45 of 59 field goals (76.3%) and 110 of 113 extra points (97.3%). His best season came in 2022 when he converted 18 of 20 field goals and 49 of 50 extra points. If Raynor can duplicate that success in Lexington, it would not be a surprise to see him eventually takeover the starting job.

Raynor’s career long field goal is 47 yards, so Poore, whose biggest plus is leg strength, could still be needed for longer field goals even if Raynor wins the No. 1 job.

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