These five freshmen could play important roles for Kentucky football in the 2024 season

The transfer portal has forever changed expectations for college football freshmen.

Coaches now look to the college free agent market to fill obvious holes in their starting lineups, decreasing opportunities for first-year players to contribute immediately. But the portal also represents an ever-present threat for losing your own players if you don’t keep them involved.

For that reason, preserving a redshirt season seems less important than it once did. All players can appear in four regular-season games, plus a bowl game, without losing a season of eligibility, but coaches would be foolish to count on their most talented freshmen being on campus long enough for that fifth college season to matter much.

Forcing a freshman into the lineup who is not ready to play is counterproductive, but if he can contribute on special teams or certain offensive and defensive packages to stay involved? It is far more likely you see a coach burn that redshirt for those scenarios than in the pre-portal era.

A year ago, five scholarship UK freshmen played in more than four regular-season games (Anthony Brown-Stephens, Ty Bryant, Nasir Addison, Jayvant Brown and Khamari Anderson), but only one started a game. Three of the 2023 signees who redshirted have already transferred. Of the 10 scholarship redshirt freshmen on the 2024 roster, six are offensive or defensive linemen and one missed the entire 2023 season due to an injury.

It is likely we will see most of Kentucky’s 2024 high school class, which was ranked 24th nationally by the 247Sports Composite, at some point this fall, at least for a handful of games. The four offensive linemen in the class are the safest bets to redshirt. Defensive back Quavo Marshall is expected to miss most of the season with an injury.

But even a player like kicker Jacob Kauwe, who appears blocked by a productive returning starter, could carve out a role on kickoffs or as the kicker for longer field goals. Like Addison, Brown and Anderson last season, expect multiple freshmen to burn their redshirts while playing primarily on special teams.

At least a few freshmen could be needed in larger roles though. Here is a look at five who could provide significant contributions.

WR Hardley Gilmore

Yes, Kentucky’s top four wide receivers appear set barring injury: Barion Brown, Dane Key, Ja’Mori Maclin and Brown-Stephens. But that didn’t stop coaches and teammates from raving about Gilmore during spring practice.

“I just think his talent level with the way he works and the type of person he is, if he can keep that combination going he’s going to be an exciting player for us for a long time,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said in April.

UK coach Mark Stoops tried to pump the breaks on some of the Gilmore hype during his first news conference of fall camp, but that seemed to be more about setting reasonable expectations than casting doubt on his role. If Hamdan’s no-huddle offense leads to an increased tempo and more plays, there should be opportunities for Gilmore to make an impact.

RB Jason Patterson

Like Gilmore, Patterson appeared to cement a spot in UK’s offensive game plan with a strong spring practice after enrolling early.

Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum is expected to open the season as Kentucky’s starting running back, but coaches have been clear that carries will be split among multiple backs early in the season as they look for one player to seize the featured role. Senior Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and Patterson should be in that rotation.

“He’s kind of one of those guys that’s been quiet, continually working,” Hamdan said of Patterson. “I think I remember in July, used to be in my office, he would have his pads on just getting catches on these jugs machines here at about six o’clock at night.”

Patterson might have the highest ceiling of UK’s running backs, so it would not be a shock to see him eventually earn a featured role. It doesn’t hurt that he will wear No. 26 like Benny Snell, the last freshman running back to star for Kentucky.

TE Willie Rodriguez

Hamdan consistently raved about the depth and experience of Kentucky’s tight end room during spring practice, so why should we expect a freshman who didn’t join the team until the summer to play?

“When you look at him physically, looks better than some of the older guys we got,” tight ends coach Vince Marrow said of Rodriguez this week. “So I think we got three, but by the time we come out of camp, we have four really good tight ends ready to play winning football.”

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, the former Covington Catholic star enters camp behind Josh Kattus, Jordan Dingle and Anderson on the tight end depth chart, but he already received an opportunity for additional reps with Kattus sidelined by a minor injury early in camp. Rodriguez told the Herald-Leader on media day his expectation is to play as a freshman.

“Willie is a guy that these older guys see,” Marrow said. “They see his physicality. They see how he is when he walks in the room. He’s a serious guy. So, I mean, it’s competition. That’s the way he wanted to be.

“… So, the older guys better know they better get get their butts going, or there will be another young guy playing.”

DL Jerod Smith

Finding a clear opportunity for freshmen to contribute on defense is not as easy for Stoops’ squad.

The Wildcats are at least two deep with returning contributors or high-profile transfers at every position on that side of the ball. But considering the top five signees in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, are all defenders, we should still expect multiple freshmen to play on that side of the ball.

An injury crisis on the defensive line during spring practice provided more opportunities for UK’s early enrollees at that position. While most of those injured veterans are back on the field, Smith and the final player on this list could contribute as pass rushers in third down packages.

“He is getting very explosive for a young guy, so we will see where that takes him,” Stoops said of Smith on media day.

Smith has already gained 21 pounds from his listed weight when he enrolled at UK in January. At 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, the former Corbin High School star looks the part already.

DL Brian Robinson

It would be close to impossible to identify Robinson as a freshman if you were not already aware of his age.

The 6-foot-5, 261-pound lineman might already be one of the most physically impressive players on the roster, but he has work to do.

“We’ve got to build his technique from the ground up,” defensive line coach Anwar Stewart said of Robinson in spring practice. “He’s still very raw, but he’s got a high ceiling. Very strong kid. Very determined kid. Has an unbelievable work ethic. Sometimes you’ve just got to slow him down a little bit so that he understands the defense, techniques and alignment that we’re doing.”

The highest-ranked signee in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, Robinson falls into the group of players you can’t count on to be in school for five years. Since he already looks physically ready to contribute, there is no reason to waste a year on the sideline.

He might not be a day one starter, but it would be a surprise if he is not part of the defensive line rotation by the second half.

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