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Kentucky defensive players Jacob and Jerod Smith plan to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Danby: Daniel Hager01/01/26DanielHagerOn3

Kentucky’s twin brother duo, sophomore defensive lineman Jerod Smith and redshirt-freshman EDGE rusher Jacob Smith, plan to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. On3’s Pete Nakos reported the news.

Jerod became a big contributor to Kentucky‘s defense this season, recording 27 tackles and one sack. His brother, Jacob, recorded two tackles across two career games.

Prior to enrolling at Kentucky, the Smith brothers were ranked as four-star prospects. Jerod was tabbed as the No. 224 overall player in the 2024 class, while Jacob was ranked at No. 257. They were the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked players in the state of Kentucky in the class, hailing from Corbin.

The move comes after long-time head coach Mark Stoops was fired following Kentucky‘s season-ending 41-0 loss to Louisville. Along with defensive coordinator Brad White‘s move to Florida to coach under Jon Sumrall, a plethora of Wildcat defensive players hitting the Transfer Portal isn’t a surprise.

“To all of my former players, coaches, staffers, and the Big Blue Nation, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Stoops wrote in a statement. “Coaching at Kentucky the last 13 years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I’ve felt your support, your pride, and your love every single day. Kentucky has become my home and I’ll be forever grateful to have been your head coach.”

Kentucky‘s administration moved quickly to find a replacement in Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein. Stein has called plays for the Ducks for the past three seasons, in which the program has made the College Football Playoff twice.

Kentucky’s Transfer Portal departures

Jacob and Jerod Smith are the 11th and 12th Kentucky players expected to enter the Transfer Portal.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.