Kentucky starting cornerback DJ Waller Jr. will enter transfer portal

We are one sleep from the official opening of the transfer portal. Kentucky lost another player to college football free agency on New Year’s Eve morning.

DJ Waller Jr. is hitting the transfer portal for a second time in his career.

NEW: Kentucky DB DJ Waller plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.

The former Michigan transfer has totaled 25 tackles in his career. https://t.co/kSYG7dYADj pic.twitter.com/1bR3GF8fEo

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 31, 2025

After spending one season and winning a national championship with Michigan, DJ Waller Jr. entered the portal after spring practice in Ann Arbor and landed at Kentucky for the 2024 season. The 6-foot-3 cornerback from Youngstown played in seven games with four starting assignments as sophomore. Waller finished that season with 13 tackles and two pass breakups but had to miss the final five games due to injury after battling injuries throughout fall camp. The injury bug followed Waller into his junior season as a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1 lingered all season. The cornerback played in just two games this past season.

DJ Waller Jr. enters free agency with two seasons of eligibility remaining. The defensive back became the second Kentucky cornerback to leave for the portal after Nasir Addison announced his free agency intentions earlier this week.

Kentucky Football Portal Tracker

The transfer portal does not officially open until Friday, Jan. 2, but so far, we know of nine players who will be looking for a new place to play college football this offseason once it does. The portal window officially closes Jan. 16.

• LB Landyn Watson
• EDGE Steven Soles Jr.
• QB Stone Saunders
• WR David Washington Jr.
• WR Preston Bowman
• CB Nasir Addison
• DT Austin Ramsey
• WR Troy Stellato
• EDGE Javeon Campbell
• CB DJ Waller Jr.

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

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