Kentucky Offensive Tackle Darrin Strey Enters the Transfer Portal

Offensive tackle is a position of need for the Kentucky football program, and the situation has gone from bad to worse.

Just a few hours after learning that Kentucky missed on a top transfer portal target at the position, a promising young offensive tackle is leaving the program. On3’s Pete Nakos reports Darrin Strey is entering the transfer portal. He has four years of eligibility remaining.

Strey was one of the Wildcats’ top-ranked recruits in the 2025 class. A four-star talent from Michigan, On3 ranked Strey as the No. 290 overall player and a Top 25 offensive tackle.

The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder from Michigan was a solid athlete who looked like a future starting right tackle in the SEC, drawing comparisons to Landon Young from the previous coaching staff. Mark Stoops brought in Eric Wolford to fix the Wildcats’ offensive line recruiting efforts. The addition of Strey was a step in the right direction, but he’s leaving after only one year in Lexington. It’s safe to speculate that Wolford may try to bring Strey to Baton Rouge.

Kentucky was thin at offensive tackle at the start of the offseason. Strey was a promising player who could conceivably compete for a starting role as a redshirt freshman, or at worst be the third OT who rotated at either spot. With Strey departing for the transfer portal, Malachi Wood, a rising redshirt junior from Madison County, is the only offensive tackle with in-game reps remaining on the roster. Kentucky not only needs viable starters, but the Wildcats just need bodies at the position, one where it can be difficult to find in free agency.

Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker

So far, we know of 20 Kentucky football players who will be looking for a new place to play college football this offseason. The portal window officially closes Jan. 16.

• LB Landyn Watson (Committed to Kansas on Jan. 4)
• EDGE Steven Soles Jr. (Committed to Arkansas on Jan. 7)
• QB Stone Saunders (Committed to San Diego State on Jan. 6)
• WR David Washington Jr.
• WR Preston Bowman (Committed to Ohio on Jan. 7)
• DT Austin Ramsey (Committed to Kansas State on Jan. 6)
• WR Troy Stellato
• EDGE Javeon Campbell
• CB DJ Waller Jr. (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 3)
• EDGE Jacob Smith (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 6)
• DL Jerod Smith II (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 6)
• QB Cutter Boley (Committed to Arizona State on Jan. 3)
• WR Montavin Quisenberry (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 8)
• RB Dante Dowdell
• S Cam Dooley (Committed to Florida on Jan. 7)
• DB Quay’Sheed Scott (Committed to South Carolina on Jan. 8)
• RB Jamarion Wilcox
• WR Cameron Miller
• WR Hardley Gilmore (Committed to Louisville on Jan. 8)
• OT Darrin Strey