Another former Kentucky player is rejoining Vince Marrow at Louisville

Long-time Kentucky assistant Vince Marrow is making quite the splash in Louisville’s roster-building. The de fact general manager of Jeff Brohm‘s program has made some moves in the transfer portal for the Cards. Most of them have a direct connection with the University of Kentucky football program.

Yet another former Kentucky players is headed to Louisville. Tommy Ziesmer committed to the Cardinals on Sunday after spending one season at EKU.

BREAKING: Eastern Kentucky DL Tommy Ziesmer has committed to Louisville.

Started career at UK, 53 tackles and 3.0 TFL with the colonels this season. @tommy_ziesmer pic.twitter.com/JfTDuhRK4X

— William McDermott (@804derm) January 11, 2026

Tommy Ziesmer was a Danville (Ky.) Boyle County product who signed with Kentucky in the 2023 recruiting cycle. The defensive lineman played in 26 defensive snaps over two seasons at UK. Ziesmer picked Kentucky over West Virginia. The multi-time transfer landed at EKU in 2025 where he recorded 53 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 10 pressures in 603 snaps while playing nose tackle. Ziesmer will be a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining in 2026.

This is the sixth former Kentucky player to transfer to Louisville this offseason. Tommy Ziesmer will join former teammates Hardley Gilmore IV, Montavin Quisenberry, Jacob Smith, Jerod Smith II, and DJ Waller Jr. on Louisville’s roster in 2026. That’s not even counting offensive tackle Jarvis Strickland who flipped from UK to UofL after Marrow left Lexington last summer.

Louisville is quickly becoming Kentucky West. Meanwhile, new Kentucky head coach Will Stein has hired multiple former Louisville players or staffers to work at UK. The latest was former Louisville quarterback, graduate assistant, and quality control assistant Justin Burke who will be the tight ends coach for Stein after serving as UTSA’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons.

The rivalry looks much different as multiple individuals are crossing the line to the other side.

Kentucky transfer commits

Player	Position	High School	Former School	Year
Olaus Alinen	G/T (6-6, 322)	Windson (Conn.) The Loomis Chaffee School	Alabama	Redshirt Junior
Jesse Anderson	S (6-0, 180)	Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons	Pittsburgh	Redshirt Junior
Max Anderson	iOL (6-5, 311)	Frisco (Texas) High	Tennessee	Redshirt Sophomore
Elijah “Bo” Barnes	LB (6-1, 244)	Dallas (Texas) Skyline	Texas	Redshirt Freshman
Jovantae Barnes	RB (6-0, 211)	Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines	Oklahoma	Redshirt Senior
Ahmad Breaux	iDL (6-3, 278)	Ruston (La.) High	LSU	Junior
Jordan Castell	S (6-2, 213)	Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange	Florida	Senior
Xavier Daisy	WR (6-3, 210)	Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School	UAB	Junior
Aaron Gates	Nickel (6-0, 198)	Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian	Florida	Redshirt Junior
Jamarrion Harkless	iDL (6-3, 315)	Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass	Purdue	Redshirt Junior
Lance Heard	T (6-6, 330)	Monroe (La.) Neville	LSU | Tennessee	Senior
Kenny Minchey	QB (6-2, 208)	Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II	Notre Dame	Redshirt Junior
Antonio O’Berry	EDGE (6-6, 240)	Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne	Tiffin (D-II) | Gardner-Webb	6th-Year Senior
Coleton Price	iOL (6-3, 318)	Bowie (Texas) High	Baylor	Redshirt Senior
Cyrus Reyes	S (6-1, 200)	Taylor (Texas) High	Mississippi State	Junior
Hasaan Sykes	CB (6-0, 185)	Tucker (Ga.) High	Western Carolina	Junior
Tavion Wallace	LB (6-1, 239)	Baxley (Ga.) Appling County	Arkansas	Sophomore
Dominic Wiseman	iDL (6-2, 300)	Davenport (Iowa) High	South Alabama	Redshirt Senior
Adam Zouagui	K (5-11, 188)	Herndon (Va.) High	Davidson | South Florida	Senior