South Alabama defensive line transfer Tyler Thomas commits to Kentucky

Kentucky’s roster build is not over in the transfer portal yet. Will Stein‘s staff has added 30-plus players to the roster from free agency. Another addition occurred on Monday. The Cats are investing in the trenches.

South Alabama transfer Tyler Thomas is moving to Kentucky after spending two seasons in Major Applewhite‘s South Alabama program. Thomas will join fellow South Alabama transfer Dominic Wiseman in Anwar Stewart‘s defensive line room.

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BREAKING: South Alabama transfer DL Tyler Thomas has committed to Kentucky😼

Tyler’s twin brother Trent recently committed to Tennessee. https://t.co/jABloDNY0U https://t.co/6aEfx4fYup pic.twitter.com/Y3C3yOkfM4
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 19, 2026

Tyler’s twin brother, Trent, has transferred to Tennessee. The two brothers will face each other in November when UK travels to Rocky Top. Tyler Thomas spent the 2023 season and took a redshirt at UAB before leaving that program. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Thomas recorded 20 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and five pressures in 259 snaps. Thomas returned to South Alabama in 2025 and logged 17 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and 14 pressures in 287 snaps.

Tyler Thomas becomes the sixth transfer to join Kentucky’s defensive line this offseason. The Sun Belt transfer will be competing for snaps at defensive end. Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, Sam Greene, Lorenzo Cowan, and CJ Works each return to the program in 2026. Gardner-Webb transfer Antonio O’Berry and Tyler Thomas will look to make a splash in year one for new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.

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
Nic Anderson	WR (6-4, 208)	Katy (Texas) High	Oklahoma \| LSU	Redshirt Senior
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
CJ Baxter Jr.	RB (6-1, 227)	Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater	Texas	Redshirt Junior
Ahmad Breaux	iDL (6-3, 278)	Ruston (La.) High	LSU	Junior
Jordan Castell	S (6-2, 213)	Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange	Florida	Senior
Brock Coffman	WR (6-0, 180)	Lexington (Ky.) Sayre	Louisville	Redshirt Freshman
Carson Cruver	QB (6-3, 200)	Austin (Texas) St. Michael’s Catholic Academy	Florida Atlantic	Redshirt Junior
Xavier Daisy	WR (6-3, 210)	Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School	UAB	Junior
Ja’Kayden Ferguson	WR (6-2, 187)	Missouri City (Texas) Thurgood Marshall	Arkansas	Sophomore
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
JacQai Long	QB (6-2, 205)	Hurricane (W. Va.) High	Marshall	Redshirt Sophomore
Mark Manfred III	CB (6-1, 175)	Marietta (Ga.) Sprayberry	Missouri	Redshirt Freshman
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
Tom O’Hara	P (6-1, 197)	ProKick Australia	Murray State	Junior
Coleton Price	iOL (6-3, 318)	Bowie (Texas) High	Baylor	Redshirt Senior
Spencer Radnoti	LS (6-3, 230)	Canton (Ga.) Cherokee	Georgia State	Redshirt Sophomore
Ben Reeves	EDGE (6-1, 240)	Covington (Ky.) Catholic	Georgetown (Ky.) College	Redshirt Sophomore
Cyrus Reyes	S (6-1, 200)	Taylor (Texas) High	Mississippi State	Junior
Mark Robinson	T (6-5, 320)	Longwood (Fla.) Lyman	UTEP	Junior
Hasaan Sykes	CB (6-0, 185)	Tucker (Ga.) High	Western Carolina	Junior
Tyler Thomas	EDGE (6-5, 259)	Mobile (Ala.) Cottage Hill Christian Academy	UAB \| South Alabama	Redshirt Junior
Tegra Tshabola	iOL (6-6, 322)	West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West	Ohio State	Redshirt Senior
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