The college football offseason is heating up, and the transfer portal is about to swing wide open. With the official window set to open on Friday, Kentucky is already seeing movement-on both sides of the roster. One more name is set to hit the portal: defensive lineman Austin Ramsey.
Ramsey, a redshirt junior, is heading into the transfer portal after three seasons in Lexington. He still has two years of eligibility left, and he’ll be looking for a fresh start elsewhere after a developmental stint with the Wildcats.
Originally a three-star offensive line recruit out of Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, Ramsey signed with Kentucky as part of the 2023 high school class. He began his college career in the trenches on offense, but the coaching staff made a switch in his second year, sliding him over to the defensive side of the ball. That transition landed him at nose tackle, where he’s spent the last two seasons working to carve out a role.
Ramsey played 158 snaps over the past two years, with his most active stretch coming in November 2025. He logged 20-plus snaps in three games during the final month of the season and finished the year with five tackles and one sack. At 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds, he brings size and experience to the interior, and while he never fully broke through in Kentucky’s rotation, he showed flashes of potential that could appeal to programs looking to bolster their defensive front.
His departure marks the seventh known Kentucky player expected to enter the portal this offseason. And it’s not just Ramsey-several Wildcats are on the move as the new coaching staff begins reshaping the roster in earnest.
Here’s a look at the other players who are expected to test the waters of the transfer market once the window officially opens on Jan. 2:
- LB Landyn Watson
- **EDGE Steven Soles Jr.
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- QB Stone Saunders
- **WR David Washington Jr. **
- WR Preston Bowman
- CB Nasir Addison
- DT Austin Ramsey
This kind of turnover isn’t uncommon in today’s college football landscape, especially with coaching changes and evolving depth charts. For Kentucky, it’s a chance to reset and reload. For players like Ramsey, it’s an opportunity to find a system that better fits their skill set and gives them a clearer path to playing time.
It’s also worth noting just how much roster attrition has occurred from Kentucky’s 2023 high school class. Of the 19 signees from that cycle, only five remain on the roster heading into what would be their senior seasons: Ty Bryant, Tavion Gadson, Grant Godfrey, Jamarion Wilcox, and Malachi Wood. That kind of roster turnover underscores the ever-shifting nature of college football in the portal era.
The portal window will remain open until Jan. 16, so expect more movement in the coming weeks as programs across the country look to fine-tune their rosters and players search for the right fit. Kentucky’s staff will be busy-not just replacing outgoing talent, but also identifying key additions who can make an immediate impact in 2026.
Stay tuned. The offseason drama is just getting started.