Kentucky football spring transfer portal: Former NIU LB Daveren Rayner commits; 5 leave

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The spring NCAA transfer portal opened April 15 and closed April 30 for football players who sought to enter their names.

During the winter window, a 45-day stretch from Dec. 5 through Jan. 18, Kentucky and coach Mark Stoops added three players who are in line to start this fall: quarterback Devin Leary, running back Ray Davis and offensive lineman Marques Cox.

The Wildcats landed just one portal commitment during the spring window: former USC offensive lineman Courtland Ford gave his pledge April 23. It didn't take long for a Wildcat to hit the portal, however, as defensive back Andre Stewart entered his name shortly after it opened on the 15th. Four more followed over the next two weeks.

Transfers still can join teams after April 30, provided their name was in the portal prior to the deadline. That's what former Ohio State offensive lineman Ben Christman did May 7, when he announced his commitment to UK. Former Northern Illinois linebacker Daveren Rayner did the same during a visit to Lexington on May 13. Alex Raynor, a kicker who spent the past four seasons at Georgia Southern, committed May 14.

Here are players the Wildcats have added, and lost, via the portal since April 15.

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Kentucky football incoming transfers

Ben Christman, OL

Hailing from Akron, Ohio, Christman announced his commitment to Kentucky on May 7 after entering the portal April 26. He redshirted during his freshman season at Ohio State in 2021 before appearing in one game last season, taking nine snaps at right guard in a victory over Indiana. He will have three years of college eligibility remaining at UK. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Christman projects to play guard for the Wildcats. With Kenneth Horsey and Eli Cox likely starting next season at left and right guard, respectively, Christman will have time to find his footing in Lexington this fall before preparing to fight for a starting job in 2024. While he barely played for the Buckeyes, Christman proved his potential during high school. He was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2021 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Christman was the No. 124 recruit nationally in the 2021 composite rankings, and No. 7 among interior linemen. He was the No. 6 player in Ohio in the 2021 cycle — the highest-ranked offensive lineman in the Buckeye State.

Courtland Ford, OL 

A native of Cedar Hill, Texas, Ford's name was linked to Kentucky as soon as he entered the portal April 16. He committed to UK on April 23 after a visit to Lexington, becoming the Wildcats' first pledge during the spring transfer window. While Ford has yet to publicly announce his commitment, tight end Josh Kattus and other Kentucky players and coaches welcomed him on social media. Ford (6-foot-6, 305 pounds) started 12 games, 11 at left tackle and one at left guard, over the past three seasons at Southern Cal. Exiting the spring, Kentucky appeared to have four of its five spots on the offensive line fairly settled — Horsey and Eli Cox at the guard positions, Marques Cox at left tackle and Jager Burton at center. That means Ford likely will battle Jeremy Flax and redshirt freshman Nik Hall to become the starting right tackle this fall. Ford was a consensus three-star prospect in the 2019 class, according to the 247Sports composite ratings.

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Daveren Rayner, LB

Rayner became UK's first defensive addition of the spring, committing May 13 during a campus visit. He tallied 126 tackles (8.5 for loss), 5.5 sacks and three passes defended in three seasons (2020-22) at Northern Illinois, and his 71 tackles last season ranked second on the team. A 6-3, 205-pound Indiana native, Rayner was a three-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports. His commitment is important for Kentucky, which already had missed out on another linebacker it targeted when former Jackson State linebacker Jurriente Davis committed to Texas A&M. Linebacker is a question mark next season beyond proven starters D'Eryk Jackson and Trevin Wallace. Rayner will fight for rotational reps alongside returnees Luke Fulton, Martez Thrower and Keaten Wade as well as incoming four-star freshman Grant Godfrey. Rayner is the second former NIU player to commit to Kentucky in the past year, joining offensive lineman Marques Cox, who did so Dec. 15.

Alex Raynor, K

Raynor, who will be a fifth-year senior this fall, committed to Kentucky on Mother's Day. He'll attempt to displace Chance Poore, who ended the spring atop the placekicker depth chart. While Poore has had his struggles kicking field goals during his college career — he's just 8 of 14 (57.1%) as a Wildcat — Raynor has excelled. Last season at Georgia Southern, he knocked in 18 of his 20 attempts, a conversion rate of 90%. Raynor also made 49 of his 50 extra points in 2022. After redshirting during his freshman campaign in 2019, Raynor has made 45 of his 59 field goal attempts (76.3%) the past three seasons.

Kentucky football outgoing transfers

Deondre Buford, OL

Commitment: Undecided

A rising fourth-year junior, Buford entered prior to the April 30 deadline, a UK spokesperson confirmed to The Courier Journal on May 1. It was UK's second offensive line transfer at the end of the portal window, as David Wohlabaugh announced April 30 he was leaving the program. Buford's departure, like Wohlabaugh's, came after Ford's commitment. Had Buford remained with the Wildcats, he would have tried to beat Ford (and others) to be the first-team right tackle. The 6-foot-3, 312-pound Buford played in all 13 games last season, making two starts (against South Carolina and top-ranked Georgia) at right tackle. He appeared in two games (New Mexico State and Louisville) in 2021. He enrolled at Kentucky in the spring of 2020 and redshirted that fall. The Detroit native was a consensus three-star prospect in the 2020 cycle, per the 247Sports Composite, though 247Sports' own rankings tabbed him a four-star recruit, and the No. 10 player in Michigan. (UK also signed Michigan's top player that year: defensive tackle Justin Rogers. Like Buford, Rogers transferred out of the program. He's now enrolled at Auburn.)

Londyn Craft, DB

Commitment: Undecided

Craft, who will be a sixth-year senior this fall, entered the transfer portal April 25, a UK spokesperson confirmed to The Courier Journal. A New Mexico native, Craft rarely played the past two seasons because of injury. He joined Kentucky as a transfer prior to the 2022 campaign but missed the entire season because of a knee injury. Craft started his career at Mississippi State, and in his final year with the Bulldogs in 2021, he saw limited action due to ongoing injuries. His best season came in 2020, when he appeared in 10 games with eight starts. The best outing of his college career also came that season, when he recorded seven tackles in a loss to Georgia. He redshirted as a freshman in 2017 before playing in just eight games over the next two seasons. The 6-foot, 207-pound Craft was a two-star prospect out of IMG Academy, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

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Tomiwa Durojaiye, DL

Commitment: West Virginia

Durojaiye, who redshirted last season, announced April 26 he planned to transfer. He will have four seasons of eligibility remaining at his next school after playing in just three games — making it possible for him to maintain his redshirt — in 2022. Durojaiye did not tally any statistics in his three appearances. The 6-foot-4, 278-pound Durojaiye was a member of the Wildcats' 2022 signing class. He was one of two recruits UK signed from Delaware during the 2022 cycle. Durojaiye was a consensus three-star prospect, according to the 247Sports composite, and the No. 3 player in Delaware in 2022. He picked UK over South Carolina, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Georgia Tech. He circled back with the Mountaineers after entering the transfer portal and committed May 11.

Andre Stewart, DB

Commitment: Undecided

Stewart entered the transfer portal April 15. He was an early enrollee in January 2022, but he departs Lexington having never appeared in a game. The 5-foot-11, 184-pound cornerback out of Atlanta, Georgia, played at three high schools and helped Marietta High School win the Class 7A state championship in 2019. Stewart signed as a three-star recruit with UK over offers from SEC rivals Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee as well as a handful of other Power 5 programs, including Louisville.

David Wohlabaugh, OL

Commitment: Syracuse

On April 30, the final day the transfer portal was open, Wohlabaugh announced he was leaving Lexington. An Ohio native, Wohlabaugh was fighting for the Wildcats' starting right tackle job. But the addition of Ford created a logjam at the spot, with Wohlabaugh now seeking more playing time elsewhere. He found it May 15: Wohlabaugh committed to Syracuse, where his father played in the 1990s before embarking on a nine-year NFL career. Wohlabaugh joined UK as a spring enrollee in January 2021. He played in two games (against Louisiana Monroe and Mississippi State) that fall before redshirting. Last season, Wohlabaugh appeared in eight games, making the first start of his college career in the opener against Miami of Ohio. He was a three-star prospect in the 2021 class, based on the 247Sports composite, ranked as the 30th-best player in Ohio that year. Wohlabaugh picked Kentucky over offers from Arizona State, Maryland, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue and West Virginia.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.