It’s hard to believe March is here, and with that, Spring football soon follows. For Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats, they’re trying to erase a disappointing 4-8 campaign. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been previewing the Cats position by position. Our most recent one was on the offensive line. This time around, we’re moving to the defense, starting with the big guys up front. Like many spots on the 2025 Cats, this one features a great deal of production needing replacement. Let’s get to it with our 2025 Kentucky Spring Preview- Defensive Line.
Tons Of Production To Replace
The Wildcats lost a great deal on the defensive line from 2024. Deone Walker is likely a second-day draft pick. In addition, Tre’Vonn Rybka and Octavious Oxendine graduated, while Keeshawn Silver transferred to USC.
Walker played 540 snaps last season, Rybka 418, Oxendine 371, and Silver 312. That’s 1,641 snaps gone from a season ago. As a result, defensive line coach Anwar Stewart needed players and quick. As is the norm in college football these days, Stoops and his staff looked to the portal for reinforcements.
Transfers Help With Depth
Let’s start in the middle with the guys who have the task of replacing Walker. First is Super Senior Josaih Hayes. The 6-foot-3, 322-pounder missed most of 2024 due to an Achilles injury. However, he returned for the last three games, making nine tackles, including one for a loss. He’s your likely starter heading into the Spring.
The Cats landed three defensive line transfers during the winter portal. One of them is Wyoming’s Jaden Williams. A season ago, he made 20 tackles, two for a loss and a half sack. He played over 300 snaps last year and can play both the nose guard and defensive tackle spots.
Moving to the defensive tackle spot on their 3-4 defense, Kentucky got a huge pick up in David Gusta. The Washington State transfer recorded 21 tackles, three for loss, one sack, and three pass breakups for the Cougars. In addition, Pro Football Focus also gave him the fourth-best pass rush grade (82.4) by an interior defensive lineman.
He became a starter in 2023, recording 3o tackles, two for a loss, and a half sack. Overall, Gusta had 62 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and four pass deflections with Washington State. He’s your starter at the tackle spot.
Right behind Gusta is redshirt senior Khalil Saunders. Last season, he recorded 20 tackles, two for a loss and a half sack. He’s another guy who can play multiple positions on the defensive line.
That two-thirds of the defensive front. As we continue with our Kentucky Spring preview- defensive line, let’s look at the defensive end position and a player the staff hopes can step in immediately.
Adding An All-American
The Cats surprised some by using the FCS ranks for picking up a new player. However, it wasn’t just any player, the Cats landed All-American Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace. Playing for FCS powerhouse South Dakota, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Grace made 64 tackles, including 18.5 for a loss. In addition, the redshirt sophomore had 9.5 sacks and three passes defended. He also forced two fumbles and had two fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown. His numbers tied him for 16th in FCS in sacks and 10th in tackles for loss.
He helped lead the Coyotes to an 11-3 record and the FCS semi-finals, where they lost to Montana State. Grace was named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player Of The Year and a first team All-American. 247 Sports ranks him as the seventh-best edge rusher in the transfer portal. He has two years of eligibility remaining. He will be your starter at defensive end when the Cats open play against Toledo.
Behind Grace, the Cats have two highly touted recruits from a season ago looking to crack the rotation. Jerod Smith, who along with his brother Jacob were two of the top rated players from Kentucky, played sparingly last year. However, he’s looking to make a bigger impact in season two. In addition, another prized recruit, Brian Robinson, redshirted last year and, like Smith, is hoping for more playing time in 2025.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve talked about at length so far, the Kentucky football team has numerous positions where they lost a great deal of production from last year. The Big Blue Nation hopes that Gusta, Humphrey-Grace, and Williams can put up numbers similar to or better than at their previous schools. If that happens and the younger players take that next step forward, the defensive line could be a major bright spot.
Thanks for checking out our 2025 Kentucky Spring preview- defensive line here at Last Word On College Football. Next time out, we’ll look at the edge rushers and linebackers. Two more spots where Stoops must replace a ton of experience.
Main Photo: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
