Kentucky Football Adds Six from Transfer Portal
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Published on 12-21-2022 04:52 PM
Tanner Bowles, Marques Cox, Ray Davis, Jantzen Dunn, JQ Hardaway and Devin Leary are Wildcats
LEXINGTON, Ky. Head coach Mark Stoops announced the addition of six players from the transfer portal Wednesday in offensive lineman Tanner Bowles, formerly at Alabama, offensive lineman Marques Cox, formerly at Northern Illinois, running back Ray Davis, formerly at Vanderbilt, defensive back Jantzen Dunn, formerly at Ohio State, Jonquis JQ Hardaway, formerly at Cincinnati, and quarterback Devin Leary, formerly at NC State.
All six will be mid-year enrollees, begin offseason workouts with the team in January and participate in spring practice in March/April.
"This group strengthens our defensive backfield and offensive line and adds two proven offensive playmakers, Stoops said. Were excited to get them here in January and making them part of our program.
Tanner Bowles, Offensive Lineman, 6-5, 300, Sr-Tr, Glasgow, Ky. (Alabama/Glasgow)
Twitter - @ TBowles51 | Instagram - @tannerbowles_
Transferred to Kentucky after four seasons at Alabama (2019-2022)
Rated a four-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports and the No. 6 player in the state of Kentucky at his time of commitment
Also got four stars from ESPN as the No. 3-ranked player in Kentucky for the 2019 recruiting cycle
Played in all 12 games for Alabama in 2022
Played in 19 games in his career for the Tide during his four years in Tuscaloosa
Had offers from Florida State, LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Louisville coming out of high school in addition to UK and Alabama.
Marques Cox, Offensive Lineman, 6-5, 305, Sr-Tr, Peoria, Ill. (Northern Illinois/Peoria)
Twitter - @MonsterMarq | Instagram - @bigseven0
Transferred to Kentucky after five seasons at Northern Illinois (2018-2022)
Only allowed three sacks in over 1,000 snaps at NIU according to PFF
Was named to Phil Steeles 2021 All-Mid-American Conference Team
Redshirted his freshman season in 2018, and has one more year of eligibility remaining, thanks to the Covid-year exemption
Started in 33 total games for Northern Illinois, as the Huskies garnered the fourth-best offensive rushing attack in FBS for the 2021 season
Missed the final eight games of 2022 after suffering a season-ending injury at Kroger Field in a loss to Kentucky
Rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of high school and the 32nd-ranked player in Illinois.
Ray Davis, Running Back, 5-9, 215, Sr-Tr, San Francisco, Calif. (Vanderbilt/Temple/Blair Academy)
Twitter - @MrHeisman7 | Instagram - @hbk_ray
Transferred to Kentucky after two seasons at Vanderbilt (2021-22) and Temple (2019-20)
Phil Steele All-SEC Team in 2022 at Vanderbilt
Rushed 232 times for 1,042 yards and five touchdowns
Became the 10th Commodore all-time to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season
Played in all 12 games, ranking fourth in the SEC and 32nd nationally in rushing yards per game
Had five 100-yard rushing games, with a career-high 167 yards vs. South Carolina
Also showed his receiving ability during the season with 29 catches for 169 yards and three TDs
Rushed for 238 yards and a touchdown in three games for Vanderbilt in 2021
Played in the first four games of the 2020 season at Temple, rushing for 323 yards and a touchdown
2019 First-Team Freshman All-America by Pro Football Focus, rushing for 1,259 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 27 passes for 243 yards and a TD
Had three 100-yard rushing games that season, including 157 yards against East Carolina and a 135-yard, two-TD performance in a win over Georgia Tech that earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors
Has 10 siblings
Rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of high school and the 42nd-ranked player in New Jersey
Had offers from Albany, Kent State, Maine and Navy coming out of high school.
Jantzen Dunn, Defensive Back, 6-0, 185, So-Tr, Bowling Green, Ky. (Ohio State/South Warren)
Twitter - @JantzenDunn | Instagram - @Jantzen.Dunn
Transferred to Kentucky after two seasons at Ohio State (2021-2022)
Rated a four-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports and the No. 2 player in the state of Kentucky at his time of commitment
Appeared in four games for the Buckeyes in 2022, including Notre Dame, Alcorn State, Rutgers and Penn State in a special teams role
Played two games in 2021 ... Ranked as a top-10 safety in the transfer portal by 247 sports
Played on Ohio State teams who qualified for the CFP New Years Six in both of his seasons in Columbus
Had offers from Florida State, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Indiana, Purdue and Louisville.
Jonquis JQ Hardaway, Defensive Back, 6-3, 190, So-Tr, Columbus, Ga. (Cincinnati/Central Phenix City, Ala.)
Twitter - @Jhardaway_24 | Instagram - jq_1516_
Transferred to Kentucky after one season at the University of Cincinnati (2022), his true freshman season
Rated as the No. 9 overall player in the transfer portal by 247sports
Played 11 games for the Bearcats in 2022 with a sack, four unassisted tackles and seven total tackles
Had a season-best game vs. Temple where he logged three total tackles in the game
Was an early enrollee with UC after being selected to play in the 2022 Under Armour All-America Game
Was assigned four stars during his recruitment, the No. 27 safety in the nation and No. 15 player in the state of Alabama
Had interest from Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Maryland, UCF, Mississippi State and Louisville.
Devin Leary, Quarterback, 6-1, 215, Sr-Tr, Sicklerville, N.J. (North Carolina State/Timber Creek)
Twitter - @DevinLeary1 | Instagram - @d__leary1
Transferred to Kentucky after four playing seasons at NC State (2019-2022)
Widely regarded as the top quarterback to enter the transfer portal this year
Leaves NC State ranked sixth in school history with 6,807 passing yards and fourth in completion percentage (.602)
Redshirted the 2018 season with the Wolfpack
Played in eight games with five starts as a redshirt freshman in 2019, completing 101 of 210 passes with eight touchdowns
In 2020, saw action in four games, completing 66 of 110 passes for 890 yards and eight scores
Did not play in UKs win over NC State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
In 2021, generated 3,433 passing yards, completing 283 of 431 passes for 35 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions in 12 games
Named NC States winner of the Governors Award for Most Valuable Player, the Ken McNeill Award for comeback from injury and the Torry Holt Award for Offensive MVP
Named Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year in 2022
Went 118 for 193 in the six games of his 2022 season with 1,265 yards, 11 TDs and a 61 percent completion rate before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury vs. Florida State
NC State was 5-1 and ranked in the top-15 of both The Associated Press and Coaches Poll at the time of his injury
One of 25 semifinalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Finished his prep career as the state of New Jerseys all-time leader in passing yards (9,672) and touchdown throws (117)
Completed 566 of 910 passes for 9,672 yards and 117 touchdowns
Also rushed for 525 career yards and 11 TDs
Named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey as both a junior and senior
Played in the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii
Took part in both the Elite 11 and The Nike Opening Finals after his junior season
Had offers from Auburn, Missouri, Baylor, Boston College and Indiana
Interesting tidbit: writes left-handed, he learned to throw with his right because he used his right-handed brothers baseball glove as a kid.