Kentucky defensive back to enter the transfer portal, per report
By David Wasson
Published:
The transfer portal continues to see SEC talent queue up for when it opens Friday, as Kentucky defensive back DJ Waller Jr. announced his intention to depart Lexington after 2 seasons with the Wildcats.
Waller’s departure, first reported by On3Sports, comes as Kentucky is retooling following coach Mark Stoops’ firing in December. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Waller began his career at Michigan in 2023 and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Waller played as a true freshman for Michigan’s national championship team in 2023 before transferring to Kentucky. Waller finished the 2024 season at Kentucky with 13 tackles and two pass breakups but had to miss the final five games due to injury.
Waller’s injury issues continued into 205, as he sustained a hamstring injury in Week 1 that lingered all season and limited him to just two games.
Waller’s impending transfer marks the second defensive back Kentucky will lose, as Nasir Addison announced his departure earlier this week. In all, 10 Wildcats are set to find new homes when the portal opens for a 2-week window on Friday.
Stoops was fired by Kentucky on Dec. 1 after 13 seasons. The Wildcats finished 5-7 in 2025, giving Stoops a 72-80 overall record and a 38-68 SEC mark – the former still good for the most wins by a Kentucky football coach in program history. He was replaced by former Kentucky player and Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
