Stephen Herron and Tanner Bowles transfer: Kentucky football recruiting news

The Kentucky Wildcats will be looking to strengthen several positions this offseason through the transfer window, with two players with strong Commonwealth connections opting to play for a different program next season.

These players are Stephen Herron (Stanford Cardinal) and Tanner Bowles (Alabama Crimson Tide), who both played high school football at Kentucky and announced their intent to commit on Wednesday.

Let’s start with Heron.

A former top-200 player in the class of 2019, Herron played his high school ball at Shelbyville Rd. in Louisville for Trinity High School. After the initial commit Michigan Wolverinesthe star edge rusher decided to head west and play for David Shaw and the Cardinals.

During his time at Stanford, his playing time increased each season before finally having his breakout campaign this season in which he had 37 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

With JJ Weaver potentially leaving in the The NFL draft, and now-ineligible Jordan Wright , Mark Stoops and Brad White will no doubt try to find an experienced leader to pair with a trio of young talent. It’s very likely that Herron could be that kind of player.

Now Bowles, a former top-300 recruit in 2019.

A native of Glasgow, Bowles has spent the last few seasons in Tuscaloosa, playing mostly interior positions behind the line of scrimmage. During his time at Alabama, he appeared in 18 games with snaps both as a backup offensive lineman and on special teams.

The Cats clearly need help along the offensive line after a rough season for the Big Blue Wall. ​​​​​​While it appears the staff will be looking to add tackles to the mix, adding a player with Bowles’ talent and experience seems like a pretty strong option.

Both Bowles and Herron will be redshirt seniors in 2023 with two seasons remaining.

With a few days left until the official opening of the portal, the Kats have at least two options: they also have very strong connections. There are a few sets to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.