The spring transfer portal window officially opened on Wednesday. We did not have to wait long to see Kentucky add to the 2025 roster. We’ve seen some player movement and are expecting more over the next few days. Teams are working rapidly to get targets on campus for visits over the next few weeks to close these fast-paced recruitments.
Is a third transfer portal commitment on the way? Kentucky is expected to host Southeast Missouri defensive tackle transfer Jaylon Stone for a visit.
The FCS transfer will be a redshirt sophomore in 2025 with three years of eligibility remaining. KSR’s Transfer Bio Blast is taking a closer look at Kentucky’s latest defensive line target.
FCS beginnings
Jaylon Stone starred at Athens (Ga.) Clarke Central where he recorded 76 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks as a junior in 2021. The defensive tackle backed that up with 74 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and five sacks as a senior. That led to an opportunity at Southeast Missouri State.
Stone played in only four games in 2023 to preserve his redshirt. The defensive tackle finished the season with eight tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass breakup. That led to a big season in 2024.
As a redshirt freshman, Stone played 336 snaps over 13 games for a team that ended the season in the FCS playoffs. The second year player finished the year with 26 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks on seven pressures. Stone’s real value to the Redhawks was in run support.
The class of 2023 signee then decided to enter the transfer portal after spring practice in Cape Girardeau.
A power conference recruitment as a transfer
News first leaked that Jaylon Stone planned to enter the spring transfer portal on April 8. That was a full week before the spring portal window officially opened. That gave this recruitment some time to build steam behind the scenes. The FCS transfer likely has multiple power conference options because of it.
Since the portal officially became open, Stone has published offers from North Texas, Miami (Ohio), Wake Forest, Kentucky, and Illinois. The Cats and the Fighting Illini are scheduled to get the first two visits. Oklahoma entered the chat on Friday and is expected to the the FCS transfer on campus.
A competitive recruitment is building with a potential bidding war at the NIL negotiation table possible.
Luckett’s scouting notebook
Jaylon Stone (6-2, 288) was a one year starter for Southeast Missouri State at defensive tackle. After a redshirt season, the defensive tackle became a real force in the middle play multiple alignments in this defensive front.
This is my scouting write-up on the FCS transfer.
Jaylon Stone played defensive tackle for SEMO in 2024 and turned into one of the defense’s most productive players as a redshirt freshman. The squatty lineman plays with good pad level and leverage allowing him to get under blocks. Quick burst out of stance along with this pad level allows Stone to win quickly. Was used as a nose tackle, one-technique, and three-technique showing some positional versatility. Flashed movement skills as a pursue defender and had some wins holding the point at nose. Does a very good job keeping shoulders square allowing him to fill gaps and make plays on the ballcarrier. Strong hands allows him to jolt blockers and occasionally reset the line of scrimmage.
The FCS transfer is an undersized defensive tackle who showed play strength, good leverage, and position versatility in his second year in college football. Holding the point against downhill run games will be a question mark but Stone projects to be a scheme-diverse defensive tackle who can be sturdy in run support at the power conference level. Overall movement ability does provide a decent ceiling as an interior pass rusher.
More development is needed but Stone should be a plug-and-play rotational defensive lineman in 2025.
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