Preparations for the 2026 college football season are underway at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. In a few short weeks, cleats will be hitting the grass practice fields and/or the turf at the Nutter Field House as Kentucky head coach Will Stein gets set to begin his first spring practice as the leader of a program. There will be a lot of new for the Wildcats in 2026. That is certainly true at wide receiver.
Kentucky will have a new wide receivers coach for the fourth season in a row as Joe Price III takes over in Lexington after a long stint at UTSA. The Wildcats added five transfers to the wide receiver room this offseason and signed four high school prospects. This position group once again went through a massive change in the offseason. Will that lead to better results when the games begin?
In KSR’s Spring Spotlight series, we will cover every position on Kentucky’s roster before spring practice begins. Next up is wideout where UK is expected to have multiple transfer starters.
Spring Spotlight: Running Back
The Room
Nic Anderson (6-4, 208, Redshirt Senior)
A former four-star recruit out of Katy (Texas) High in the 2022 high school cycle, Anderson made a huge splash as a redshirt freshman in 2023 for Oklahoma when he recorded 38 receptions for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback and Jeff Lebby holding the call sheet in Norman. However, injuries (quad, knee) derailed Anderson’s next two seasons. After a disappointing year at LSU, the big 6-foot-4 receiver with some top-end speed moved to Kentucky for his final season of eligibility where he will reunite with offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.
The SEC transfer could become one of the best vertical weapons in college football if healthy. Kentucky will need Anderson to produce in 2026 for this offense to reach its potential. There has been WR1 production has been put on tape. Anderson just needs to stay healthy.
Shane Carr (6-2, 190, Redshirt Junior)
The California native spent multiple years playing FCS football at Southern Utah. Carr recorded 31 receptions for 627 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman in 2024. This receiver backed that up with 50 receptions for 744 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore. The transfer owns inside-outside versatility and is the most experienced player in Kentucky’s wide receiver room. This late addition to the transfer class is leveling up but is projected to be one of the offense’s top three receivers in 2026.
Ashton Cozart (6-3, 197, Redshirt Junior)
The former Oregon signee who played at SMU in 2024 is entering year two with Kentucky. Cozart is a Texas native and former top-250 recruit with a good blend of size and speed but he simply has not seen the field through his first three seasons of college football. This is a big spring for the receiver.
Spencer Leadbetter (6-3, 199, Redshirt Junior)
The Chicagoland native is now in year four with the Kentucky football program. Leadbetter has only appeared in three career games. This former walk-on addition recorded 44 catches for 650 yards and eight touchdowns as a high school senior.
Xavier Daisy (6-3, 210, Junior)
The Greater Atlanta native and former low three-star recruit spent two seasons playing for head coach Trent Dilfer and offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen‘s pass-heavy offense at UAB. After a small role in 2024, Daisy recorded 18 receptions on 25 targets in 2025 with most of the work coming on short targets for the Blazers. The American Conference transfer is a true outside receiver who will compete for a rotational role in Lexington.
Rico Crowder (6-4, 191, Redshirt Sophomore)
The Glasgow (Ky.) High product is now in year three with the Kentucky football program. Crowder played in all 12 games for UK last season on special teams. This former walk-on addition will again look to earn a permanent role on special teams while competing for rotation snaps at wide receiver.
Ja’Kayden Ferguson (6-2, 187, Sophomore)
The Metro Houston native committed to Kentucky ahead of his senior season in 2024 but ultimately flipped to Arkansas in November. Ferguson burned his redshirt in Fayetteville thanks mostly due to special teams responsibilities. The SEC transfer is a potential boundary receiver who showed a big catch radius and strong hands as a high school prospect. Ferguson has speed (clocked 10.8 in 100 meters) and potential to grow as a route-runner. This former three-star recruit arrives at UK with three years of eligibility remaining who will compete for snaps immediately.
DJ Miller (6-3, 204, Sophomore)
The St. Louis native was a big late recruiting win in the 2025 cycle for the previous Kentucky coaching staff. Miller is the one wideout of the five signees in the 2025 high school class to be retained by Will Stein’s staff. The outside receiver recorded 13 receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns in seven games as a true freshman. Miller is expected to have a heavy role in the offense again. The returnee should be considered a projected starter entering spring practice.
Brock Coffman (6-0, 180, Redshirt Freshman)
The Lexington native is returning home after spending one season at Louisville. Coffman recorded a ridiculous 101 receptions for 1,530 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior on a state title team. This was after a junior campaign where Coffman went for 67 receptions for 1,193 yards and 24 touchdowns. The transfer will be expected to compete for a rotational spot.
Saxton Howard (6-0, 175, Redshirt Freshman)
The Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy product spent the 2025 season with the Kentucky program and was selected to the Dean’s List. Howard was retained by the new coaching staff. The young wideout played quarterback as a senior in high school.
Kenny Darby (6-1, 180, Freshman)
A record-setting receiver at Bossier City (La.) Airline, Darby led the state of Louisiana in receiving yards (1,754) as a junior. This was a highly productive wideout who scored over 30 total touchdowns with 180-plus receptions in his final two seasons of high school ball. Darby is a potential plug-and-play addition who could give the offense a spark in year one on schemed-up touches. The blue-chip recruit owns a high-ceiling as a receiver due to versatility and route-running potential.
Darby was a huge late addition to the 2026 high school class by the new Kentucky staff.
Denairius Gray (6-2, 185, Freshman)
Gray was a high three-star recruiting win in South Florida for Kentucky with inside-outside versatility. The former Auburn commit appears to be a true slot receiver. Do not be surprised if the early enrollee pushes for snaps as a true freshman.
Prince Jean (6-1, 180, Freshman)
The South Georgia native is another first-year wideout who appears to project best as a slot receiver at the next level who can impact winning in quick game, jet sweeps, reverses, and screens. Jean is undersized but flashed a ton of playmaking on his high school tape.
Davis McCray (6-2, 191, Freshman)
McCray true outside receiver who recorded 29 catches for 485 passes and eight touchdowns in 10 games as a high school senior. The big-bodied wideout could play in the boundary in college. Some development is needed but McCray gives this position room some needed size.
Top Storyline: Nic Anderson as WR1
Kentucky was looking for star power in the transfer portal at wide receiver. After losing Texas transfer DeAndre Moore Jr. to Colorado, the Wildcats quickly pivoted to former Oklahoma and LSU wide receiver Nic Anderson. The multi-time SEC transfer has star potential but we haven’t seen that potential on the field recently.
The 6-foot-4 wideout was a true stud in 2023 before missing the entire 2024 campaign and struggling to settle in at LSU after dealing with a car wreck ahead of fall camp. Anderson is now in his final year and needs another big season. Kentucky is hopeful that he can replicate what he did in 2023 at in Lexington.
The wideout must get through the spring healthy. These 15 practices could tell us if the big transfer addition at receiver is ready to be a WR1 again.
What To Watch For: How DJ Miller transitions to the new staff
Kentucky loaded up in the transfer portal at wide receiver this offseason. Multiple additions will be asked to play starter snaps, but there was one returnee who will be depended on in a big way. DJ Miller was one of five young wideouts retained for a reason by the new staff.
This offense will need Miller to fill a big role in 2026. Spring practice will be very important for the young receiver.
Miller was a huge recruiting win for the Cats in the 2025 high school cycle who impressed last spring and carved out a role on the offense as a true freshman. Can he do something similar under a new staff?
The sophomore has a very high upside and could develop into one of the most important players on the offense this season.