Kentucky lands Tennessee OL Max Anderson and Florida DB Aaron Gates

The Kentucky Wildcats have scored a pair of transfer portal commitments, and both come from within the SEC.

On Tuesday, Kentucky landed a pledge from Florida Gators defensive back Aaron Gates. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Shortly after that, the Wildcats scored a commitment from Tennessee Volunteers guard Max Anderson. He’s got three years of eligibility remaining.

Originally a 4-star recruit in the class of 2023, the Sharpsburg (GA) native arrived at Florida ranked 338th nationally, 17th among athlete prospects, and 33rd in the state of Georgia by 247 Sports Composite. He held additional scholarship offers from LSU, Michigan, Miami, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida State, among others.

Gates would redshirt in his first year before becoming a starter in the 2024 season as a hybrid safety/nickel cornerback. He registered 27 tackles, one interception, four tackles for loss, three pass defenses, and two fumble recoveries.

This past season, Gates appeared in just four games before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery. Kentucky will look for him to be a starter this fall after losing Cam Dooley to the portal and Jordan Lovett to graduation.

Anderson, a Frisco (TX) native, was a 4-star prospect ranked 284th nationally, 18th among interior offensive linemen, and 45th in the state of Texas by 247 Sports Composite in the class of 2024. He held additional scholarship offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, and Ole Miss, among others.

After redshirting in Year 1 and logging 47 snaps, Anderson played sparingly this past season and finished with 76 snaps. He’s had playing time at left guard, right guard, and center, so he gives Kentucky depth at all three interior offensive line spots, even if he’s not a starter right away.

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