Kentucky LB Brown to transfer

Kentucky redshirt sophomore linebacker Eli Brown is leaving the program and plans to transfer. Brown and the university confirmed a report that the heralded four-star recruit in the Class of 2015 is no longer part of the team. "Being a UK Wildcat was an honor and a privilege," Brown tweeted Friday night. "I learned a lot about myself as well as the game of football. My time as a Wildcat has come to an end. But I'm walking away a better athlete and better young man. UK will forever be in my heart." The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Brown redshirted as a freshman in 2015 and played in 12 games in 2016. This past season, he was limited to five games because of injury and finished with 38 tackles, including two for loss, as the backup to starting weakside linebacker Jordan Jones. If he had returned for the 2018 season, Brown was projected as a starter, possibly on the field at the same time as Jones. Brown came out of Warren East (Ky.) High School ranked as the No. 20 outside lienbacker in the country and the No. 2 player in the state of Kentucky in 2015, according to 247Sports.com. He was the Wildcats' highest-rated player in the class and turned down offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Mississippi, Louisville and other schools.