Kentucky transfer Dylan Ray is one of three offensive linemen Minnesota brought in from the portal this winter. With several years of experience at multiple positions, he offers a distinct skill set to the Gophers’ offensive line for 2025.
Originally from Noblesville, Indiana, Ray was a little-known recruit in the 2021 class. Lacking Division I offers, he chose to walk on at West Virginia. After redshirting his first season, he played 32 snaps in 2022, all at right guard.
After two seasons in Morgantown, Ray transferred to Kentucky, where he started 10 games in 2023 and played 621 snaps in total. Nine of those starts were at left guard, and one was at right guard. He earned a 55.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF). Ray stayed a key contributor to Kentucky’s offensive line in 2024, playing 411 snaps—primarily at left guard—and finishing with a 61.7 PFF grade.
Standing at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Ray will now compete for a starting position with the Gophers in 2025. He ranks as the 28th-best interior offensive lineman in the transfer portal according to 247Sports and 56th-best according to On3.
Ashton Beers, who has 534 snaps of experience at right guard, returns, making Ray the likely starter at left guard. However, there could be competition for the left guard spot from players like Tony Nelson, Nathan Roy, and Brett Carroll, who are highly valued by Minnesota.
Ray’s career path mirrors that of former Gophers transfer Karter Shaw, who spent two productive years at Utah State before becoming a versatile offensive lineman at Minnesota for three seasons. The most probable outcome is that Ray starts at left guard in 2025, while the Gophers work on developing their underclassmen—but he will need to earn the spot.
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