photo by: AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

Texas running back Jonathon Brooks (24) is tackled by Kansas defensive end Davion Westmoreland, center, and linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill (7) during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against Kansas on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in Lawrence.

Updated 1:40 p.m. Friday:

Kansas defensive end Davion Westmoreland, a redshirt junior who saw sparse action for KU over two seasons, has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports Friday morning.

The recruiting service AithELITE was the first to announce Westmoreland’s departure from KU in a post on X, and Westmoreland shared that post himself on social media.

The native of Griffin, Georgia, played 25 snaps on defense for KU in 2022 and 80 more in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, and leaves Lawrence with six career tackles in 12 games played.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound end previously played two seasons in the state of Kansas at Hutchinson Community College, tallying 89 tackles and 7.5 sacks with the Blue Dragons.

Westmoreland’s departure makes the Jayhawks even thinner at defensive end, which is already a position of need after Austin Booker left for the NFL Draft. Jereme Robinson and Dylan Wudke should have the strong-side, run-defense-focused position locked down, but the Jayhawks have virtually no returning experience at pass-rush defensive end and are hoping Dean Miller can make a jump in 2024.

Other defensive ends on the roster include, but are not limited to, Auburn transfer Dylan Brooks (who missed the Spring Showcase), early-enrolling freshman Dakyus Brinkley and respected walk-on Cole Petrus. Freshman Deshawn Warner will join the team in the fall.

Early-enrolling running back departs

Red Martel, an early enrollee from Beggs, Oklahoma, is also in the portal, he posted on X later on Friday.

Martel, a running back, just arrived on campus several months ago as a three-star prospect; he had in fact been KU’s first commitment in the class of 2024 way back in November 2022 and held firm after receiving an offer from Stanford. He signed in December and joined five other freshman Jayhawks in enrolling early.

But while fellow freshman running back Harry Stewart III became the talk of spring practice, Martel is now set to leave town.

The Jayhawks have a robust depth chart at running back that along with Stewart features Johnny Thompson Jr., Sevion Morrison and the big-name duo of Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr.

Westmoreland and Martel are now expected to become the second and third scholarship players to transfer away from KU in the spring window after fellow JUCO product Akili Hubbard, a safety, entered the portal on Thursday.

photo by: Chance Parker/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas freshman Red Martel (22) during the first day of spring practice at the practice field on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Lawrence.