Kentucky is 7-1, No. 8 in the AP poll (week 10).
4 stories in the last 30 days, from 4 outlets.
Alex Afari Jr. receives positive ruling in eligibility lawsuit
A Sea Of Blue +1 Oct 30
The five seasons at Kentucky span two head coaches: Mark Stoops and Will Stein. A game that shows it: 9 tackles against South Alabama — Week 4, 2026.
11 tackles · 0 sacks
Play style
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 4 outlets
Alex Afari Jr. receives positive ruling in eligibility lawsuit
A Sea Of Blue +1 Oct 30 · 2 outlets
from 14 outlets
Alex Afari Jr. receives positive ruling in eligibility lawsuit
A Sea Of Blue +1 Oct 30 · 2 outlets
On3Bio Blast: Alex AfariAug 1On3Inside Kentucky Football: Where 2026 roster sits after adding Alex Afari Jr.Aug 17On3Alex Afari gets Second Chance to Finish on the Right Terms at KentuckySep 23A Sea Of BlueAlex Afari was always coming back to Kentucky, and he’s starting to thrive under new coaching staffSep 25A Sea Of Blue +1Alex Afari considering return to Kentucky Football ahead of 2026 seasonAug 1A Sea Of BlueAlex Afari is now eligible for Kentucky after receiving TRO: Will he play vs. Youngstown State?Sep 2A Sea Of BlueAlex Afari is ready to go vs. Texas A&M, per Will SteinSep 16A Sea Of BlueAlex Afari is now eligible to play for Kentucky vs. OklahomaOct 16On3 +1Alex Afari no longer practicing with Kentucky FootballAug 22
247SportsStein planning on ‘ramping up’ Alex Afari Jr. for AlabamaSep 8247SportsSam Greene speaks on return of Alex Afari Jr.Aug 19247SportsStein says Alex Afari Jr. is no longer practicing after Friday stay requestAug 22A Sea Of BlueOn3On3A Sea Of BlueA Sea Of BlueOn3 +1A Sea Of Blue +1
WKYT +1A Sea Of Blue +1Each week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Reported by other outlets. Headlines are theirs; follow a link to read the report.
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Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | W 31-21@ No. 9 Texas A&M | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 4 | W 45-21vs South Alabama | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Total | 11 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
9 tackles. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
2 tackles, including 1 pass broken up. His pass breakup on 4th and 14 ended Texas A&M’s drive (downs).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 3 for him; the box score credits 2.
Broke up a pass on 4th and 14. Fourth quarter, up 31-21. Ended Texas A&M’s drive (downs).
Week 4 · 2026
W 45-21
9 tackles · 1 hurry · 5 solo tackles
Dominant 24-point win at home against South Alabama.
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 5.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Stein
Pass share
46.1%
233 pass / 272 run
Plays / game
63.1
8 games
Team sack rate
6.2%
257 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS linebacker who plays every week.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #28 of 76 SEC LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 15% of returning players who ranked #21 or lower at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 13–17%).
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 43 games over five seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Mark Stoops → Will Stein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
