Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-13vs Youngstown State | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 17-45vs Alabama | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#30
Elijah Barnes
Sophomore linebacker for Kentucky. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 242 lb · Dallas, TX
Transferred Texas → Kentucky for 2026
The numbers
10
tackles · 2026
1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, vs Youngstown State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 linebacker for Kentucky. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Texas in 2025.
- Transferred from Texas to Kentucky in 2026.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 16.4 points in belief.
26.4own fans
10national conversation
Elijah Barnes
Two head coaches in two seasons, at two different programs. One game to point at: 7 tackles against Youngstown State — Week 1, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2025
- Signed with Texas4-star out of Dallas Skyline
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Kentucky
2026era →
Will Stein
Kentucky
Coaching transition mid-career: Mark Stoops → Will Stein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Kentucky
2025Texas
2026Kentucky
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Texas10-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2026Kentucky1-1HC: Will Stein · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (10th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 5.0 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
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 45–13
7 TOT · 4 SOLO · 1 PD
Dominant 32-point win at home against Youngstown State.
With K. Minchey — 301 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · 17 rush yds (1 car) · T. O'Hara — 42 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 45 LONG
Game log
The linebacker corps · Kentucky
- #22Grant Godfrey34 tackles · 2025
- #2Sam Greene25 tackles · 2025
- #15Cedric Works16 tackles · 2025
- #8Lorenzo Cowan13 tackles · 2025
- Elijah Barnes4 tackles · 2025
7 more on the roster · Kentucky team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology