2026 Kentucky football position preview: Linebackers and Secondary

We're ending our position preview series combining the linebackers and secondary into one piece. We started previewing the defense with the defensive line and now it's time to talk who's behind them on that side of the ball. This looks to be where the majority of the leadership will come from given how many returning veterans are at these two positions.

As for the linebackers, one big piece could potentially be added soon in veteran Alex Afari. Kentucky, like many other positions, needs some depth at linebacker and Afari would be perfect to add as a starter. He is currently in a legal battle as he fights against the NCAA in hopes to receive a fifth-year of eligibility. Afari has a hearing scheduled on Monday to find out if he will be included in the Louisville court case that included Kentucky's Mark Mitchell, who was declared eligible by Judge Brian Edwards along with 12 other plaintiffs. If he is included, he will then be eligible to join the Wildcats this season. Afari was previously practicing with the team before a ruling by the 10th Circuit Court led him to become ineligible and go the state court route to try and reinstate himself.

Aug 30, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats linebacker Alex Afari Jr. (3) celebrates a defensive stop during the first quarter against the Toledo Rockets at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now that we've got that out of the way and have talked about how big of an addition Afari would be, let's discuss the Wildcats actually currently on the roster at linebacker. Sam Greene is expected to be one of the leaders of Kentucky's defense as a whole after having an impressive showing last season. In his first season with the Wildcats after transferring from Southern Cal, Greene tied for second on the team in QB hurries with four along with 25 tackles, 1.0 sack, and 3.0 tackles for loss before a season-ending injury on Nov. 8 held him out the rest of the way. In addition to Greene, Grant Godfrey is another promising guy at the position, who redshirted his freshman season in 2023 and looking to make a bigger impact as a starter now. The linebacker position has some depth, too, as transfers Elijah "Bo" Barnes and Tavion Wallace are looking to make a quality impact, along with Cedric Works, who will see some time behind Sam Greene at outside linebacker.

Kentucky Football’s Sam Greene. Friday, August 1, 2025 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Then there's the secondary, where the starting unit could be the second-best on the team. Starting with safety Ty Bryant, he is expected to be a big leader of the defense this season as potentially Kentucky's best ball hawk. Last season, Bryant totaled 76 tackles and four interceptions, which ranked 24th nationally, on his way to earning All-SEC 2nd Team honors as a junior. Now, heading into his fourth year, he’s bound to take a leap in production after having a full year as a starter. Along with him is fellow returner Terhyon Nichols, who missed the last five games last season due to injury after earning six starts. He totaled a career-high five tackles against Tennessee and will look to really build on it this season. The depth at cornerback is more promising than safety given the experience difference, but the starting unit could end up being great.

With as much praise as Kentucky's offensive line gets, you've got to think both the linebackers and secondary are right behind them in terms of positional talent.

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