Kentucky safety Jordan Castell has picked up another weekly honor after a game that changed the feel of the night in College Station.
Castell was named the Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week for Week 3 of the 2026 college football season after Kentucky’s 31-21 upset bid at No. 9/8 Texas A&M, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation announced Wednesday. He also earned Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week recognition.
The senior from Orlando turned in a career night for the Wildcats. Castell piled up a team-high and career-best 13 tackles, broke up a pass and came up with the interception that helped close the door in the fourth quarter.
That takeaway came with Texas A&M trying to claw back late. With 6:34 left, Castell picked off Marcell Reed at his own 12-yard line after Reed floated a pass, ending any real hope of a comeback for the home team.
Kentucky’s defense was dominant for long stretches, especially in a third quarter when the Aggies never moved the chains once. Texas A&M managed just 20 yards in the period, averaged 2.2 yards per play and held the ball for only 3:42. The Wildcats also stopped the Aggies on a fourth-down attempt, and Texas A&M finished the quarter 0 for 2 on third down.
The performance came against an offense that had been averaging 49.0 points per game coming into the matchup.
For Castell, the interception also continued a pattern at Kyle Field. He has now intercepted passes in back-to-back seasons there, including picks in back-to-back weeks against Texas and at Texas A&M a season ago.
The 6-foot-2, 211-pound transfer from Florida has wasted no time making his presence felt in Lexington. Through three games, he leads Kentucky with 29 total tackles and has added 2.0 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and two interceptions. Both picks have come in consecutive games against Southeastern Conference opponents and AP Top-10 teams.
Kentucky, now 2-1 and 1-1 in the SEC, returns home Sept. 26 to face South Alabama at 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
In Other News...
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Adam Zouagui has handled the kicking job since Jacob Kauwe went down with an injury in fall camp, and the early returns have been encouraging for Kentucky. Through the first three games, Zouagui has made 3 of 4 field goal tries, capped by a career-long 52-yarder against Texas A&M, a kick that showed both leg strength and the kind of poise the Wildcats needed in a close-range, high-pressure role.
Still, the job is not locked up. Kentucky coach Will Stein said Zouagui and Kauwe are still competing for the kicker spot in practice, and he has praised both players for how they have handled the situation. For a team that knows how quickly special teams can swing a game, the battle adds another layer of intrigue as the Wildcats sort out one of the most pressure-packed positions on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys New-Look Roster Just Got A Big National Endorsement
Kentuckys reshaped roster is already drawing national attention, and CBS Sports added another layer of validation this week when Isaac Trotter broke down the sports top players by position. The Wildcats showed up across the board in his lineup of impact talent, with Zoom Diallo pegged as the initiator at point guard, Alex Wilkins slotted as a combo guard, Milan Momcilovic labeled the top off-ball wing and Malachi Moreno listed as a true center.
For a team trying to build around a new mix of skill sets, that kind of spread says plenty about the options on hand. Diallo is expected to organize the offense, Wilkins gives Kentucky another backcourt piece with versatility, Momcilovic adds a wing threat, and Moreno anchors the middle as a classic five. There is still a lot to learn about how it all fits together once the season starts, but the early read from one national observer is clear: this roster has real positional depth and more than one player capable of shaping the Wildcats ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Texas A&M Win Felt Even Bigger Behind The Scenes
A road win in the SEC usually looks better when you see what went into it, and Kentuckys 31-21 victory at Texas A&M had plenty of extra context tucked into the Wildcats new unKut video series. The behind-the-scenes footage gives a closer look at the coaches, coordinators and even the broadcast call, while also showing how the games momentum swung during a 28-point unanswered run that turned the night in Kentuckys favor.
Will Steins role in the win comes through clearly in the new footage, with the head coach providing the kind of sideline presence that helps explain why the Wildcats stayed composed away from home. The series captures more than just the final score, offering a fuller look at how Kentucky managed the emotional and tactical side of one of its more meaningful conference road wins. [Read more 🡒]