Alex Afari’s path back onto the field is tied up in two legal fronts this week, and Kentucky is waiting on both.
The first hit came as the Wildcats were traveling to South Carolina. When the plane landed, Kentucky’s staff learned Afari was out again after the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that the temporary restraining order was only temporary. After Kentucky’s win in Columbia, the message from Stein was plain: the news was frustrating, but the game still had to go on.
“I mean it’s not something that we planned on, especially getting the news when we land at 4 p.m. on a Friday, so that was really unfortunate,” Stein said after the Wildcats escaped with a win in Columbia. “But just like anything, the show rolls on.
Doesn’t matter who’s out there. The game is going to get kicked off at 4:15, and you gotta go find a way to win.”
That ruling affects the Wells case in Louisville, which also involves players such as Missouri’s Mark Mitchell and Louisville’s Seth Trimble. A hearing in that case is set for Wednesday.
Afari also has another route that could bring him back sooner. Before he sought relief in Louisville, he had been granted eligibility through the Wisne case in Colorado, which let him practice with Kentucky for a few weeks in August.
That decision was later overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
On Tuesday morning, oral arguments in that case will be heard. The Tenth Circuit can uphold the injunction, which would make all Class of 2022 players eligible. If it vacates the injunction, the matter moves back to state courts, and in Afari’s situation that would send it back to a Louisville courtroom on Wednesday.
Whether Afari can play for Kentucky at Oklahoma remains unclear, and there’s no firm timetable for a ruling in either case. What’s not in question is Kentucky’s need at linebacker.
Injuries have thinned that room badly, leaving Bo Barnes and Grant Godfrey without a backup. Godfrey played all 74 snaps, while Barnes missed only two.
The two of them also carried the load against LSU, leading Kentucky with 22 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 2 quarterback hurries.
In Other News...
Kentuckys New SEC FPI Spot Says Plenty After The LSU Win
ESPNs latest Football Power Index update offered another snapshot of where Kentucky stands after its Week 6 win over LSU, and the numbers say the Wildcats are still very much part of the SEC middle class fight. The rankings, which adjust to recent results and project the rest of the season, showed a league landscape that remains crowded, with teams such as Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Florida, Texas A&M and Missouri all clustered in the conversation around Kentucky.
For Kentucky, the update matters because it reflects more than just a single win. It is a reminder that the LSU result changed the way the computers view the Wildcats, but the SEC race is still tight enough that every weekly shift in FPI carries weight. The next step is whether Kentucky can turn that bump into something more lasting as the season moves deeper into league play. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Special Teams Just Created A New Oklahoma Talking Point
Kentuckys special teams turned into a real storyline in the win over LSU, with Brock Coffman flipping field position in a hurry on a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown that helped the Wildcats seize the lead. There was more than one moving part, too, as Wilson Berry made his first start at punter this season and averaged 40.3 yards per kick, while Adam Zouagui came through with key field goals even though the day was not spotless.
Will Steins postgame message made the current setup sound pretty straightforward heading into the next game. Berry is expected to stay in the starting role at punter, and there are no planned changes at kicker, which means Kentucky will carry the same special teams personnel forward for now. Still, after a performance that created momentum in a tight spot, it is fair to wonder whether those jobs are as settled as they look. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans May Have Just Seen A Program-Changing Night
A sellout crowd at Kroger Field got more than a memorable October night when Kentucky toppled No. 10 LSU 35-34 in overtime. The setting had the feel of a reset for the program, with a throwback uniform, a new team walkout ritual and the kind of energy that had the whole stadium believing something bigger might be happening in real time.
Kenny Minchey delivered the final jolt with the winning two-point conversion, turning an upset into a scene Kentucky fans will be talking about for a long time. The celebration spilled so far beyond the field that the Southeastern Conference hit Kentucky with a $500,000 fine after a fan stormed the turf, a costly reminder of how quickly one breakthrough win can carry both momentum and consequences. [Read more 🡒]