Kentucky got a clearer picture Wednesday night on two defenders who have been sidelined since the first weekend of October, and the update came with both bad news and a possible late-season boost.
On The Will Stein Show presented by UK HealthCare, Will Stein told host Tom Leach that nickel cornerback Jaden Smith tore his ACL in Kentucky’s 35-34 overtime win at South Carolina and is done for the year. Stein also said linebacker Antwan Smith had ankle surgery, and there’s a chance he could return for the postseason.
The weekly show gives Stein a regular hour with the Voice of the Wildcats to review the previous game, preview the next one, and answer fan questions. This time, it delivered the first real details on two players who had been listed as out on every SEC availability report since the trip to Columbia.
Jaden Smith’s season ends after five games. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., was expected to back up at nickel and move around the secondary, though he was slowed by an injury early in fall camp. Even so, defensive coordinator Jay Bateman said in August that he saw “a real future” for him.
Smith finished with 7 tackles, including 5 solo stops, and a tackle for loss. His strongest outing came in his final game, when he posted four tackles and a TFL at South Carolina before his knee gave out late while he was rushing LaNorris Sellers.
He had to be helped off the field. The ACL tear means a lengthy rehab, but because it happened so early in the season, he still has a real shot to be ready for 2027.
Antwan Smith’s situation carries a little more hope. The junior from Atlanta Westlake is a 6-foot-3 linebacker with speed and coverage ability, and he also plays a major role on kick coverage.
He appeared in all 12 games last season, finishing with six tackles and a pass breakup. Before his injury this year, he had four tackles and an interception.
He was carted off early against South Carolina, and Kentucky had kept his status listed as undisclosed since then. Stein’s update revealed that he had ankle surgery. Given the injuries Smith has already dealt with in Lexington, even the possibility of a bowl return counts as a positive sign for a player who has struggled to stay on the field.
Kentucky enters Saturday’s game against Florida at 7-2, with Missouri and Louisville still on the schedule after that. The Wildcats are thin at linebacker, but nothing changes for this week because both Smiths have already been out for more than a month. The difference now is clarity: Jaden Smith is out, and Antwan Smith may still have a path back if Kentucky’s season extends beyond Thanksgiving weekend.
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