Kentucky is done waiting on Alex Afari Jr., and now Will Stein is ready to use him like the veteran defender the Wildcats need him to be.
After a fall camp full of uncertainty around Afari Jr.’s status, UK Athletics Director and CEO of Champions Blue LLC J Batt confirmed before the season opener against Youngstown State that the fifth-year linebacker was cleared and fully eligible. Even so, Afari Jr. barely factored into that game, playing only three snaps and finishing without a tackle while Bo Barnes and Grant Godfrey handled the biggest moments at linebacker.
That limited usage was tied directly to the uncertainty Kentucky had been dealing with, Stein said after the opener.
"Yeah, I mean, listen, he's been practicing, but it's hard to be fully in on somebody if you don't know he's going to be able to play," Stein said. "So, we'll continue to ramp him up and we want him to be an impact player for us."
Now the picture is clearer heading into Kentucky’s SEC opener at home against Alabama. Stein said Afari Jr.’s workload is set to increase.
"Yeah, Alex Afari, planning on ramping up his workload this week," Stein said. "And playing him as much as we can."
Afari Jr. brings plenty to the table. He has 31 career starts at Kentucky and has moved around to multiple spots during his time with the Wildcats, giving the defense a flexible piece it can deploy in different ways.
"He is a very- he's a really good athlete," Stein said. "He's got the range, he can run, he's tough, he can tackle.
So, it's about getting our best players out there. I mean, it's just like offensively, we have personnel group, same on defense.
Any way that we can use our better players that are skilled like Alex, we're going to try to do it."
Even with Afari Jr. largely sidelined in Week 1, Stein said he liked what he saw from the players who filled the role. Godfrey and Barnes drew praise, and Tavion Wallace also flashed at linebacker.
"I thought they played well, I thought they ran to the ball," Stein said. "I think Grant is obviously the guy that- he knows it inside and out like Jay (Bateman) and he can communicate to everybody.
Bo made some good plays. Tavion Wallace did some good stuff as a young guy.
It's like flash plays, like, 'Why are you there?' and then the next play, like, 'Wow!
That was a good play.'"
For Stein, though, the biggest relief may simply be that the whole situation is over. He pointed to the larger college football mess around LSU and the SEC’s ongoing feud, but said Kentucky can finally move forward with a settled roster.
"I mean, there's moments like, what is going on? But, the good thing is my roster is set," Stein said.
"I know who I'm playing with. I know Afari, he's on our team, he's playing.
So, he was the big one that, in terms of the five-for-five, that we knew we had a chance to get and we were able to get him back here. It's a wild time in college football and it is what it is."
That leaves Kentucky focused on football instead of legal wrangling, and Afari Jr. looks positioned to play a bigger role against Alabama. The Wildcats will need him back near full speed if they want their defense at its best, and he at least has experience against the Crimson Tide, even if not with Kalen DeBoer in charge.
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Will Stein Gets An Early Kentucky Test Fans Will Obsess Over
The early part of Will Steins first season at Kentucky is about to meet the kind of barometer fans circle on the calendar. Alabama comes to Lexington in Week 2 as a 10.5-point favorite, with traders giving the Crimson Tide a 78% chance to win and the over/under sitting at 49.5 points, a number that suggests the matchup could still have plenty of movement if Kentucky can make it uncomfortable.
For Stein, the appeal is obvious. This is the sort of SEC test that can shape how a new coach is viewed in a hurry, especially against an Alabama program that has won eight straight in the series dating back to 2003. Kentucky does not need a miracle to make the game matter, but it does need a result that changes the conversation, and that is why this one will have fans watching every snap with a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]
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For a program that lives under a microscope, trusting that internal read matters. Wilkins has already been the subject of the kind of analytical scrutiny that can follow a player from college to the NBA, with Jaylen Brown-style comparisons surfacing in the discussion, but Kentuckys evaluation leaned on more than spreadsheet debate. The Wildcats believed the fit was there, and now the question is whether that conviction holds up once Wilkins is asked to translate his skill set to a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Backfield Could Be A Real SEC Problem If It Holds Up
Kentuckys offense looked more like a group with answers than one searching for an identity in its win over Youngstown State, leaning on both the passing game and a steady ground attack to keep things moving. The backfield, in particular, stood out as a source of balance, with CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson both making their presence felt and Patterson finishing as the teams top rusher.
The bigger question is whether that kind of production can hold up once the schedule tightens and the physical toll starts to matter more. Will Stein sounded encouraged about the position group after the game, but he also knows the Wildcats need that depth to stay intact if they want the offense to keep looking this versatile against SEC competition. [Read more 🡒]