Kentucky is treating Alex Afari Jr. like a player who may be needed soon, even though his game eligibility is still unresolved.
The linebacker has been cleared to practice with the Wildcats while the school waits for a ruling on whether he can suit up this season, head coach Will Stein said Saturday. The issue sits inside the broader college sports scramble created by a judge’s ruling that ordered all 2022 high school graduates to receive a fifth year of eligibility, a decision that landed in August with football season about to begin and immediately set off a fight with the NCAA.
Stein said Afari can work with the team under guidance from Kentucky’s compliance staff and the SEC, but he still cannot play in games yet.
"Alex Afari has been cleared to practice with our team based on the guidance from our compliance staff and the SEC," Stein said. "So his competition eligibility remains under review like most of these cases, We’re awaiting further clarification before he would be permitted to play in games with us this season."
For Kentucky, the timing matters. Stein made clear that a veteran player with Afari’s experience could be valuable for a roster that includes a mix of transfers and younger players, and he said the staff would welcome the chance to have him back in games.
"He cares a lot about UK, this place as a whole, and we would love for him to have the opportunity to come back and represent us and the University of Kentucky moving forward. I think he can help our team immediately."
Afari’s situation is part of the larger eligibility mess that has forced players around the country into court battles. Because he did not enter the transfer portal before the Colorado judge’s ruling, he has to pursue his case through the legal process. That puts him in the same general fight as Mark Mitchell, who is also expected to be a major Kentucky target if he is eventually ruled eligible.
Stein has already signaled he plans to chase any roster upgrade Kentucky can get through the ruling. At media day a few weeks ago, he said the staff would go after a potential five-for-five option if it could make the team better.
"If there's a five-for-five option that we believe that can make us better, we're going to attack it full-force," Stein said a few weeks ago at media day. "I think it's still a wait and see.
People are not quick to act just because it's something that's reported on Twitter, and there's some judges that are ruling in favor of student athletes getting their fifth year back. But any time that we can enhance our roster, I'm going to be full steam ahead."
With the season only a few weeks away, Kentucky is waiting on the courts while making sure Afari is ready if the answer goes its way.
In Other News...
Kentuckys Linebacker Situation Just Took A Turn Fans Need To Watch
Kentuckys linebacker room got a notable update this week when Will Stein said Antonio OBerry has exhausted his eligibility and will not play this season. The news narrows the defensive options at a position where depth always matters, especially as teams try to settle roles and build continuity heading into the stretch run of camp and into the fall.
Alex Afari Jr. offers a possible boost, though his situation is still in flux. He has rejoined the Wildcats and is back at practice while waiting on NCAA clarification about whether he can play a potential fifth season, after spending four years at Kentucky and taking part in an NFL rookie minicamp without signing with a team. For Kentucky, it leaves one spot clearly closed and another still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Works Is Giving Kentucky Fans A New Defensive Reason To Watch
Cedric CJ Works has started to emerge as one of the more intriguing pieces of Kentuckys defense, and not just because he got on the field in every game last season. With the Wildcats installing a more aggressive scheme under new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, the sophomore is expected to take on the JACK role, a spot that asks for speed, edge pressure and enough versatility to bother offenses in a few different ways. It is the kind of assignment that can put a young defender on the radar quickly if the talent matches the opportunity.
Defensive line coach Anwar Stewart has already raised the ceiling talk by comparing Works to former Kentucky standout Josh Allen, which is the sort of praise that naturally gets attention in Lexington. Works, for his part, sounds eager for the challenge and believes the new system can help him take a step forward, even while acknowledging he still has plenty of room to develop. For a Kentucky defense looking for new playmakers, that combination of opportunity, confidence and upside is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Defense Gets A Mixed Update Fans Will Be Watching Closely
Kentuckys defense got a mixed early-week update as Will Stein sorted through two familiar names with very different short-term paths. Transfer edge rusher Antonio OBerry will not be available after the NCAA ruled him ineligible because he has already completed five seasons of college football, trimming one option from the Wildcats pass-rush plans before he ever got a chance to settle in.
There was better news for former linebacker Alex Afari, who has been cleared to practice with the team as Kentucky waits on his competition status. Afari was a significant part of the Wildcats defense before, so even the possibility of getting him back into games would matter, but for now the final piece of that return still hangs in the balance. [Read more 🡒]