LEXINGTON - Kentucky football’s linebacker room is shifting again, with one veteran out and another potentially on the way back in.
Coach Will Stein said Saturday, Aug. 15, after practice that Antonio O'Berry has run out of eligibility and will not play for the Wildcats this season.
"We pursued every single option that we could for him," Stein said. "He's a great person, great player and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward."
O'Berry had been added to Kentucky’s roster in January, but Stein would not say whether the NCAA had already flagged any eligibility concerns at that point.
The linebacker’s college path covered five seasons across three stops. Before coming to Lexington, he spent two years at Gardner-Webb, an FCS program in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, after three seasons at Tiffin University, a Division II school in Tiffin, Ohio.
In 38 college games, O'Berry logged 14 appearances at Tiffin and 24 at Gardner-Webb. He finished with 36 tackles at Tiffin and 89 more at Gardner-Webb, and last season he earned All-Ohio Valley Conference/Big South first-team honors while playing for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
Once he arrived at Kentucky, O'Berry drew strong praise from coaches and teammates for his ability to get after the quarterback. That possibility is gone now.
"It's disappointment for any kid that has worked a lot to have an opportunity," Stein said. "Like I told him, he's got opportunities for a career after this, too.
He's a good player. ... He's a great dude.
(But) yeah, it stinks."
While O'Berry’s future with the program ended, another linebacker is back around the team. Alex Afari Jr. has rejoined the Wildcats and is practicing as he explores the chance to play a fifth season under the NCAA’s recent ruling that athletes will have five years to play five seasons going forward.
Afari graduated high school in 2022 and has already played 48 games over four seasons at Kentucky from 2022-25, with 31 of those appearances coming as starts.
His situation is still unresolved. Stein said Afari’s status is being reviewed and that he cannot yet play in games.
"His competition eligibility, it remains under review like most of these cases," Stein said. "We're awaiting further clarification before he will be permitted to play in games with us this season.
"But obviously, he cares a lot about UK (and) this place as a whole. 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 could help our team immediately and we'll continue to support him."
Afari went through rookie minicamp with the Green Bay Packers after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, though he did not sign with Green Bay after the camp ended. Stein said the linebacker appears ready to go physically.
"I think he's in fairly good shape," Stein said. "You know, he was a Division I athlete not too long ago, and he was in a NFL rookie camp, so he's had to stay in shape. I think since the all these (eligibility rulings) have been coming out, he's obviously been excited.
"I'm sure he's been working even harder to to get himself ready for practice."
In Other News...
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 🡒]