Welcome back to our ongoing look at Mark Stoops’ 13th Kentucky team. It’s hard to believe we are less than two weeks away from the season opener against Toledo. Thanks to everyone who’s checked out our previous installments. In case you missed it, we began our look at the defense, starting with the defensive line. Today, our focus shifts to the middle of the group, where the Cats have several long-time starters to replace. As they’ve done in nearly every position, Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White hit the transfer portal hard to bring in replacements. Let’s take a look at who needs to step up with our 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Edge and Linebackers.
Cats Must Replace A Lot From 2024
Replacing A Great
Edge rusher J.J. Weaver left Lexington following a great career. He recorded 197 tackles, including 39.5 for a loss. Furthermore, he is third on the school’s all-time sacks list with 21.5. He also won the Jason Witten College Man Of The Year Award this past season. In addition, his numbers ranked him eighth in tackles for loss and 16th in total sacks on the NCAA’s active career lists. Weaver set a big bar, one that someone will have to step up.
Additions Through The Portal
Heading into the season opener, the likely starter is Sam Greene. The Washington D.C. native transferred to Lexington after two years at USC. Playing in 12 games last season, Greene had 16 tackles, three for a loss, and a sack. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
In addition to Greene, Kentucky, brought in Kam Olds. He played at Kent State last season and at Buffalo in 2022-23. He recorded 42 tackles, six sacks, and an interception in 2024. Both he and Greene will see a lot of playing time.
As we continue with the 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Edge and Linebackers, let’s look at the remaining players in the room.
Taking The Next Step
Two Cats returning in 2025 are trying to break into the rotation. Stephen Soles Jr. played in 11 games as a freshman, recording five tackles and a sack. He’s expected to have a bigger role in the Wildcats’ defense this season, especially in pass-rushing situations.
Jacob Smith was a huge recruiting win for the Cats in the 2024 class. However, he suffered a shoulder injury and only appeared in four games. If healthy, he’s another player the staff thinks can leap forward in 2025.
UK also has an incoming local star in Frederick Douglass’ Cedric Works, who is the fourth-best player in the state. Finally, Lorenzo Cowan is another player who came to Lexington from USC. Originally committed to UK in 2024, he’s back in Lexington. Also of not,e he’s the brother of current Cat Tavion Gadson.
That takes care of the players at the edge position. As we continue with our 2025 Kentucky spring preview: linebackers, let’s move to that group of players.
More Top Players To Replace
Over the past few years, Mike Stoops’s linebacker position has been one of the most stable on the team. However, that’s not the case heading into 2025. D’Eryk Jackson also leaves Lexington after a great college career. Jackson made 216 tackles, with 17 for a loss. He also had five interceptions with one returned for a touchdown and three sacks.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jamon Dumas-Johnson is also gone. After transferring from Georgia, he led the team with 67 tackles, with seven for a loss. He also had 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery for a score. Much like Weaver, these are big shoes to fill. Let’s look at who’ll need to step up.
Who Are The New Starters?
Daveren Rayner only played in four games last season, allowing him to return for one more year. For his career, Rayner has 170 tackles, including 15 for a loss. In addition, he’s made 5.5 sacks and three passes defended. He finally gets his chance to start in 2025.
The staff wanted to play Alex Afari Jr. at inside linebacker last season. However, he ended up all over the field due to injuries. Despite that, he ranked third on the squad with 62 tackles and led with 11.5 for a loss.
Marshall transfer Landyn Watson is likely your third linebacker. Watson was one of a slew of players who left in the wake of coach Charles Huff leaving for Southern Mississippi. He had 65 tackles and an interception for the Thundering Herd last season.
Let’s finish up our 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Edge and Linebackers with a look at some guys pushing for playing time.
Trying To Crack The Rotation
We’ve been talking about Grant Godfrey since he signed with the Wildcats in 2022. A season ago, he made nine tackles in seven games. He’s a guy the staff thinks can take that next step in 2025.
In addition UK has a few other players looking for playing time. Sophomore Antwan Smith played primarily on special teams last year. Devin Smith was a big recruiting win for the Cats over LSU. However, he and Georgia native Quintavion Norman redshirted last season. UK also has freshman Kris Thompson out of Nashville on the roster.
Final Thoughts
As we mentioned in the beginning, Kentucky must replace tons of veterans at these two positions. The Cats are very high on Greene and Olds at the edge position, while hopeful Soles takes a huge step up in 2025. Furthermore, Afari getting to play the linebacker position full-time is a major boost to the defense. Look for him to have a big year. Lastly, having two new starters in the SEC at linebacker isn’t ideal. However, Stoops and the staff think Rayner and Watson are up to the challenge. Behind them, they’ll need one or two other players to provide needed depth.
Thanks for checking out the 2025 Kentucky Fall Camp: Edge and Linebackers here at Last Word On College Football. Next time, we’ll wrap up our position previews with the secondary and special teams.
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