The Kentucky Wildcats got some good and bad news on Saturday.
Following practice, head coach Will Stein announced that transfer edge Antonio O’Berry has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA. The NCAA determined that O’Berry has played his five seasons of college football, so for now, his career is over.
As for the good news, Stein announced that former linebacker Alex Afari has rejoined the team and is cleared to practice.
“Alex Afari has been cleared to practice with our team based on the guidance from
our compliance staff and the SEC, so his competition eligibility remains under review like most of these cases,” Stein said. “We’re awaiting further clarification before he would be permitted to play in games with us this season.”
Afari had 123 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and four sacks over the past two seasons while playing a major role for the Wildcats. If eligible, he’ll provide a massive boost to a Kentucky defense that needs it, especially after losing O’Berry.
Speaking of, O’Berry began his college football journey at the Division II Tiffin for three seasons, then transferred to Gardner-Webb, where he spent two years before landing at Kentucky this offseason.
After recording 52 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 72 pressures last season with Gardner-Webb, Kentucky added O’Berry in hopes of bolstering the pass rush. Pro Football Focus gave him an 83.6 grade in 2025, making him the second-highest-rated returning edge player in the SEC.
Alas, it looks like we won’t see O’Berry suit up for Kentucky this fall.
