When Mark Stoops surrendered the reins to Will Stein, we all knew it was only a matter of time before the entire dynamic of the football program began to change.
Pair a coaching change with the modern transfer portal, and you’re setting the stage for a broad personnel makeover, which is exactly what has happened in Lexington.
Even with a brand‑new coaching staff and a mostly retooled roster, there’s still considerable value in having returning players who at least understand what it means to live in Lexington
while wearing Kentucky blue. One of those returnees is outside linebacker Sam Greene, who transferred to Kentucky in 2025 after two seasons on the West Coast at Southern Cal.
“His mentorship with the other guys because of his experience on the field has helped a ton. It’s good to see him out there on the field as he continues to progress,” UK outside linebackers coach Tony Washington Jr. said following a recent practice.
Greene is coming off a season‑ending ACL tear suffered during the Florida game on November 8, 2025. Prior to that setback, the 6‑foot-2, 251‑pounder was making his mark defensively by consistently being disruptive. Greene finished the 2025 season with 25 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and tied for second on the team with four quarterback hurries before the injury.
Now, the Washington, D.C. native is awaiting one final step in his medical clearance before being fully approved to rejoin his teammates at 100 percent.
On Tuesday, Greene spoke to the media about his relationship with defensive coordinator Jay Bateman. He shared that Bateman has compared him to Cashius Howell — the former Texas A&M standout who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 before being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in April’s NFL Draft. Before arriving at Texas A&M, Howell played in the MAC at Bowling Green and worked his way into the national spotlight.
It’s clear Jay Bateman believes in Sam Greene, and getting him back into the fold will be an impactful development for the Cats this fall.
