College football is a few weeks into the 2026 season, and the Kentucky Wildcats have already played two games with one win, and a recent loss to Alabama. The NFL season is just getting started, though, and week one of their season began this past week.
With the start of the NFL year, several former Wildcats were in action. There are plenty of players at all levels who once wore Kentucky blue. Some are rotational players, some are starters, and a few are stars. All of them got fresh starts with the new season, and are looking to make a name for themselves as a professional.
So, how did the former Kentucky stars on NFL teams do in game one of this season? Here's a look at each of them, and what they did in their season openers. We will continue
to follow them throughout the season.
Wan'Dale Robinson - Tennessee Titans
- Opponent: New York Jets
- Stats: 5 catches, 38 yards
Seth McGowan - Indianapolis Colts
- Opponent: Baltimore Ravens
- Stats: 1 catch, 0 yards
Jalen Farmer - Indianapolis Colts
- 4 snaps
Za'Darius Smith - Atlanta Falcons
- Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
- Stats: 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss
Luke Fortner - Carolina Panthers
- Opponent: Chicago Bears
- Stats: 61 snaps, 0 sacks allowed
Chris Rodriguez - Jacksonville Jaguars
- Opponent: Cleveland Browns
- Stats: 6 carries, 23 yards
Josh Hines-Allen - Jacksonville Jaguars
- Opponent: Cleveland Browns
- Stats: 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks
Ray Davis - Buffalo Bills
- Opponent: Houston Texans
- Stats: 1 carry, 3 yards; 2 kick returns, 51 yards
Maxwell Hairston - Buffalo Bills
- Opponent: Houston Texans
- Stats: 3 tackles
Deone Walker - Buffalo Bills
- Opponent: Houston Texans
- Stats: 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss
Bud Dupree - Los Angeles Chargers
- Opponent: Arizona Cardinals
- Stats: 2 tackles
Dru Phillips - New York Giants
- Opponent: Dallas Cowboys
- Stats: 2 tackles
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Former Kentucky Wildcats in the NFL: How they did in week one
