Kentucky has Talented, Inexperienced Linebacker Group

For nearly a decade, there was a constant in the Kentucky football program: quality linebacker play. The Wildcats needed to re-establish that identity in the middle of the defense by adding quality players this offseason. Will Stein and Jay Bateman took a calculated risk by adding a pair of players with a ton of potential but not much experience.

Kentucky’s top three inside linebackers in 2026 are former Blue Chip talents with a combined two career starts.

Roster-building starts with retention. Grant Godfrey was a four-star talent who got his talent honestly. His father, Randall, was an All-SEC linebacker at Georgia in the early 90s, and his brother, RJ, is averaging 12 points per game for…