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Kentucky fifth-year defender Alex Afari Jr. was cleared and listed on the 2026 roster as an inside linebacker before the Youngstown State opener.

Afari has 31 collegiate starts and could immediately help Kentucky's linebacker concerns if he is in game shape after an uneven fall camp availability process.

Will Stein still has discretion over whether Afari plays, and prior comments from teammates suggested he had been barely practicing while his eligibility situation was sorted out.

Kentucky's FCS opener against Youngstown State was presented as a potential chance to evaluate how game-ready Afari is.