Where Kentucky football 2025 roster stands after D’Eryk Jackson declares for NFL draft
Kentucky football coaches’ rebuild of the Wildcats defense will happen without one of the team’s veteran leaders returning in 2025.
Linebacker D’Eryk Jackson, who had one more year of eligibility due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic waiver, announced Wednesday he was declaring for the NFL draft. Jackson’s decision was expected since he had participated in Senior Day in 2023, but the possibility of a return had been opened after Jackson missed the final four games of the season due to an injury.
Jackson finishes his UK career with 217 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and five interceptions in 47 games. The Dublin, Georgia, native did not arrive at UK as a highly touted recruit but started 31 games across five seasons.
With Jackson starting his professional career, Alex Afari and Daveren Rayner are Kentucky’s top two returning inside linebackers. Rayner played in just four games in 2024 so he could preserve a redshirt season in order to return in 2025.
Even if Afari and Rayner both return, Kentucky probably needs to add at least one transfer linebacker to boost depth at the position. Backup Jayvant Brown entered the transfer portal this week, leaving sophomore Grant Godfrey as the only backup with any significant game experience.
UK is reportedly hosting former Marshall linebacker Landyn Watson for a visit this week. Watson, who spent his first two college seasons at TCU, totaled 65 tackles and four tackles for loss for Marshall last season. He also visited Mississippi State.
Jackson is the 20th scholarship player with eligibility remaining to announce his departure from UK since the end of the season. He is the second player with eligibility left to declare for the NFL draft, following possible first-round pick Deone Walker. UK also lost nine starters and two key backups who have no eligibility left.
Kentucky will have to replace at least seven starters on defense and is still likely to lose at least one more starter with cornerback Maxwell Hairston expected to declare for the draft. The biggest need for reinforcements appears to be at outside linebacker where starter J.J. Weaver is out of eligibility and top backups Tyreese Fearbry and Noah Matthews are in the transfer portal.