‘They may be the biggest question mark.’ UK pass rushers have something to prove
Watching the Kentucky football defense during a recent spring practice open to reporters was an exercise in confusion.
After years characterized by stability in the front seven, each drill necessitated a glance at the roster to double check which jersey number corresponded with which newcomer. No position was that more true than “Jack” linebacker, the position held down by J.J. Weaver for parts of the last six seasons.
“That’s one of the the big question marks, right?” UK defensive coordinator Brad White said this spring. “Because the edges of the defense up front are going to be completely new, like on both sides. You think about from a field end perspective, to the jacks, into the boundary, they’re all new.
“... That may be the biggest question mark of them all, those edges.”
Weaver may have never matched his recruiting hype, but he was a consistent presence both on and off the field for Kentucky since moving into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2020. Despite missing time due to injuries, Weaver ranked second on the team in tackles for loss in each of the last five seasons.
The top backups at the position last season, sophomores Noah Matthews and Tyreese Fearbry, left via the transfer portal in December. Suddenly the most experienced returning outside linebacker on the roster was Steven Soles, who totaled five tackles in 11 games as a freshman last fall.
Kentucky pursued multiple edge rushers in the transfer portal before eventually appearing to prioritize former Kent State outside linebacker Kam Olds. Olds, who spent two years at Buffalo and one at Kent State, faces a significant jump in competition by moving to the Southeastern Conference, but UK coaches were impressed by his performances against Power Four conference opponents last season, White said.
Against Pittsburgh, Olds totaled four tackles and one sack. He added four more tackles against Tennessee. Against Penn State, he intercepted a pass to go along with three more tackles.
“I always knew I could play at this level, at this SEC level, which is the greatest football conference on planet Earth, and it’s the highest competition,” Olds said. “ … It was just just a matter of time and a matter of opportunity.”
The 6-foot-4, 252-pound Olds has only one season of eligibility remaining, so Kentucky will count on him for an immediate featured role. His 2024 season at Kent State represented something of a breakout for his career, but even that production (42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six sacks) suggests Olds will need help if Kentucky is going to improve a pass rush that ranked 64th nationally in sacks per game last season.
Kentucky also added former Southern California outside linebacker Sam Greene from the transfer portal. Greene started three games for the Trojans last season, totaling three tackles for loss and one sack. Four-star Frederick Douglass High School edge rusher Cedric Works could compete for early snaps when he arrives on campus in June.
Soles is likely to see an expanded role as well after showing early promise as a pass rusher in specific defensive packages early in his freshman year. Former Corbin star Jacob Smith, who played primarily on special teams as a freshman last season, is the other returning scholarship outside linebacker, but he was wearing a knee brace that prevented him from practicing last week.
South Dakota transfer Mi’Quise Grace is expected to start at the field end position opposite Olds in the same role Josh Paschal played to much success as a Wildcat. Jerod Smith, Jacob’s twin brother, will push for a spot in the rotation there as well.
“It’s funny, you’re like, the two veteran edges we have are both sophomores,” White said. “They’re true sophomores that had limited game action, but at least they had some. And then everything else is sort of up for grabs.”
Asked about any motivation from outside questions about the pass rush, Soles said he had not heard those doubts yet. Informed that White had acknowledged that uncertainty because of the limited track record of the available options, Soles vowed to reassure fans in next week’s open practice that will replace the normal spring game.
But practices where the quarterback is not allowed to be hit can only reveal so much.
Kentucky coaches and players have reported positive strides in the offensive line’s pass protection this spring, but that optimism must be weighed against any concerns about the players rushing against the linemen. It’s not a question that is likely to be answered definitively any time soon.
“You don’t really know what kind of pass rusher you have until (games),” White said. “... Do you have the finishing touch? Until you can bring a quarterback down you really don’t know if the guys got that or not.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 7:57 AM.