One of UK football’s under-the-radar transfers posted his best game yet at Auburn
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kentucky added under-the-radar transfer Sam Greene who clinched Auburn win.
- Greene posted career-high performance: 7 tackles, 2 TFL, sack, PBU and hurry.
- Greene has two seasons of eligibility left, offering Kentucky multi-year continuity.
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The misses are easy to spot in a transfer class.
When the quarterback recruited to start is benched less than a month into the season, it is not difficult to grade that addition. The same is true for an offensive lineman recruited to start who loses the competition at his position in spring practice.
A program like Kentucky fighting for relevance in the SEC cannot afford too many misses, especially when a significant portion of its available roster-building budget is devoted to transfers who do not pan out. But equally important can be the ability to find under-the-radar additions who exceed expectations.
One of those additions played a key role in clinching Saturday’s win at Auburn.
The Tigers had just approached the edge of the red zone in their last chance to score a possible game-tying touchdown when outside linebacker Sam Greene essentially ended all hope for the home fans. On a third-and-10 play from the Kentucky 35-yard line, Green blew past Auburn’s right tackle to swarm quarterback Ashton Daniels before he had time to find an open receiver.
The sack backed Auburn up an additional 10 yards. With no timeouts, the Tigers had to scramble to even get another play off. The final play was snapped with under five seconds left on the clock and ended with safety Jordan Lovett intercepting a Hail Mary attempt in the end zone.
“(Greene) was on fire on the sideline today,” defensive coordinator Brad White said after the 10-3 win. “When some guys have that look in their eye and you’re like, yeah, just get him as many reps as he can get, because he’s going.”
In Kentucky’s 24-man transfer class, Greene was initially something of an afterthought.
In two seasons at Southern Cal, Greene had totaled 16 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. With three years of eligibility remaining, he was viewed as a developmental piece for Kentucky’s future while Kent State transfer Kam Olds was seen as the likely starter addition at edge rusher.
But Greene quickly locked down the starting “Jack” linebacker position in preseason camp. He has started all eight games this season, but his contributions have been more steady than flashy. Entering the Auburn game he had not recorded a tackle for loss as a Wildcat.
“I thought Sam really stood out in this game,” UK coach Mark Stoops said. “Very disruptive. Really just played very sudden, very sure, very strong, made good tackles. He executed the defense very well.
“Some things that are unseen, he played well. … He did a lot of things.”
Against Auburn, Greene contributed a career-high seven tackles to go with two tackles for loss, one sack and one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. His performance was key in the UK defense holding Auburn to 241 total yards with 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Unlike many of the transfers Kentucky added to fill the numerous holes on its depth chart last offseason, Greene is not a one-year rental.
He has two more seasons of eligibility remaining after this one, making him a potential building block for the future if Kentucky can keep him in Lexington.
“It’s big for us, it’s big for continuity,” Stoops said. “But he’s a very good player and he’s been a great leader. He’s another great person. Just love his energy, I love the way he works, and he’s very passionate.
“He’s definitely a guy that we like to have here. He’s a great fit.”
Kentucky has seen the benefit of adding transfers with multiple years of eligibility already.
Inside linebacker Daveren Rayner joined the program as a transfer from Northern Illinois three years ago. After redshirting last season in an effort to add muscle to his wiry frame, Rayner has turned into a key starter in his final season as Wildcat this year.
On offense, right guard Jalen Farmer joined Kentucky as a sophomore transfer from Florida, immediately stepping into the starting lineup. Farmer, like most of Kentucky’s offensive line, struggled at times last year, but a full offseason in the program has turned him into perhaps the best lineman on the roster this season. He was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week Monday in recognition of his performance versus Auburn.
“Obviously, the more time you have with a guy, the better,” White said.
UK coaches have applauded Greene all season for his positive attitude and infectious demeanor. Those leadership skills could be particularly important if Green sticks in Lexington for multiple seasons.
First, he will look to build on the best performance of his young career to help the Wildcats salvage something from what has been a disappointing fall so far.
“It feels great right now,” he said after the Auburn win. “We just gotta keep riding this. Keep going 1-0 each week. You got to keep winning, keep riding this wave.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
