These three Kentucky football defenders could be key to bowl push after injuries
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Season-ending injuries force Kentucky to reshape defense and test depth.
- Young backups Cowan, Godfrey and Dooley seized extended snaps and produced.
- Kentucky must upset Vanderbilt or Louisville to reach six wins and bowl.
Season-ending injuries to two regular starters have thrown Kentucky football’s defensive depth chart into flux ahead of a pivotal three-game stretch to end the 2025 season.
Saturday’s matchup with Tennessee Tech would normally present an opportunity to find snaps for younger backups, but the Golden Eagles’ undefeated record suggests Kentucky will need its best players on the field longer than one might normally expect against an FCS team. Even if Kentucky takes care of business against Tennessee Tech, it must upset one of Vanderbilt or Louisville in the final two games to reach six wins and bowl eligibility.
The good news for the Wildcats is the young defenders who were forced into action in the blowout win over Florida due to injuries to outside linebacker Sam Greene, inside linebacker Alex Afari and safety Jordan Lovett performed well. Greene and Lovett are out for the season, and Afari is likely to miss at least this week’s game, so those players will be needed again.
Here’s a closer look at the new faces playing key roles on Kentucky’s defense.
OLB Lorenzo Cowan
Kentucky first recruited Cowan out of high school as part of the class of 2024, but the Georgia prep star elected to sign with Southern Cal rather than follow his older brother Tavion Gadson to Lexington. Cowan spent one season at USC but did not appear in a game while redshirting.
He then entered the transfer portal after spring practice and committed to Kentucky. By the time Cowan arrived at Kentucky, UK had already integrated Greene and senior Kam Olds as transfers at the outside linebacker position. He played in just one of UK’s first four games this season.
Cowan had already started to see his role expand before Greene’s injury. He contributed his first tackle for loss in the win at Auburn the week before.
With Greene unavailable for most of the Florida game, Cowan totaled four tackles and one-half tackle for loss.
“I think we’re just starting to scratch the surface,” defensive coordinator Brad White said. “He was a guy that we didn’t get till the summer in that second window. And so, we talk about all the time, when you play that outside backer position it just takes some time to get adjusted. He’s starting to get settled in and play fast and play confident.”
ILB Grant Godfrey
A consensus four-star prospect in the high school class of 2023, Godfrey appears to finally be getting his chance to play extended snaps in the heart of Kentucky’s defense in his third year in the program. He opened the season as one of the primary backups behind Afari and Daveren Rayner at inside linebacker and has taken over a larger share of the backup snaps as the season has progressed.
On the season, Godfrey has been credited with 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He is the son of former Georgia All-SEC linebacker Randall Godfrey, so the step into the spotlight is likely something he has been preparing for for years.
“Really proud of Grant,” UK coach Mark Stoops said. “I thought he really stepped up, did some really good things (against Florida). The experience of playing a talented team in space against Florida, want to see proper angles, leverage, just playing. We appreciate it because we trust him more and more.”
S Cam Dooley
Of the three players on this list, Dooley was expected to play the largest role entering the season.
The former four-star recruit played in all 12 games as a freshman in 2024, primarily contributing on special teams but entered spring practice as the Wildcats’ No. 3 safety behind Lovett and Ty Bryant. This season, he has 19 tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble.
Against Florida, Dooley totaled four tackles, one-half tackle for loss and one forced fumble
“I have a lot of trust in Cam,” Stoops said. “He’s played a lot, probably could play more. But those two guys are playing so good with Ty and (Lovett), so I think they are both really good players. Cam is a guy that we look at as a starter, and he’ll do a nice job.”