How good can Kentucky’s defense really be?

by: Lukas Witt

Kentucky is less than a week away from their opening game at Kroger Field scheduled for August 31st versus the Southern Miss Golden Eagles but many have questions about the Kentucky defensive and how Defensive Coordinator Brad White can help take the next step with what’s expected to be the best defense of the Stoops era and maybe even the best in schools history. Let’s take a look at how good they can really be.

Kentucky enters the 2024 season returning 9 defensive starters, which ranked 43rd in total defense in 2023 and lead the SEC in returning production on the defensive side of the ball. Kentucky’s defense also brings in a couple of big-time transfers including Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson out of Georgia, who in 2022 was named First-Team All-American by Sporting News and ESPN, and landed on the Associated Press Second-Team All-American, as just a sophomore and helped lead the Bulldogs to a National Championship win over TCU, 65-7.

In the secondary we have Michigan transfer DJ Waller Jr. coming in as a projected starter to go along with Preseason First Team All-SEC Defensive Back, and SEC interceptions leader (5), Maxwell Hairston. DJ Waller Jr. was a true freshman last season on Michigan’s 2023 National Championship team. The former top 500 player totaled 11 tackles and 1 pass deflection for the Wolverines. Safety’s, Zion Childress and Jordan Lovett also return for the Wildcats bringing in a total of 89 tackles, 3 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions in the 2023 season.

The linebacking corps consisting of a couple returners in JJ Weaver, D’Eryk Jackson, and Alex Afari Jr., who were a solid group helping the Cats to finish 17th in rush defense in the 2023 season and combining for 70 starts. Finally, known as one of the best groups in the SEC, the defensive line, who is lead by pre-season First Team All-American, Preseason First Team All-SEC, and projected top 10 pick Deone Walker who has a career 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons, Tre’vonn Rybka a 5th year senior comes into 2024 with a career 6.5 TFL, and 2 sacks in his five years in Lexington, and former North Carolina lineman Keeshawn Silver comes in after a respectable sophmore season finishing with 17 tackles, and 2 sacks.

Brad White’s crew looks to bring a edge to themselves in the 2024 season but fans will finally get to see them in action on Caturday at Kroger Field with kickoff slated for 7:45pm and on the SEC Network for the first glimpse of the Cats.