Story by
Wildcats Wire
2026 Kentucky Wildcats football position preview: Linebacker
- Story byWildcats Wire
- 2026 Kentucky Wildcats football position preview: Linebacker
We are gearing up for the first season of the Will Stein era with the Kentucky Wildcats . After going through the offensive side of the ball position by position to see how the project in the 2026 season, we continue on the defensive side of the football. We have covered the defensive line , which surprisingly has the most depth of any position group on the roster. Now, we turn our attention to the linebacker room.
Starters
-
Elijah "Bo" Barnes
Advertisement
Grant Godfrey returns to the Wildcats after a strong season a year ago. Despite only starting in two games late in the year, Godfrey was a rotational linebacker that appeared in all 12 games. He totaled 34 tackles and two tackles for loss. He can move sideline to sideline, which is a trend in this current room, and Godfrey is expected to be the leader of this group in 2026.
Bo Barnes comes over from Texas after a redshirt season and was recently a highly touted linebacker prospect coming out of high school where he was a top five linebacker according to On3, Rivals and 247Sports. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp at Texas tried to get Barnes back in burnt orange after he entered the portal, but Stein and his staff moved quickly. The staff is expecting Barnes to live up to his prospect rating and become an immediate impact on the defense.
At 6'1, 244-pounds, Barnes moves quick for his size. In the four games he appeared in for the Longhorns last season, he recorded four tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack. He will be a mismatch on delayed blitzes and sim pressures. He without a doubt has the highest ceiling of any player in this room.
Backups
Advertisement
Antwan Smith was alongside Godfrey in the spring game with the starting group, but expect Barnes to eventually be tabbed the starter. Smith saw action in all 12 games last season and had six tackles and a pass breakup. Smith and Godfrey both showed some flashes and a next step is needed from both. Smith will be heavily involved in the rotation and has the makeup to be a good coverage linebacker.
Tavion Wallace, brother of former Wildcat Trevin Wallace , is looking to follow his big brother's footsteps at Kentucky. The Arkansas transfer was also a highly rated recruit out of high school recently. Wallace is a fluid mover for his size, similar to his brother. At 6'1, 241-pounds, he has the makeup to become a starting linebacker in the SEC, but expect to just see him in the rotation this fall and make a small impact in limited snaps.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky football: Previewing the 2026 linebacker position
