One defensive player to watch for each Kentucky opponent in 2026
· Yahoo Sports
After previewing each Kentucky position group for the 2026 season, we now take a look at the Kentucky Wildcats power four opponents and a player that the staff will have to gameplan for. We started with one offensive player for each Kentucky opponent, which featured a ton of playmakers with different skillsets. Now, let's take a look at one defensive player from each Kentucky power four opponent. There are some game wreckers on the schedule that the offense will have to account for.
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Week 2: Alabama, S Bray Hubbard
Bray Hubbard makes plays at every level of the field, a true jack-of-all-trades for the Crimson Tide. Hubbard totaled 79 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks last season. He is a playmaker as he can create turnovers and make game breaking plays. Hubbard had four interceptions, three forced fumbles and six pass breakups as well.
Week 3: at Texas A&M, S Marcus Ratcliffe
Marcus Ratcliffe returns as a leader of the Aggies defense, after losing a ton of talent to the NFL Draft. Ratcliffe is the returning leading tackler for Texas A&M with 65 total last season. He also had three tackles for loss and three pass breakups. Ratcliffe has played a ton of snaps in his college career and the 6'2, 209-pound safety will enter his final season expecting to be a strength of Mike Elko's defense.
Week 5: at South Carolina, ED Dylan Stewart
No player on this list will keep the offensive staff up at night more than Dylan Stewart. Stewart is an elite edge defender and embodies what a game wrecker is. If you do not have a plan for him, he will destroy your offensive gameplan in a hurry and he has proved that in his two meetings with the Wildcats. Stewart has improved against the run, but he is dominant as a pure pass rusher with an exceptional first step and that explosiveness has been on display with eight quarterback hurries, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles last season.
Week 6: LSU, ED Princewill Umanmielen
Princewill Umanmielen followed Lane Kiffin to LSU after a breakout season at Ole Miss. Umanmielen had nine sacks, 13 quarterback hurries and 13 tackles for loss last season. He is expected to be the Tigers most dangerous pass rusher on the defense and consistently makes plays around the line of scrimmage.
Week 7: at Oklahoma, DT David Stone
Oklahoma might have the best overall defense on Kentucky's 2026 schedule. Brent Venables has a dynamic defense that can confuse offenses and constantly find creative ways to create pressure on the quarterbacks. Defensive tackle David Stone is a bowling ball at 6'3, 310-pounds, typically lining up over the center at nose tackle. Stone had eight tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and 1.5 sacks last season, he has legit pass rushing ability for a nose tackle mold.
Week 8: Vanderbilt, ED Miles Capers
Miles Capers returns to the Commodores as a leader of the defense, and led the team in sacks and tackles for loss last season. Capers had 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks for Vanderbilt in 2025. He also had 40 tackles, five quarterback hurries and forced a fumble. He doesn't do anything spectacular, he is just a great football player that can consistently make plays.
Week 10: at Tennessee, LB Amare Campbell
Linebacker Amare Campbell followed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Tennessee from Penn State. Knowles is on of the best defensive coordinators in the country, but his complex defense can take a year or so to get implemented. Bringing Campbell over along with other former Nittany Lions should make that transition easier. He has a nose for the football, last season at Penn State he totaled 103 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Week 11: Florida, LB Myles Graham
A familiar face takes over the Gators defense, as former Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White will be leading the Florida defense for new head coach Jon Sumrall. When White's defenses at Kentucky were at their best, they had experienced off ball linebackers in the middle. Myles Graham fits that mold as the returning leading tackler for the Gators with 76 total last season. Graham makes plays in multiple ways, he also had seven tackles for loss, seven quarterback hurries and even had four pass breakups last season.
Week 12: at Missouri, LB Robert Woodyard Jr.
Robert Woodyard Jr. was one of the top linebackers in the transfer portal and landed in Missouri for his final season. Last season at Auburn he totaled 67 tackles and seven tackles for loss. At 6'0, 241-pounds, Woodyard is an old school throwback thumper at linebacker. He will be in the middle of the defense and plays with physicality you want from your middle linebacker.
Week 13: Louisville, ED Clev Lubin
The Cardinals return one of the best edge defenders in the country in Clev Lubin. Lubin led Louisville in both sacks and tackles for loss in 2025. With 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, he is a playmaker that has a deep bag of pass rush moves. Lubin is a refined pass rusher with active hands, but he affects the game in multiple ways; he had seven quarterback hurries, five pass breakups and forced three fumbles last season.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky football: Defensive player to watch for each power 4 opponent