Entering a season in which the Kentucky football offense has seen a plethora of changes, one thing that has remained a staple of the squad for years is a strong defense.
While it’s unknown what the offense will look like when the first ball is snapped, the defense is led by veteran stars that Kentucky fans have come to know and love.
Starting with the big man up front in Deone Walker, the likely NFL first round draft pick is entering his third season with the Cats and has already racked up 55 tackles with 7.5 sacks and is looking to take a step towards the pros.
Walker isn’t a solo show, however, as the defensive line has returning players across the board including Keeshawn Silver, Octavious Oxendine and Kahlil Saunders.
In fact, heading into his second season in UK blue, Silver has been making his mark in practice so far.
“Now, there’s no unknown there, he understands what’s expected,” defensive coordinator Brad White said. “He’s one of those guys I think has had a really good camp thus far.”
The defensive line only has one new face to the group for the ‘24 season, which goes a long way toward playing seamlessly as a collective unit.
“I feel like we have a real veteran team right now and I feel like a lot of guys are taking big steps,” Oxendine said on media day.
Looking at the defensive backs, Maxwell Hairston is also back in Lexington for his third year after a breakout sophomore season, leading the SEC with five interceptions.
Hairston will be playing opposite Michigan transfer DJ Waller Jr. as the 6-foot, 3-inch corner is coming off a hot start to his college football career, being named Defensive Freshman of the Week five times last year.
“I feel like we’ve built some depth at that position,” head coach Mark Stoops said on media day. “You know we’ll see a guy like DJ Waller, a transfer who has great length. JQ (Hardaway) was here last year, I’d like to see more on him, and we feel like we have a great one in Maxwell.”
Moving things over to linebacker, J.J. Weaver made the decision to return to Kentucky for an extra year and coaches are looking for consistent game-changing plays out of him, especially considering that who will be playing opposite of him is still in question.
“There are times that he can just dominate a game, and he can take over,” White said. “He understands that this is the year that he needs to do that consistently. It can’t just be one or two games and then we’ll see who can rush opposite.”
With another year under his belt, Weaver is extremely likely to crack the top five of the all-time Kentucky sack leaders list as he currently has 17 sacks – tied for sixth all-time while Jeremy Jarmon (‘06-08) sits in fifth with 17.5.
Perhaps the group with the least questions about its capabilities is the inside linebacker corps led by D’Eryk Jackson.
Kentucky’s leading tackler in both 2022 and 2023, and All-SEC defensive player will play a key role in both executing plays on the field and helping transfer Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson adjust to the Stoops defense.
Pop transferred in from Georgia, where he piled up 34 tackles — 5.5 for a loss — and 3.5 sacks in just nine games after missing the rest due to injury.
“He’s (Jackson) been really good for Pop in terms of being able to essentially translate our defense, help him grow within,” White siad of the duo. “Because every time you change systems you have to get adjusted.”
Based on the stats alone, Jackson and Dumas-Johnson have potential to be the best inside linebacker duo in the entire nation.
Overall, the ‘24 Kentucky defense will be the anchor of this year’s team; the veteran group will provide stability for a unit with numerous questions on the offensive side of the ball.
Kentucky football will kick off its 2024 season on Saturday, August 31, against Southern Miss. Kickoff against the Golden Eagles is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET and will air live on the SEC Network.
