Ranking Kentucky’s 25 Greatest Football Players

Kentucky is a basketball school. Maybe the basketball school.

It has the best winning percentage by a college program in the history of the sport. And only Kansas has accumulated more victories on the hardwood.

That success only magnifies the struggles the Wildcats have had in football.

It’s been 49 years since they won a share of their most recent SEC championship. The only other one came in 1950 with Bear Bryant as the coach. To put that into perspective, Georgia Tech and Tulane – schools that haven’t been in the conference since the 1960s – have won more SEC titles than Kentucky.

Though the football program has never come close to matching the standard set by its basketball counterpart, the Wildcats’ gridiron history is still dotted with victories to savor and star players to celebrate, including several in Kentucky’s 1,000-yard rusher club — and a few more who are part of the SEC’s 3,000-yard passer club.

Top 25 Kentucky Wildcats of All-Time

Kentucky has produced 5 College Football Hall of Famers, 4 SEC Players of the Year and 11 consensus All-Americans in its 109 seasons.

Here are the Wildcats’ 25 greatest players:

25. Howard Schnellenberger, End (1952-1955)

Before Schnellenberger became a respected and successful coach at Miami, Louisville and in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts, he was an All-American end for the Wildcats who scored touchdowns on 1 out of every 4 passes he caught during his career in Lexington. He got into the end zone 11 times on his 44 catches, including a game-winning 22-yar reception from Bob Hardy to give Kentucky a 14-13 win at Tennessee in the 1955 season finale. Schnellenberger finished his career with 618 receiving yards. He also had 3 interceptions on defense while earning a Senior Bowl invitation and helping the Wildcats to a 25-12-4 record.

24. Derrick Ramsey, QB (1975-1977)

Ramsey made history in 1975 as the first Black player to start at quarterback for the Wildcats. A year later, he made more history by leading his team to a share of the SEC championship and its first bowl bid in a quarter century. He capped his ground-breaking career with first-team all-conference and third-team All-American selections during a 1977 season that saw Kentucky go 10-1 with a No. 6 ranking. Ramsey ran for 1,764 yards and 25 touchdowns and threw for 1,653 yards and 14 scores as a college quarterback before transitioning to an NFL tight end who caught 188 passes in 10 seasons with Oakland, New England and Detroit.

23. Jeff Van Note, LB/DE (1966-1968)

Van Note is best remembered as an All=Pro center who played 18 seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, the second-longest tenure with a single team in NFL history. But he didn’t start playing the position until his second season with the team. He was drafted as a middle linebacker, who earned second-team All-SEC honors and was named the Wildcats’ MVP in 1968. Van Note actually started his college career as a running back and he showed why as a member of Kentucky’s freshman team when he ran an interception back 86 yards for a touchdown.

22. Lynn Bowden, WR/QB (2017-19)

Unquestionably the most versatile player in the 2-platoon era of Kentucky football, Bowden won the Paul Hornung Award in 2019 as the best all-purpose player in college football. Recruited as a quarterback, he was switched to wide receiver as a true freshman. He led the team with 67 receptions as a sophomore while also seeing action as a kick returner and Wildcat quarterback. He returned to his natural position 4 games into his junior season after injuries decimated Kentucky’s quarterback room and immediately energized the team by going 5-2 as a starter. Bowden set an SEC single-game record for quarterbacks by rushing for 284 yards and 4 touchdowns in a win against rival Louisville. He is the only quarterback on Kentucky’s list of 1,000-yard rushers. He led the SEC with 1,468 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing. He added 403 yards and 3 touchdowns passing, 348 receiving yards on 30 catches and 200 kickoff return yards to earn first-team All-American honors before forgoing his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.

21. Moe Williams, RB (1993-1995)

Williams set a school freshman rushing record with 986 yards in 1993, then put together another solid season as a sophomore despite his team going 1-10 before finishing his career with the best season ever for a Kentucky running back. In 1994, he broke or tied 15 school records while rushing for 1,600 yards (still the program record entering 2025) and 17 touchdowns, leading the SEC in rushing all-purpose yardage and scoring. He was the SEC’s Offensive Back of the Year and a Doak Walker Award finalist. It was a performance capped by a monster game at South Carolina in which he amassed 429 all-purpose yards (299 rushing, 57 receiving and 73 on kickoff returns), the second most in NCAA history. His 3,333 rushing yards in 3 seasons are the third-most by a Wildcat.

20. Danny Trevathan, LB (2008-2011)

Trevathan holds the distinction of being the first Kentucky linebacker to be named a first-team All-American. He earned the honor in 2010 by leading the SEC with 144 tackles, including 9 straight games with 10 or more. Then, after going through the NFL Draft evaluation process, he returned for his senior year and put together an even better season. He led the league again with 143 tackles, adding 11.5 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 5 pass breakups and 5 forced fumbles en route to winning National Linebacker of the Year honors from the College Football Performance Awards. A Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos, Trevathan was inducted into the UK Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020.

19. George Blanda, QB (1945-1948)

You could say that Blanda was destined for a legendary career as a player. That’s because his first 2 coaches were legends themselves, Bear Bryant at Kentucky and George Halas with the Chicago Bears. Blanda was already on campus when Bryant arrived in 1946, and he was the Wildcats’ leading passer in both his junior and senior seasons, throwing for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also served as the team’s punter and place-kicker. His time in Lexington was only just the starting point for an incredible career that lasted until 1976 when he finally retired as the oldest player to take a snap in an NFL game just 1 month shy of his 49th birthday.

18. Joe Federspiel, LB (1969-1971)

One of the best in a long line of great Kentucky linebackers, Federspiel was twice named All-ACC during his 3 varsity seasons, including 1971 when he made the first team and earned second-team All-American recognition. A fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 1972, he played 10 seasons in the NFL before returning to the SEC as an on-the-field official, although by conference rules he was not permitted to work games involving his alma mater.

17. Derek Abney, WR/KR (2000-2003)

On the afternoon of Sept. 28, 2002 at The Swamp in Gainesville, Abney launched himself into UK lore and the NCAA record books by becoming the first player in recorded college football history to score touchdowns on a punt return, a kickoff return and a pass reception in the same game. It was the highlight of a season that saw him set 5 NCAA records, 9 SEC records and 10 school marks by returning 6 kicks for touchdowns (4 kickoffs, 2 punts) and earning consensus first-team All-American recognition. In addition to his work on special teams, Abney was also an elite receiver. He ranks second on Kentucky’s career list with 197 catches and third with 2,339 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. His 5,856 all-purpose yardage is the most in school history and was the second-most in the SEC at the time of his graduation.

16.Warren Bryant, OT (1973-1976)

When Bryant arrived on campus in 1973, a teammate took one look at him and remarked that the 6-6, 273-pound freshman looked like a Clydesdale. From that moment, he became known as “Clyde.” He was a horse the Wildcats rode to a share of the SEC championship in 1976. Bryant became the only Kentucky player ever to win the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the league’s top offensive lineman that season. He also earned first-team All-American status while making the All-SEC first team for the third straight year. He was the sixth player taken, by the Atlanta Falcons, in the 1977 NFL Draft. His jersey No. 66 has been retired by the Wildcats.

15. Jim Kovach, LB (1974-1976, 1978)

A 3-time All-SEC linebacker, Kovach holds the school record with 521 career tackles. He helped Kentucky win the SEC championship in 1976, but was forced to sit out the following season as a redshirt because of injury. He returned in 1978 to lead the Wildcats with 164 tackles and get drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. All while attending medical school. Kovach continued his studies during an NFL career during which he gained notoriety as the player who tackled Walter Payton on the run that broke Jim Brown’s career rushing record. He was a member of the first class inducted into Kentucky’s Athletic Hall of Fame and is a member of the NFL’s concussion committee.

14. Craig Yeast, WR (1995-1998)

Yeast took advantage of his status as Hall of Famer Tim Couch’s primary target to become the most prolific receiver in Kentucky history. The former high school quarterback is the Wildcats’ all-time leader in receptions (208), receiving yards (2,899) and receiving touchdowns (28). Against Vanderbilt during his senior season, he connected with Couch 16 times for 269 yards, both school records. He also returned 3 kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns that year. His 4 touchdown grabs against Mississippi State in 1997 are tied for the most ever. A first-team All-SEC selection in 1998, Yeast ended his career as the conference’s all-time receptions leader.

13. Dermontti Dawson, OG (1984-1987)

Dawson was a center and long snapper during a 13-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he won a Super Bowl, was named to the All-Pro team 7 times and earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But he played guard during his 4 seasons at Kentucky, where he earned acclaim for his leadership and his stellar play as a blocker opening holes for 3 of the best running backs in school history – Mark Higgs, George Adams and Marc Logan. Dawson was a key member of the team that beat Wisconsin in the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl and was named to the All-SEC second team as a senior in 1987.

12. Sonny Collins, RB (1972-1975)

Collins’ running provided one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak 9-season stretch that saw the Wildcats finish with a winning record only once between 1967 and 1975. The 3-time All-SEC selection was the conference Player of the Year in 1973 after leading the league with 1,213 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He is the first 1,000-yard rusher in Kentucky history. He also topped the 1,000-yard mark as a senior 2 seasons later on the way to becoming Kentucky’s all-time leading rusher with 3,835 career yards – a title he held onto for 43 years until Benny Snell finally surpassed him in 2019.

11. Benny Snell, RB (2016-2018)

Snell is 1 of only 4 SEC running backs to rush for 1,000 yards in 3 consecutive seasons. Georgia’s Herschel Walker and the Arkansas duo of Darren McFadden and Alex Collins also did it. (Other players at SEC schools also accomplished that feat, but they weren’t in the SEC at the time.) The powerfully built 5-11, 224-pound workhorse broke 6 school freshman records in 2016, then continued to increase his production in each successive season. In 2017, he became the first Kentucky player to post 10 or more 100-yard games by the end of his sophomore season and the only 19th SEC player to reach 2,000 career yards in his first 2 seasons. He then capped his standout career by rushing for a career-high 1,449 yards with 16 touchdowns to earn first-team All-SEC honors. He rushed for 3,873 yards, breaking Sonny Collins’ school record on a 12-yard touchdown run against Penn State in his final game, the 2019 Citrus Bowl. His 48 rushing touchdowns are also the most by a Wildcat.

10. Jared Lorenzen, QB (2000-2003)

Lorenzen didn’t fit the traditional mold of a star quarterback. At 285 pounds, he was known as the “Hefty Lefty” because of his size and the fact that he was a southpaw. But he was more than just a curiosity. Despite playing for 3 different head coaches during his 4 seasons with the Wildcats, Lorenzen managed to put up numbers even better than those of Hall of Famer Tim Couch. He led the SEC with 3,687 passing yards as a freshman and 24 touchdowns as a junior. He set a single-game school record by throwing for 528 yards against Georgia in 2000 and his 10,354 yards are 1,000 more than anyone else in school history. He also holds the Kentucky record for touchdown responsibility with 90 (78 passing, 12 rushing).

9. André Woodson, QB (2004-2007)

Woodson was in danger of losing his starting job after 2 so-so seasons to start his career with the Wildcats. But after being pushed by backup Curtis Pulley during spring practice before his junior season, he responded by putting together 2 of the best seasons in Wildcats history.  He led the SEC in passing yards with 3,515 while becoming only the second Kentucky quarterback to reach the 30-touchdown mark in 2006, a season that ended with the Wildcats beating Clemson in the Music City Bowl for their first postseason win in 22 years. Woodson followed that up by throwing for 3,709 yards and 40 scores in 2007. Along the way, he set a new NCAA record by throwing 325 straight passes without an interception while surpassing Jared Lorenzen’s school record with 79 career touchdown passes.

8. Steve Meilinger, Back/End (1951-1953)

A 6-3, 225-pound native or Western Pennsylvania, Meilinger lived up to his nickname of “Mr. Everything” by excelling at virtually every position on the field during his College Football Hall of Fame career with the Wildcats. As a sophomore, he led the team with 41 catches for 576 yards and 8 touchdowns. As a junior, he ran for 382 yards, caught passes for 328 yards and threw for 127 while accounting for 10 total touchdowns, punting for a 35.8 average, returning kickoffs and intercepting a pass. He led Kentucky in receiving and interceptions in his final season helping Bear Bryant’s team to a victory in the 1952 Cotton Bowl. A 3-year All-SEC selection and 2-time All-American who saw time at end, halfback, quarterback and linebacker, Meilinger served as a tank commander in the Army and a US Marshall before and after a 6-season pro career with the Redskins, Packers and Steelers.

7. Randall Cobb, WR/RB/QB (2008-2010)

Everyone who follows football knows what the “Wildcat” formation is. Few, however, realize that it was named for Cobb, who would occasionally move under center in key situations to confound defenses with his running and passing skills. He is the modern-day version of Hall of Famer Meilinger. He was a do-it-all athlete who earned SEC All-Freshman honors as a quarterback before moving into a hybrid role that saw him excel as a receiver, a runner, a kick returner and even the holder for field goals and extra points, in addition to his Wildcat duties. In October 2010, Cobb scored 4 touchdowns while also throwing for one in an upset of eventual national champion Auburn. He set the single-season school record with 2,396 all-purpose yards that season and his 37 total touchdowns (22 rushing, 13 receiving,  rushing, 2 punt returns) were also the most in Kentucky history when he left for the NFL after his junior season of 2010.

6. Josh Hines-Allen, OLB (2015-2018)

One of the greatest defensive players in school history almost never went to Kentucky. He was so lightly recruited out of high school that he committed to play at Monmouth. It was only after an opposing coach in New Jersey called his brother who was a member of Mark Stoops’ staff and told him about Hines-Allen that he was finally offered an opportunity to play for the Wildcats. Kentucky’s all-time sacks leader punctuated a productive college career with a senior season that saw him win both the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s best defensive player. Hines-Allen was also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and the Lott Impact Award winner after recording a school-record 17 sacks to go along with 84 tackles and SEC-leading totals of 18.5 tackles for loss and 5 forced fumbles. In addition to his 31.5 career sacks, his 11 career forced fumbles are tied for the most ever by a Wildcat defender. 

5. Bob Gain, Tackle (1947-1950)

Winner of the 1950 Outland Trophy as college football’s best interior lineman, Gain earned his place in the College Football Hall of Fame by spending 4 seasons as a powerful blocker on offense, relentless defender and place-kicker while leading the Wildcats to their first SEC championship. Gain’s most memorable contributions came during his senior season, in which Kentucky went 10-1 with a win against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, were his blocked kicks against North Texas and Georgia Tech. He recovered both inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line, leading to Kentucky touchdowns. Gain was a consensus All-American and the SEC Player of the Year in 1950. After serving as an officer in the Air Force during the Korean War, Gain returned to play 10 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

4. Babe Parilli, QB (1949-1951)

Parilli was the trigger man for coach Bear Bryant’s innovative T-formation that rolled up record numbers and helped the Wildcats to 3 straight New Year’s Day bowls, a stretch in which Kentucky went 28-8. He was a consensus All-American while leading his team to an SEC title in 1950 and again in 1951. Parilli was a skilled ball-handler whose convincing play fakes helped receivers get wide open behind opposing defenses. Kentucky outscored its opponents by a whopping 684-115 margin during his sophomore and junior seasons. Parilli took advantage by throwing for 50 touchdowns, a mark that still ranks fourth on the school’s all-time list. His 4,351 passing yards are also among the top 10 in Kentucky history. He played 18 professional seasons in the AFL, NFL and CFL, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

3. Lou Michaels, Tackle (1955-1957)

One of 5 Kentucky players in the College Football Hall of Fame, Michaels was a standout tackle who played on both sides of the ball during the era of 2-way football. He joined Parilli as one of only 2 Wildcats to earn consensus All-American recognition more than once. In addition to playing virtually every down on both the offensive and defensive lines, he also punted and handled the place-kicking duties. Michaels took particular pride in beating arch-rival Tennessee, something Kentucky did twice in 3 tries during his career. After the win in 1957, Michaels was quoted as saying “Nothing sucks like a Big Orange.” He was named the SEC Player of the Year in 1957 and finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, an amazing accomplishment for an interior lineman in any era. He went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL, winning a league championship with the Baltimore Colts in 1968.

2. Art Still, DE (1974-1977)

Still was a ferocious defender who was a key contributor to one of the best 2-year stretches in Wildcats history. In 1976, the imposing 6-7, 245-pound defensive end led Kentucky to a 9-3 record and a share of the SEC championship. The following year, as a senior, he was a consensus first-team All-American, was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was a Lombardi Award finalist for his play on a team that went 10-1 but was ineligible for the conference title because of NCAA probation. A 4-year starter who gained entry into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015, Still amassed 327 career tackles. Although sacks were not an official stat during his era, his 22 tackles for losses in 1978 are still a school record. In addition to his defensive prowess, Still also averaged around 15 plays per game on offense as a blocking tight end in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He was the No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick and played 12 seasons for for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.

1. Tim Couch, QB (1996-1998)

Benefitting from the arrival of new coach Hal Mumme and the Air Raid offense prior to his sophomore season, Couch put up passing numbers never before achieved by an SEC quarterback. As a junior in 1998, the homegrown Kentucky native completed 72.3% of his passes for 4,275 yards, a conference record that stood until Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow broke it in 2019.

Couch was a first-team All-American who was named SEC Player of the Year, SEC Male Athlete of the Year and finished fourth in the Heisman voting  Couch finished his career with the Wildcats with 8,435 passing yards and 74 touchdowns, numbers that would have been even more impressive had he not left for the NFL Draft – where he was the No. 1 overall pick – with a year of eligibility remaining. He still holds NCAA records for single-game completion percentage (.830 vs. Vanderbilt) and completions per game (36.4), both in 1998, along with numerous school records and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Not only is he part of the SEC’s 3,000-yard passer club, he and Woodson are the only Kentucky QBs to throw for 3,000 yards in a season twice.

Brett Friedlander

Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.