Alex Afari officially cleared to play for Kentucky following denied NCAA motion
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Kentucky Wildcats linebacker Alex Afari Jr. was recently granted a TRO against the NCAA, paving the way for a 5th season at Kentucky.
On Friday, the NCAA’s emergency motion in the case was denied by the Kentucky Court of Appeals. According to Abe Mashni, Afari’s lawyer, the Kentucky LB is now able to suit up for the Wildcats on Saturday against the Youngstown State Penguins.
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Afari went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and participated in a rookie minicamp with the Green Bay Packers. He did not sign an NFL contract during this time.
Afari briefly practiced with the Wildcats in August but was sidelined after the NCAA was granted a stay on Aug. 22, removing the blanket order out of Colorado granting all Class of 2022 athletes a 5th year of eligibility. After a week or two in limbo, Afari was then added to a Louisville lawsuit by Judge Brian Edwards on Wednesday, granting him and several other athletes individual TROs against the NCAA.
While he is now eligible to play, it’s uncertain whether Afari will suit up against Youngstown State. As mentioned above, Afari has had little practice time and will need some time to get back up to speed with Will Stein‘s new-look Wildcats unit.
Kentucky’s matchup against YSU is set for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network Saturday afternoon.
Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
