The world of college sports has been in complete disarray recently as the NCAA continues to battle players and the court system over who is eligible to play. Most recently, the NCAA excluded the 2022 class from their new 5-for-5 rule, and the courts have become involved again, maybe to the advantage of the Kentucky football team.
While Mark Pope and the basketball team await word on Mark Mitchell, Will Stein and the football program have taken another step. According to Stein, linebacker Alex Afari has been added to the current roster.
When speaking to the media, Stein had this to say:
Alex Afari has been cleared to practice with our team based on the guidance from our compliance staff and the SEC. So his competition eligibility remains under review like most of these cases. We’re awaiting further clarification before he would be permitted to play in games with us this season.
Afari was a leader on the defense over the past few seasons, totaling 123 tackles, including 18 for a loss. He also recorded four sacks.
The NCAA is currently fighting the recent rulings through appeal, so things can certainly change. However, for now, Afari qualifies for a fifth season, and since he's going back to his original school, he doesn't have the added difficulty of the transfer portal.
It's an evolving situation, and we will update things as there are updates.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky has re-added a class of 2022 player...for now