Alex Afari

2024 – Junior • Has played in 38 career games with 21 starting assignments • Saw action in all 12 games with six starts vs. South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Murray State, Texas and Louisville • Third on the team in total tackles (62) • Led the team in tackles for loss with 11.0 • Also had 1.5 sacks, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry • Had a 2.5 tackles for loss (-11 yards), including 1.5 quarterback sacks (-9), both career highs, vs. Florida • Got a career-high 10 tackles at Tennessee and vs. Louisville • Moved to inside linebacker after seeing action as a defensive back his first two seasons • Dean’s List (Spring 2024) 2023 – Sophomore • Started in 12 of 13 games played in 2023 • Totaled 49 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 1.0 sack, one quarterback hurry, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this season • Had a career-high nine tackles, including five solo tackles and one tackle for loss (-1 yard) in the win over Florida … Had two tackles on third down that forced punts, plus a fourth-down stop that turned over the ball on downs • Had eight tackles and a career-high tying 1.5 tackles for loss in the season opener vs. Ball State … Forced a fumble on the UK 34 in the second quarter, helping Kentucky record its first scoop-and-score since 2019 • Got a fumble recovery vs. EKU • Totaled four tackles, a sack and his first career pass breakup vs. Mississippi State • Had five tackles in the win over No. 9 Louisville and vs. Clemson in the Gator Bowl 2022 (Freshman) • Played in all 13 games with three starts • Totaled 21 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and one quarterback hurry • Charted his first collegiate sack in the season opener vs. Miami Ohio … Totaled six tackles in his debut and also shared a tackle for loss in addition to the sack • Led UK with five tackles in the win over Youngstown State … Also had a tackle for loss • Earned his first collegiate start and recorded three tackles in the win over Northern Illinois • Named to First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll High School • Rated a four-star by Rivals, 247Sports and on3.com • 247sports ranked him as the No. 214 overall player in the nation and No. 9 athlete • Ranked as the No. 34 cornerback in the nation and No. 12 player in Ohio by Rivals • on3 had him No. 25 nationally and No. 12 in Ohio • Named first-team Division I All-Ohio by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association and first-team All-City Division I by the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association in 2021 after leading the Firebirds to an 11-2 overall record • Had 60 tackles and six touchdowns as a senior • Helped Lakota West win the Greater Miami Conference as a junior with 16 tackles and pair of interceptions, one for a touchdown • Earned first -team All-Conference, All-Southwest Ohio and All-State honors • Coached by Tom Bolden • Participated in the Under Armour All-American camp last summer • Also a two-year letter winner in basketball as a small forward • Selected UK over Michigan State and Cincinnati Personal • Last name rhymes with “safari” • Born in Pordenone, Italy • Son of Mary Acheampong who originated from Ghana • Has two brothers, David and Sam • Brother, David, is Lakota West’s second all-time leading rusher who played two seasons at Miami (Ohio) before transferring to Northern Colorado in 2022 … Brother, Sam, is a freshman sprinter on the track team at Morehead State • Major is communication Alex Says • His nickname is “A2” • He chose Kentucky because of the people • Three words to describe him are humble, respectful, and funny • The one thing most people don’t know about him is that he speaks fluent Twi (a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana) • His favorite family recipe that he likes to eat and make is jollof rice