Alex Afari Jr. and Aidan Laros are the returning Cats to make the All-SEC Team.
Four Kentucky Wildcats have been named to the preseason All-Southeastern Conference team by Phil Steele, it was announced this week.
Senior punter Aidan Laros was named to the second team, while graduate offensive linemen Joshua Braun and Alex Wollschlaeger earned third-team honors. Senior inside linebacker Alex Afari Jr. was listed on the fourth team.
Laros, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, transferred to UK in 2024 after two seasons at Charlotte and one at UT Martin. Last season, he saw action in all 12 games, handling kickoffs and serving as the Wildcat’s primary punter in the last nine games.
He totaled 32 punts for 1,453 yards for a 45.4 average. He totaled 10 fair catches and three touchbacks with 11 punts landing inside the 20-yard line. He had 10 punts that went over 50 yards, including a season-long 66-yard punt at Texas and a 61-yarder at Tennessee.
Off the field, Laros excels in the classroom with a double major in finance and accounting. He was named to the 2024 Division I Academic All-District Team by College Sports Communicators, was named to the Dean’s List for the Spring semester and earned a spot on the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
Braun, of Live Oak, Florida, is a 6-foot-6, 340-pound offensive lineman who transferred to Kentucky in January after two seasons at Arkansas and three seasons at Florida. He has played in 50 career games with 32 career starts.
Last season at Arkansas, he started in all 12 games and played an integral role in helping Arkansas rush for 200-plus yards in its first three games of the season. In 2023, he was named second-team All-SEC by The Associated Press.
Braun earned a bachelor’s degree in classical studies from Florida in December of 2022 and a master’s of business administration from Arkansas in December of 2024. He is currently working on a graduate certificate in nonprofit management at UK.
Wollschlaeger is a 6-7, 310-pound graduate of Aurora, Illinois. He transferred to Kentucky in January after five seasons at Bowling Green State. During his career, he has amassed 2,341 career snaps as a three-year starter for the Falcons. He was a two-time All-Mid-American Conference selection and a two-time Academic All-MAC member.
In 2024, he started in 12 games at right tackle, helping lead the Falcons to a 7-5 overall record, including a 6-2 mark in conference play. He earned First Team All-MAC honors and was on the watch lists for the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.
Wollschlaeger graduated cum laude from Bowling Green State in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in business and an emphasis in supply chain management and international business. He went on to earn a master’s of business administration from BGSU in December of 2024. He is currently working on an undergraduate certificate in business at UK.
Afari, a senior inside linebacker from Cincinnati, has totaled 132 career tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups in three seasons as a Wildcat. He ranked third on the team in total tackles as a junior with 62 and led the team in tackles for loss with 11.0. He posted a career-high 10 tackles at Tennessee and vs. Louisville.
Afari, a member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and Dean’s List, is on track to graduate in the Spring of 2026 with a degree in communication.