Linemen Sam Anaele, Josh Jones no longer with Kentucky Football

A couple of veteran Kentucky offensive linemen are hanging up their pads. Defensive end Sam Anaele and offensive tackle Josh Jones are medically retiring, according to a University of Kentucky spokesperson.

By medically retiring, each player will be able to complete their graduation requirements while staying on an academic scholarship. It will not count against UK’s 85-man roster limit.

Josh Jones came to Kentucky from one of the South’s most prolific prep football programs, Phenix City-Central. Since the three-star prospect joined Kentucky’s 2020 recruiting class, Kentucky has recruited multiple players from the school: WR Karmello English, WR Cam Coleman and CB JQ Hardaway, who transferred from Cincinnati to UK this offseason. Jones did not see the field during his time in Lexington that was cut short by a season-ending knee injury in 2022.

Sam Anaele brought an athletic toolbox and a high ceiling with him to Kentucky. A native of Nigeria, he moved to the states to try his hand at basketball, then blossomed into a sought-after South Florida football prospect. Anaele was an Under Armour All-American and a four-star prospect in the class of 2020, ranked as high as the No. 96 overall prospect in the country by Rivals. He chose Kentucky over nearby Miami.

Anaele’s recruiting ranking was mostly a projection on what the 6-foot-4 athlete could transform into at the college level. Unfortunately, he failed to take those next steps in his development in Lexington. He appeared in four games over the last two seasons, highlighted by a two-tackle performance in the 2021 win over Louisville.

It’s a shame that injuries limited each player’s prospective college careers, but neither were projected to make a significant mark on the two-deep this fall. Kentucky’s final roster is taking shape. The official UK Athletics roster does not include the full freshman class, but we are approaching the final 85. Adam Luckett will break down the Cats’ scholarship distribution later this morning.