Kentucky has two of the best defensive ends in the SEC according to ESPN. Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith are ranked among the top ten defensive ends in the conference. Dupree and Smith both passed on the NFL Draft for another season at UK.
4. Alvin “Bud” Dupree, Sr., Kentucky: Having successfully made the transition from outside linebacker to end last season when Mark Stoops and his staff arrived, the 6-4, 267-pound Dupree has finished in the top 10 in the SEC in sacks each of the past two seasons. He’s the essence of consistency and has made at least three tackles in each of the 26 games he’s started in his college career.
10. Za’Darius Smith, Sr., Kentucky: The other half of Kentucky’s talented end tandem, the 6-6, 264-pound Smith made a big impact a year ago after coming over from junior college. He finished with six sacks and had a sack or tackle for loss in six games. Junior college players typically make a big jump in their second year in the program, which means Smith could really take off in 2014.
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