# UK safety Castell named Senior Bowl Defensive Player of Week **Published:** 2026-09-21T16:27:44.000Z **Source:** [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/21/kentucky-safety-jordan-castell-named-senior-bowl-defensive-player-of-the-week/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-safety-castell-named-senior-bowl-defensive-player-of-week University of Kentucky safety Jordan Castell was named the Panini Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week following the Wildcats' 31-21 victory over No. 9/8 Texas A&M, [according to UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/21/kentucky-safety-jordan-castell-named-senior-bowl-defensive-player-of-the-week/). Castell, a 6-foot-2, 211-pound senior from Orlando, recorded a team-high 13 tackles—a career high—along with a pass breakup and a crucial fourth-quarter interception that sealed Kentucky's road victory in front of more than 100,000 fans at Kyle Field. The interception came with 6:34 remaining when Castell picked off Texas A&M quarterback Marcell Reed at his own 12-yard line, thwarting a potential comeback bid by the Aggies. A transfer from the University of Florida, Castell has made an immediate impact for Kentucky, leading the team with 29 total tackles through three games. He has also recorded 2.0 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and two interceptions. The defensive back has recorded an interception in back-to-back games, both against Southeastern Conference opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 10. Castell joins outside linebacker Sam Greene as having earned weekly accolades for his performance against Texas A&M. The interception and overall defensive display also earned Kentucky the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor. Castell's pick at Kyle Field marked the second consecutive season he has recorded an interception at that venue, having also snagged picks in back-to-back weeks against Texas and Texas A&M during the 2025 season. ## Sources - [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/21/kentucky-safety-jordan-castell-named-senior-bowl-defensive-player-of-the-week/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from UK Athletics. The original source is available at https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/21/kentucky-safety-jordan-castell-named-senior-bowl-defensive-player-of-the-week/.