Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 90 Tre'vonn Rybka

As players prepare to report back to campus this week, KSR is counting down the days till Kentucky kicks off the 2022 season against Miami (Oh.). With only 90 days remaining, let’s take a closer look at Tre’vonn Rybka, a valuable piece to Kentucky’s defensive line.

About Rybka

One of the talented defensive line prospects to sign with Kentucky in 2020, Rivals ranked Tre’vonn Rybka as a four-star recruit and the No. 10 prospect from the state of Tennessee. Hailing from Dickson, he was one of the top performers in the Tennessee East-West All-Star Game, leading the team with eight total tackles, including five solos, and a fumble recovery. He’s one of the few smart ones from the Volunteer state, wisely choosing Kentucky over Tennessee.

After receiving minimal action as a true freshman, last season Rybka was Josh Paschal’s back-up. He played in 12 games to record 15 tackles and a half-sack, piling up a trio of take-downs against LSU.

Tre’vonn Rybka Career Highlight

Rybka saved his best for last. When an injury sidelined Paschal for the Citrus Bowl, he was called into action for his first career start. Rybka racked up a career-high four tackles, including one on a pivotal play in the second half. The banged up Kentucky defense struggled to slow down the Iowa offense until Rybka got into the backfield on third down.

Nice TFL moves, @trevonnrybka.

Let's see more the rest of 2022 #ForTheTeam 😼🏈 pic.twitter.com/mtClTgFG6s

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) January 3, 2022

2022 Forecast

Rybka has the tall task of replacing the irreplaceable Josh Paschal. Fortunately, he will not have do it all on his own. Former top 250 recruit Darrion Henry-Young transferred from Ohio State to Kentucky to provide some help in the pass rush. The two will alternate reps throughout the season at defensive end.

This offseason is a big one for Rybka. He’s shown that he can compete in the SEC in flashes, but conditioning will ultimately determine if he can do it on a consistent basis. Rybka spent the offseason trying to add mass. Maintaining that size while still having stamina will not be easy, but it’s a challenge he must undertake to ensure Kentucky has a stout presence on the edge of the defensive line.