In the wake of a season-opening 14-3 win over Western Kentucky, the UK defense has been in somewhat of a unique position. After shutting down the Hilltoppers, the defense has been primarily credited for carrying the Wildcats to victory.On the defense, Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy have deservedly gotten a great deal of attention for their performances in the win. Trevathan led the way with 13 tackles and Guy chipped in 10 tackles of his own, along with a pair of interceptions and 2.5 tackles for loss in a new hybrid role.In spite of their stellar games, Trevathan and Guy are far from the only members of the defense who deserve credit. Foremost among UK’s unheralded stars are linebacker Ronnie Sneed and safety Martavius Neloms. Sneed, for one, couldn’t be less concerned with accolades and recognition. He’s simply worried about playing the game.”I just go out there and play,” Sneed said. “I’m not really in it for the fame; I do it just because I love the game. I try to play hard for my team and great things happened for me last Thursday.”Neloms takes it a step further, saying that the lack of attention he receives helps him when he steps on the field.”They don’t really expect me to come out and make big plays so that gives me a chance to be around the ball a lot,” Neloms said. “If they expect me, they shy away from me a little more so it gives me a chance to make more plays for the defense.”If Neloms continues to play as he did last Thursday, opponents won’t be able to afford ignoring him for long. The junior from Memphis, Tenn., made five tackles and had a direct hand in two of the four turnovers the Wildcats forced.”He got one and caused one,” co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter said. “His striking ability caused a turnover and his ball skills and presence of mind to be a center fielder forced another takeaway.”In the third quarter, Neloms delivered a hit that dislodged the ball from a Hilltopper receiver. On the deflection, Sneed grabbed an interception. In the fourth quarter, Neloms had an interception of his own, picking off a Kawaun Jukes pass in the waning minutes to all but seal the outcome. The game was Neloms’ first at safety after being converted from cornerback this offseason. When told of the transition, Neloms immediately embraced it. He felt his playmaking skills would be best-suited as a ball-hawking safety in Minter’s aggressive new scheme.”I thought it was a great idea because I feel like I’m a natural safety,” Neloms said. “I was pretty good at corner but I felt like I could make a lot more plays at safety.”The way Neloms played in just his first game at the new spot was a signal that big things could be in store for him this season.”He did his job quite well, which means the safeties are capping off on the back end and we didn’t get any balls thrown over our heads,” Minter said. “He did a nice job in his first game at the new spot. I’m glad we moved him there and I look forward to a bigger year out of him.”Sneed, having made an interception thanks to Neloms, was also completely in favor of the move.” ‘Tay’ is aggressive,” Sneed said. “I think that was the best move for him. He’s all about hitting. He’s like a small linebacker and he’s playing pretty good.”Neloms was one of a number of defensive players to switch positions over the offseason, but Sneed stayed put at middle linebacker. However, new responsibilities have made Sneed feel like he is playing a new position as well.”With this new defense, it’s almost like I did have to move to a new position because everything that I’m doing is a whole lot different,” Sneed said. “From my pass coverages, to the way I (play the run), and my whole leadership role in this defensive scheme, it’s almost like I am in a whole new position. With our old scheme, I didn’t have to make as many calls as I do now.”Sneed was effective in leading his teammates and making calls during the opener, but he still had time to make plenty of plays of his own. He was tied with Guy for second on the team in tackles with 10 to go with that interception and a pass break-up. The combination of production and leadership that Sneed brings is just what Minter is looking for.”We ask a lot of our linebackers, particularly the man in the middle,” Minter said. “That’s Ronnie Sneed right now and he makes a lot of calls for us. He gets us lined up in what we try to do. Danny is taking great ownership of that also. I’ve been told Ronnie played one of his better games in a while and that was good to see that we can get that kind of production and leadership out of our senior linebacker.”Sneed was thankful to have made as many plays as he did because of how competitive he is with his fellow linebackers. That competitiveness accompanies a sense of team that could carry the group to new heights. “The first thing we did when we got on the bus was check the stat sheets to see who had the most tackles,” Sneed said. “We’re very competitive but we love one another and we’re out there doing it for each other.”All the plays the linebackers made would have been impossible if not for the work that UK’s defensive line did. That fact is not lost on Sneed. He thinks of defensive lineman like Luke McDermott, Donte Rumph and Collins Ukwu as the true unsung heroes of Rick Minter’s unit.”My d-line, they keep those big guys off me, especially with this new scheme,” Sneed said. “They’re always stunting and doing different things to keep the offensive linemen on their heels. It helps me be able to roam around and not get blocked as much. They do a lot of the dirty work for me.”