Ty Bryant Named a Lott IMPACT Trophy Quarterfinalist
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky senior safety Ty Bryant has been named one of 16 quarterfinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy as selected by the Pacific IMPACT Foundation.
The Lott Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive player, who exhibits the characteristics of Ronnie Lott by making an impact on and off the field. IMPACT is an acronym for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. Semifinalists for the award will be announced in mid-November. Josh Allen is UK’s only previous winner of the award when he captured the honor in 2018.
Bryant, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, boasts a 3.825 grade-point average with a major in communication. The senior is a two-time Southeastern Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll member after being named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll as a freshman. He has also been named to the UK’s Dean’s List five times. In 2024, he was named to the Division I Academic All-District Team by CSC.
In 2025, Bryant was the first Wildcat to be named a First-Team Academic All-American since Will Levis in 2022. Bryant is the 23rd player in school history to earn the official Academic All-America honor bestowed by CSC (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America). Those 23 players have been named first or second team a total of 27 times. Bryant is the 14th Wildcat to be voted a first teamer.
He’s also a leader off the field, serving on UK’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the SEC’s Football Leadership Council.
On the gridiron, Bryant is a three-year letterwinner who has started in 31 of 43 career games for the Wildcats, including 24 in a row. He is third on the 2026 squad with 44 tackles and ranks 41st nationally among active players in career interceptions with six.
Bryant totaled a team-high 10 tackles and charted his first collegiate sack on a third-down play in the second quarter against Alabama. He accumulated 10 stops and generated a pass breakup in the win over No. 9/8 Texas A&M on the road. The 6-foot, 196-pounder had six tackles and a second-half interception in the win over No. 10/10 LSU.
For his career, Bryant has amassed 206 tackles, including five for a loss. He has four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Bryant and the Cats return to action with a road contest at Oklahoma on Saturday. The game is set to kick at 7:30 p.m. ET and it will air on SEC Network.
