As Kentucky braces for one of its biggest challenges of the season Saturday against No. 6 Ole Miss and the nation's top-rated offensive attack, the Wildcats may have found another weapon on the defensive side of the ball who could help combat the high-powered Rebels.

Freshman outside linebacker Steven Soles Jr. has seen his playing time ramp up quickly through four weeks of the season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Powell, Tenn., product has one sack and one quarterback hurry in a backup role but could see more opportunities in the weeks ahead based on what the UK staff has seen so far.

"He's a guy that is relentless and plays extremely hard and has some really good ability to rush the passer, and we need that energy and juice," Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said of the young player known by teammates as "Sack 'em Soles."

Soles, who was a modest three-star prospect coming out of the high school ranks, said he didn't enter his freshman season expecting to play as much as he has of late.

“Not really," he said after Saturday's 41-6 win over Ohio. "I just went to practice every day, worked hard, and got blessed with opportunities.”

Some considered him to be a little undersized for the SEC.

"I don’t really pay attention to my size, or what people say about my size," Soles said. "I just go hard and play 100% every time I’m on the field.”

On Wednesday, UK defensive coordinator Brad White explained why Soles has made an early splash that perhaps the national recruiting analysts were not expecting.

"He's a twitchy, relentless, violent rusher," White said. "He loves contact. He just loves football. He's got sort of a 'Tasmanian Devil' type mentality to him. That makes for a great pass-rusher.

"So much isn't just winning clean. We talk about 'bloody rushes.' So much in terms of pressure and sacks comes from bloody rushes and effort and strain. He's got all that. He's got that natural instinct of understanding a set and then, how do I adjust to the set? ... Some guys just have that, they're born with that inate instinct. He's got it."

Getting pressure on the quarterback will be a big key in Kentucky's upset chances this weekend. Ole Miss leads the nation in scoring at a gaudy 55 points per game, and Lane Kiffin's breakneck tempo offense also ranks No. 1 in passing at nearly 423 yards per game.

Ole Miss (4-0, 0-0 SEC) has allowed only six sacks this season, although the Rebels have yet to face a league opponent. Likewise, the Cats have recorded only six sacks through four games, but the unit has often been effective in hurrying the opposing quarterback, contributing to a No. 6 national ranking in total defense (217 ypg), No. 21 ranking in passing defense (142.3 ypg), and scoring defense (12.5 ppg).