Five 2023 Athletes to Watch

Over the past several weeks, I have been focusing on some intriguing seniors in the state of Kentucky to watch at each position. While I have been keying in on players on either the offensive or defensive side of the ball, there are a lot of players in this state that thrive equally on both sides of the ball. With that being said, I wanted to take the time to focus on players that play the "athlete" role, which means that they are dangerous from multiple positions. Here are five players that stood out to me in the class of 2023 that fit that description. [player_tooltip player_id="102291" first="Aden" last="Nelson"]| 6’2", 185 lbs.| Woodford County High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12857324/61a3f5e64bb31b0accf3deba">Junior Year Film</a> Nelson is a player that has started to make a name for himself in recruiting circles. The defensive back/wide receiver currently holds Division I offers from Tennessee State, Navy, Miami (OH), Akron, Army, and Ball State. He is coming off an impressive junior season in which he finished with 34 receptions for 763 yards and nine touchdowns, along with 56 tackles, four interceptions, two tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. On offense, he is a very dangerous deep threat on the outside with impressive speed to create separation. He is also a very good route runner and has tremendous ability after the catch with the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to break tackles in the open field or simply make defenders miss. As a defensive back, he has seen reps both as a corner and safety. Nelson has impressive route recognition skills which enable him to break on the ball to make plays. He also does a great job of coming downhill to provide run support and is a physical tackler that runs his feet on contact. Nelson is also a star on the basketball court as he helped lead Woodford County to a District Championship win last year and was named District MVP. I fully expect Nelson’s list of offers to expand this summer and wouldn’t be surprised at all to see some Power 5 schools come after him. Peyton Ledford| 6’3", 250 lbs.| Franklin County High School|<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11936857/61af953c0c5e520a1c428d2f"> Junior Year Film</a> Peyton Ledford is a strong, physical presence on the football field that Franklin County uses in many different ways to help them win. His main position and where I personally think he is at his best is at inside linebacker. Ledford does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry. He fills the gap and is a brick wall as a defender, not allowing for many opportunities for extra yards. As a tackler, he is very physical at the point of attack and runs his feet through contact. He is also very fluid in coverage, reading routes and showing the ability to make plays on the ball. Peyton has also been used as a defensive end in certain packages, showing impressive pass rush moves off the edge and the ability to shoot the inside gap. On offense, he is used in a tight end/H-back role. He is a tremendous blocker in the run game, running his feet on contact and finishing his blocks, driving opposing defenders yards down the field on many occasions. He has also shown that he can slip out and be a reliable receiver when asked to do so in the passing game. Ledford currently holds offers from Morehead State, UT Martin, Army, and Findlay, and I expect more to keep coming as he has been hard at work, taking advantage of camp and college visit opportunities this summer. Damin Green| 5’10", 180 lbs.| Bryan Station High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12926336/61928a0990ef7d034419bb72">Junior Year Film</a> Green is the type of player that makes an offensive coordinator’s job easy as you can simply put the ball in his hands and let him do the rest. He is mainly used as a receiver and is dangerous all over the field. Green has the speed to run by defenders in the deep passing game with the athletic ability to go up and win jump balls. He is also dangerous in the short passing game with the speed and elusiveness to take a short pass all the way to the end zone at any given moment. Green also has shown the ability to hurdle defenders on many different occasions, which makes it even harder for an opposing defender to make a decision when trying to tackle him. He is also Bryan Station’s primary return man on kickoffs and punts with tremendous ability to flip the field for the offense or simply return a kick for a touchdown. While most of his damage is done with the ball in his hands, Green also sees some snaps as a defensive back, showing the ability to break on the ball to make plays. Damin currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, UT Martin, and Tennessee Tech, and I expect more to come as he is another player that has had eyes on him in the summer camp circuit. Kaden Gardner| 5’11", 170 lbs.| Ryle High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13259191/619ecd96c11a0a0b68b880e8">Junior Year Film</a> Kaden Gardner is a big piece of Ryle’s game plan on both sides of the ball as he starts at receiver and free safety. As a junior, he finished with 59 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. On offense, he caught 56 passes for 786 yards and seven touchdowns but had 1,216 total all-purpose yards and eight total touchdowns. He also gets the job done in the classroom, holding a 4.1 GPA, and is also a star for the track and field team, ranking in the top 50 in high jump in the entire country. As a safety, he has tremendous ball skill, showing the ability to break on the ball to make plays. He also takes great angles to get to the ball when the play is away from him and is a very reliable open field tackler. At receiver, he uses his speed to pose as a deep threat but also shows the ability to run away from defenders after the catch. He also has tremendous vision with the ball in his hands, allowing him to make cuts in the open field after the catch and as a returner on special teams. Gardner currently holds an offer from Indiana State but I am surprised that more haven’t come as he would be a tremendous addition for any team. Jayshaun Ethridge| 5’9", 175 lbs.| Madison Southern High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8049924/621fbe7f344908078c8c33a2">Junior Year Film</a> The first two words that come to mind when watch Ethridge’s film are "speed" and "elusiveness." He is a weapon that Madison Southern looks to get the ball to in many different ways. Ethridge lines up in the slot as a receiver and has tremendous route running ability with quick cuts to create separation from defenders. He also uses his speed to run by defenders in the deep passing game. When the ball is thrown his way, Jayshaun has impressive hands and the athletic ability to go up and win contested jump balls against opposing defensive backs. On defense, Ethridge is a lock down corner on the outside with the ability to turn and run with defenders and mirror their routes effectively. He shows impressive ball skills with the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing to make plays. He also does a great job of coming downhill and providing run support as he is a very reliable open field tackler. Ethridge also shows that he can be reliable off the field as he has a 4.0 GPA. While he doesn’t currently hold any offers, I expect them to come for him soon as he definitely has the ability to play somewhere at the next level.