2022 Kentucky All-State 5A Team

As I recently covered the 2022 Kentucky All-State Teams 1A-4A, Kentucky continues to amaze me with the amount of talent depth we have. We have many collegiate prospects ranging from the 2023 senior class down to even the 2028 class that is still in middle school. It is truly exciting for these high school programs to be able to acquire all of this football talent from the middle schools to enhance their team. It also allows us as fans to watch these exhilarating high school games with all of these talented football players competing. With that being said, I will be listing my picks of players for the 2022 Kentucky All-state 5A team today. Like the previous articles, I will be using the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) database to cover player individual statistics (Offensive linemen's statistics are not included in the database). *Note: some of these players are not on the KHSAA database but were still chosen by me to add them to the ranking solely for their talent*.   QB: Andrew Hickey | 6-1,170lbs. Class of 2025 | Scott County High School, KY | <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GUn02" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GUn02">Tape:</a>   *KHSAA QB Ranking: =Unranked   *2021 Football Season Stats N/A*   Past Analysis: Andrew is gifted with insanely quick reflexes that enable him to get his feet set in the pocket for quick throws when under pressure. With this in mind, Andrew is the perfect quarterback to have when looking for a reliable QB that can throw effectively under pressure. For most of the quarterbacks, I see it takes on an average of 1-1.5 seconds to get their feet completely set in the pocket after the ball is snapped. For Andrew, his speed is 2x faster to get set in the pocket, and that does not allow the defense any time to get to him on a blitz. Not only can Andrew complete quick throws, but he can also make quick decisions on where to throw when he has to switch up from the intended receiver. Even with a weak offensive line, Hickey can minimize the risk of a weak line with his quick and effective play at quarterback. Especially since he is only going to be a sophomore, his skills can only grow from this point in time. Lots of potential in this kid to become elite and make it to the next level.   RB: [player_tooltip player_id='385935' first='Preston' last='Stacy'] | 6-1, 205lbs. Class of 2023 | Woodford County High School, KY | <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EuRe2" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EuRe2">Tape:</a>   KHSAA RB Ranking: #3   2021 Football Season Stats: 157 rushing attempts for 1400 rushing yards & 13 rushing touchdowns in 12 games played.   Preston is an all-around running back talent that can be utilized as good in any circumstance for the offense. Preston has one of the quickest accelerations I have ever seen in a running back in the bluegrass state. The young man can burst into full speed in a matter of a second once he leaves the line of scrimmage. The senior placed 3rd in the state in overall rushing yards and was around 200 yards shy of 2nd place despite having 60+ fewer carries than the 2nd place running back. Preston can gain extra yardage on rushes since he can easily break off numerous tackles with his strong upper half pushing off the opposing tackles. Since he splits time at running back and full back, his coordination with running and blocking is nearly perfect as he can block nearly as solid as an offensive tackle. I expect Preston to have another stellar season for Woodford County, and I anticipate college coaches contacting him soon.   WR: [player_tooltip player_id='385949' first='Chandler' last='Godby'] | 5-9, 170lbs. Class of 2023 | Pulaski County High School, KY |<a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GQEjY" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GQEjY"> Tape:</a>   KHSAA WR Ranking: #1   2021 Football Season Stats: 75 receptions for 1061 receiving yards & 15 receiving touchdowns in 12 games played.   Chandlers routerunning is extremely unique compared to other top receivers in Kentucky. Not only just attempting to break free of opposing defensive backs to receive the ball like most receivers, Chandler has also learned how to gain leverage off good coverage and still come up with the football. His footwork and positioning to receive the football is top-notch which helped him gain many receptions and leading the entire state in receiving yards and touchdowns. The senior also has a 4.59 40 yard dash which helps him dust past the defensive backs on routes. Although not the tallest receiver like the other prospects in the state, Chandler uses his IQ and high leaping ability to catch difficult passes that most receivers his size would have zero chance at catching. His talent should not be slept on and I expect college coaches to finally recognize his potential once his senior season ends.   OL: [player_tooltip player_id='385968' first='Tristan' last='Cook'] |6-5, 300lbs. Class of 2023 | Woodford County High School, KY | <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GYQfr" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GYQfr">Tape:</a>   Prep Redzone Kentucky State Ranking: #17 Overall; #2 Position   *2021 Football Season Stats N/A*   One of the reasons [player_tooltip player_id='385935' first='Preston' last='Stacy'] (above) was successful running the ball was because of his teammate, [player_tooltip player_id='385968' first='Tristan' last='Cook']. Tristan is the 17th most talented player in the state according to Prep Redzone Kentucky rankings. The young man's strength on the line of scrimmage is elite as he can tear down multiple defensive tackles at once with a single move. Tristan can create an open gap for the ball carrier nearly every single snap which is on a whole different level compared to other offensive linemen. With his strength and size on the football field, it makes it a clear disadvantage for any opposing defense to get past him. Furthermore, his strength and size are already comparable to a full-time starting power 5 collegiate linemen. Although he has already committed to Ball State University this past summer, I expect more schools to look into him as he will continue to develop his game this senior season.   DB: Isaiah Kenny | 5-11, 178lbs. Class of 2023 | Fredrick Douglass High School, KY |<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12418828/620fd91bf31d1008b0d9321b" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12418828/620fd91bf31d1008b0d9321b"> Tape:</a>   Prep Redzone Kentucky State Ranking: #19 Overall; #1 Position   *2021 Defensive Stats N/A*   Past Analysis: Isaiah is a work of art at the Strong Safety position. The junior has flawless field vision and can pickpocket throws that come his way. Another valuable trait in Kenny's game is his ability to hit opposing ball carriers hard and force plenty of fumbles when tackling with such strength and speed. What is unique about Isaiah Kenny is that he plays the game with lots of heart and emotion. Although many players in this list possess that similar trait, Kenny sets that trait to another level as can be seen on the field. His energy and drive help push him to be a star on the defensive side of the ball.   LB: [player_tooltip player_id='423659' first='Jack' last='Lonaker'] | 6-0, 205lbs. Class of 2024 | Cooper High School, KY |<a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GLjtH" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GLjtH"> Tape:</a>   KHSAA Tackles Ranking: #1   2021 Defensive Season Stats: 142 total tackles in 11 games played.   Jack is a brute when running the blitz. The junior from Cooper High school gained a lot of tackles for loss with his ferocious hits while running a blitz. Jack led the entire state 5A class in total tackles racking up an average of 12.9 tackles per game. What is astonishing about Jack's play is his speed and strength to get past the offensive line on a blitz. Although he also caught a few interceptions and his zone tackles were great, I believe his talent resides in blitz packages. He has the strength of an edge rusher and the speed of a defensive back to break past and make the defensive stop. He can also chase down ball carriers from across the field to make the tackle which shows his quick acceleration off his initial zone position. Jack is an all-around defensive threat that makes it difficult for any opposing offense to gain yardage down the field.   DL: [player_tooltip player_id='386160' first='Jamarrion' last='Harkless'] | 6-4, 290lbs. Class of 2023 | Frederick Douglass High School, KY | <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GZb99" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GZb99">Tape:</a>   Prep Redzone Kentucky State Ranking: #7 Overall; #3 Position   *2021 Defensive Season Stats N/A*   The hype for Jamarrion is real as he is one of the most versatile defensive linemen in the state. The senior is ranked as the 7th most talented player in the Bluegrass State and is already committed to the University of Illinois. What stands out Jamarrion over other defensive linemen is his brute strength and size on the line. I don't believe there is a single lineman in Kentucky that can block Harkless. His upper half strength allows him to bulldoze opposing guards to push into the quarterback to put pressure and make easy sacks. His playstyle resembles much of pro bowl defensive linemen like Fletcher Cox and others. I can't wait for him to continue bullying opposing offenses like it is a piece of cake.

As I recently covered the 2022 Kentucky All-State Teams 1A-4A, Kentucky continues to amaze me with the amount of talent depth we have. We have many collegiate prospects ranging from the 2023 senior class down to even the 2028 class that is still in middle school. It is truly exciting for these high school programs to be able to acquire all of this football talent from the middle schools to enhance their team. It also allows us as fans to watch these exhilarating high school games with all of these talented football players competing. With that being said, I will be listing my picks of players for the 2022 Kentucky All-state 5A team today. Like the previous articles, I will be using the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) database to cover player individual statistics (Offensive linemen's statistics are not included in the database). *Note: some of these players are not on the KHSAA database but were still chosen by me to add them to the ranking solely for their talent*.