2022 Player of the Year Watchlist: Defense
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The 2022 high school football regular season has been an exciting one to say the least. In Kentucky, there is one week remaining in the regular season and things are heating up as playoff spots are on the line. To…
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Continue ReadingThe 2022 high school football regular season has been an exciting one to say the least. In Kentucky, there is one week remaining in the regular season and things are heating up as playoff spots are on the line. To this point, there have been a lot of very talented players making a name for themselves across the state. However, some have stood out above the rest. Over the next week, I will focus on the players who are in my Player of the Year conversation as of now. After covering the offensive side of the ball already, I will now turn my attention to the top defensive players in the state this season.
To kick things off, I have one of the current regular season sack leaders in the state of Kentucky, Saadiq Clements Saadiq Clements 6’4″ | 270 lbs | DL Henderson County | 2023 State KY . Clements has had a tremendous senior year, accounting for 17 sacks through eight games along with 39 total tackles and ten tackles for loss. He is a strong, physical defensive end that uses an explosive first step and natural strength to power through opposing offensive tackles with his bull rush. Once he gets penetration into the pocket, he does a great job of shedding the block and finishing at the quarterback. Against the run, Clements has shown the ability to read the play then use his speed to run down the line to make tackles from the back side when the play is away from him. Saadiq is committed to Purdue and I fully expect him to develop into a key player for them down the road.
Next up on my list is the young man who is tied with Clements at the top of the statewide sacks list. Byron May Byron May 6’3″ | 235 lbs | DL Rowan County | 2023 State KY is a player that we have continued to be high on this season as he has impressed week after week. May currently has 17 sacks through nine games along with 57 total tackles and 24 tackles for loss. He is an athletic pass rusher that uses his speed to blow right by opposing offensive tackles. May also has shown a great variety of pass rush moves that he is able to do to avoid blocks. He plays with a very high motor and keeps his feet running through contact once he gets to the ball carrier in order to secure the tackle or sack. Byron is currently uncommitted but holds an offer from Morehead State.
Highlights
Another pass rusher that has impressed so far this season is senior Oryend Fisher Oryend Fisher 6’6″ | 210 lbs | DL Great Crossings | 2023 State KY from Great Crossings. Fisher is currently fifth in the state with 12.5 sacks through nine games and also has 61.5 total tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss on the season. He is a long, athletic defensive end that uses his speed to run right by anyone who tries to block him off the edge. Fisher also uses that speed to run down plays from the opposite side of the field. Once he gets to the football, Fisher finishes with a ton of physicality, making sure his presence is felt on every tackle. Oryend is committed to West Virginia and should develop into a key piece of their defense once he gets there.
Jamarrion Harkless Jamarrion Harkless 6’4″ | 290 lbs | DL Frederick Douglass | 2023 State KY is yet another high-caliber defensive lineman from the state of Kentucky. We had him as our third ranked defensive lineman in the senior class and he has continued to impress. The stats for Harkless are deceiving as Frederick Douglass has blown out the majority of their opponents with the starters being pulled very early in most games. Harkless has been a key piece to a Broncos defense that has only allowed 5.2 points per game this season. He is a physical defensive tackle that is a true run stuffer as he has shown the ability to explode out of his stance and gain penetration into the backfield very frequently. Harkless also plays with a very high motor and has shown the speed to win off the edge as a pass rusher when asked to do so. Jamarrion is committed to Auburn and has the potential to be one of the next great defensive linemen that their program has become used to producing over the years.
Next up on my list is yet another highly touted defensive lineman in the senior class. Tommy Ziesmer Tommy Ziesmer 6’3″ | 240 lbs | DL Boyle County | 2023 State KY is our second ranked defensive lineman in the senior class and has lived up to the hype. Ziesmer has been a huge part of yet another successful season for Boyle County, accounting for 47 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and six sacks through nine games. As a pass rusher, Ziesmer has incredible speed off the edge with an explosive first step to get by offensive tackles before they have much of a chance to block him. Once he gets to the quarterback, Ziesmer does a great job of exploding through contact to make sure his presence is felt. Against the run, he has shown the ability to stack his blocker and drive them into the backfield to create disruption. He also has shown the ability to use his speed to run down plays from all over the field. Tommy is committed to stay close to home and play at Kentucky and could be developed into one of their next great pass rushers once he gets there.
While all these defensive linemen that I’ve listed are great players, Micah Carter Micah Carter 6’5″ | 235 lbs | DL Louisville St. Xavier | 2023 State KY stood out above them all this off-season as our top ranked defensive lineman in the class of 2023. Carter has continued to dominate this season, accounting for 47 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks through eight games. He is a big, athletic defensive end that uses a very impressive combination of strength and quickness to win off the edge as a pass rusher. Carter has a nice variety of pass rush to avoid blocks but also has a very strong bull rush that he uses to run straight through his opponent. I also love the high motor that Carter plays with as he always finds a way to get to the ball no matter where the play is. Carter will be joining Clements at Purdue and the two could be a very dominant pass rush duo down the road.
Next up on my list is the state’s current leading tackler, senior linebacker Aveion McAtee Aveion McAtee 6’0″ | 220 lbs | LB Shawnee | 2023 State KY from Shawnee. McAtee is having an incredible final season, accounting for 140 total tackles (98 solo, 42 assists). He plays the middle linebacker position and does a great job of leading the Shawnee defense. McAtee does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill quickly to put himself in a position to make a play. He takes great angles to the ball carrier and is a very reliable open field tackler. Once he gets to the ball, McAtee is a very physical tackler with the ability to explode straight through the ball carrier without breaking stride. Aveion surprisingly doesn’t hold any offers but should definitely be on college radars as he has the talent to play at the next level.
Another senior linebacker that has impressed this season is Bryce Pugh Bryce Pugh 6’0″ | 220 lbs | LB Leslie County | 2024 State KY from Leslie County. Pugh is currently 11th in the state with 115 total tackles (80 s0lo, 35 assists) along with a state-leading 30 tackles for loss. He does a great job of reading his keys from the middle linebacker spot and exploding through his gap before the ball carrier can get going. Once he arrives at the ball carrier, Pugh runs his feet through contact to secure the tackle. He also does a great job of timing his blitzes against the pass and getting to the quarterback. Pugh is a very physical tackler, making sure the ball carrier feels him every single time. Bryce doesn’t currently hold any offers but deserves more attention from college coaches as he has the skill set to be a successful linebacker at the college level.
Highlights
The first underclassman on my list is sophomore linebacker Vincent Carrico Vincent Carrico 5’11” | 200 lbs | LB Owensboro Catholic | 2025 State KY from Owensboro Catholic. Carrico has had an outstanding season so far, sitting at fourth in the state with 128 total tackles with eleven tackles for loss. He plays inside linebacker and does a great job of reading his keys and finding the ball. Once the running lane opens, Carrico meets the running back in the gap in a hurry and doesn’t allow any extra yards. He also shows the ability to fight through blocks on his way to the football. Carrico shows the speed to get to the ball and make plays all over the field and takes great angles to get there when the play is away from him. While he doesn’t currently hold any offers, Vincent will be a player to watch over the next few years as he has the potential to turn into a high-caliber linebacker prospect.
Layton Abbott Layton Abbott 6’1″ | 195 lbs | LB Pulaski County | 2023 State KY is yet another tackle machine on my list as he sits at third in the state with 132 total tackles along with twelve tackles for loss. The senior inside linebacker does a great job of flowing to the ball and once he sees an opening, he attacks downhill with a sense of urgency. Abbott runs his feet through contact and explodes through the ball carrier with physicality to make sure the tackle is secured without allowing any extra yards. On his way to the football, Abbott has shown the ability to shed blocks quickly while continuing to move towards the ball carrier. Layton doesn’t currently hold any offers but college coaches should have their eyes on him as he has the skill set to be a true inside linebacker somewhere at the next level.
Next up on my list is the state’s leader in interceptions, Liam Hutson Liam Hutson 6’0″ | 180 lbs | ATH North Oldham | 2023 State KY . The senior defensive back has eight interceptions through nine games this season along with 36 total tackles and one sack. Hutson lines up at safety and does a great job of reading routes and the quarterback to time his breaks on the ball perfectly to catch interceptions in stride. After the catch, he has shown off his speed, returning his interceptions for 145 total yards and two touchdowns. Hutson shows tremendous ball skills on the back end, covering ground quickly and showing the ability to make plays on the ball at its highest point. Liam doesn’t currently hold any offers and is also a talented baseball player so it remains to be seen what he will decide to do after college but he definitely has the talent to play football at the next level if he decides to pursue that route.
Beni Tshita Beni Tshita 6’3″ | 245 lbs | DL DuPont Manual | 2023 State KY is a player that has been high on my radar since the off-season. He is our sixth ranked defensive lineman in the class of 2023 and has continued to impress this season. Through nine games, Beni has accounted for 21 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks. He is a very disruptive defensive end, exploding out of his stance and showing the speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles. Tshita has also shown the strength to run straight through potential blockers on his way to the ball. He plays with a very high motor with the ability to get to the ball from anywhere on the field. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Beni does a great job of exploding through contact to secure the tackle in the open field. Beni is committed to Marshall and has the potential to turn into a solid piece of their defense in the future.
Jeremiah Lowe Jeremiah Lowe 5’11” | DB Frederick Douglass | 2024 State KY has stood out as one of the most talented defensive backs in the entire state. He is our top ranked defensive back in the class of 2024 and has continued to live up to the hype this season. Just like his teammate Harkless, Jeremiah’s stats are deceiving due to a lower number of snaps played than most starters throughout the state. However, he has been dominant in his time on the field. Lowe plays on the outside at corner and has shown the ability to lock down his side of the field. He shows the ability to open up and run with opposing receivers in man coverage, staying in their hip pocket. When the ball is thrown his way, he has great timing when breaking on the ball, fighting across his receiver to break up the pass. He also shows the willingness and ability to provide support against the run as he is a very reliable open field tackler. Jeremiah currently holds offers from Missouri, Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, and Miami (OH), and I expect that list to expand going into his senior season as he is a true Power 5 level talent at corner.
Joining Lowe in the Broncos’ very impressive secondary is senior Isaiah Kenney Isaiah Kenney 5’11” | 180 lbs | DB Frederick Douglass | 2023 State KY . While his snaps have been limited just like the rest of the starters, Kenney has still managed to come away with three interceptions on the season, returning two of them for touchdowns. Kenney lines up at safety and does a great job of reading route combinations and the quarterback to put himself in a position to make plays. When the ball is in the air, Isaiah has shown the ability to cover ground quickly and has the ball skills to attack the ball at its highest point. Against the run, Kenney has shown the ability to come downhill and fight through blocks on his way to the ball and secure tackles in the open field. Isaiah holds and offer from Kentucky and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more come at some point as he is a true Division I talent.
Last but not least on my list is a player that has jumped onto my radar this season. Kangakole Jean Aime Kangakole Jean Aime 6’1″ | LB Warren Central | 2023 State KY has had a tremendous senior year, accounting for 114 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and nine sacks through eight games. He lines up as a stand up outside linebacker and uses his speed to explode out of his stance and get into the backfield before opposing offensive linemen have a chance to react. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle quickly. He has also shown the ability to drop into pass coverage and make plays on the ball, coming away with two interceptions so far this season. Kangakole doesn’t currently hold any offers but he deserves some attention from college coaches as he is a special talent that can definitely play somewhere at the next level.
Honorable Mention:
Austin Alexander Austin Alexander 6'3" | 215 lbs | DL Cooper | 2025 State KY | 2025 Defensive Lineman| Cooper
JT Haskins JT Haskins 6'0" | 160 lbs | ATH Bryan Station | 2024 State KY | 2024 Defensive Back| Bryan Station
Tay’Shaun Linton Tay’Shaun Linton 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Trigg County | 2024 State KY | 2024 Defensive Lineman| Trigg County
Jaxson Shoulders Jaxson Shoulders 6'2" | 215 lbs | ATH Hart County | 2024 State KY | 2024 Linebacker| Hart County
Jack Lonaker Jack Lonaker 6'0" | 215 lbs | LB Cooper | 2024 State KY | 2024 Linebacker| Cooper
Peyton Taylor Peyton Taylor 6'1" | 225 lbs | DL Logan County | 2023 State KY | 2023 Defensive Lineman| Logan County
Gavin Willis Gavin Willis 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Louisville Ballard | 2023 State KY | 2023 Linebacker| Ballard
Mitchell Toney Mitchell Toney 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Trinity | 2023 State KY | 2023 Defensive Lineman| Trinity
Jerry Kpehe Jerry Kpehe 5'8" | 150 lbs | ATH Doss | 2023 State KY | 2023 Defensive Back| Doss
Austin Johnson Austin Johnson 5'10" | 220 lbs | DL North Laurel | 2024 State KY | 2024 Defensive Lineman| North Laurel