2022 5A All-Tournament Team: Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">As we begin the new year, it is time to reflect on a very exciting 2022 high school football season in Kentucky. While the regular season was great, the playoffs in each class exceeded expectations as a lot of talent was on display. With that being said, I wanted to take some time to focus on the players that stood out during the playoffs in each class. After covering 1A-4A , I have now turned my attention to the top playoff performers in 5A. With the offense already being covered, here is my 2022 5A All-Tournament Defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["386160"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='386160' first='Jamarrion' last='Harkless'] has been one of the best players in the entire state of Kentucky the past couple years and he continued to make an impact during the Broncos' 5A State Championship run. Harkless was taken out early in some of the earlier playoff rounds due to blowout wins but still made an impact while he was on the field. He finished the playoffs with ten total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. Harkless is a dominant run stopper with the ability to stack the opposing offensive lineman and get rid of them quickly once he finds the ball. He also has the quickness to shoot his inside gap before his opponent can block him. Harkless is able to use his high motor to get to the ball carrier and finishes with a nice amount of physicality once he gets there. Jamarrion also has shown the ability to rush off the edge against the pass with a solid amount of success. Harkless is committed to Purdue where I see him becoming a key piece of their defensive line.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["386161"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Another dominant Frederick Douglass defensive lineman making this list is senior [player_tooltip player_id='386161' first='Jalen' last='Hand']. Hand caught my eye during the regular season and continued to impress in the playoffs, finishing with 11 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. He is very dominant against both the run and pass. Against the run, Hand uses his strength to drive the opposing offensive lineman into the backfield to cause disruption. Once he finds the ball, he has shown the ability to shed blocks quickly and get to the ball carrier. As a pass rusher, Hand has shown an explosive first step out of his stance and uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive linemen on his way to the quarterback. Jalen is committed to Western Kentucky where I see him developing into a very productive defensive lineman for them down the road.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["422904"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='422904' first='Darion' last='Neal'] is another Broncos' defender that stood out to me both during the regular season and in the playoffs. The junior linebacker played a key role in their championship run, finishing the playoffs with 30 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Neal does a great job of reading his keys from the inside linebacker spot and coming downhill in a hurry once he sees where the ball is going. He has shown the ability to flow to the ball and make plays all over the field. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Neal explodes through contact and makes his presence felt on every tackle. He has also shown the ability to time his blitzes perfectly to shoot through his gap before opposing offensive linemen can react. Neal currently holds one offer from Eastern Kentucky but I expect more to come his way going into his senior year as he has received a nice amount of college interest and has the talent to succeed at the next level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["287571"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='287571' first='Jeremiah' last='Goodwin'] is a player that I've been high on for a while now that continued to impress during the playoffs. The senior linebacker played a huge role in Owensboro's deep playoff run, finishing with 30 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, six sacks, and a forced fumble. He played in an outside linebacker role and was a force against the run and the pass. Goodwin proved to be a very dangerous pass rusher off the edge, using his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles while also showing the strength to fight through blocks on his way to the quarterback. Once he got to the quarterback, he did a great job of exploding through contact to secure the sack. Against the run, he did a great job of using his speed to burst into the backfield to cause disruption before opposing offensive linemen could get their hands on him. Jeremiah is committed to Indianapolis where I see him becoming a key piece of their defense.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Maddox Mink","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Southwestern","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Maddox Mink is a player that I didn't get to watch much of during the regular season that caught my attention in the playoffs. While he played multiple roles for Southwestern, he looked his best at linebacker to me. Mink finished the playoffs with 44 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and a sack. He played off the edge in an outside linebacker role and was dominant against the run. Mink showed the ability to stack blocks and read the play then shed them quickly once he found the ball. He also showed the ability to flow to the ball from all over the field to make tackles. Once he got to the ball carrier, Mink did a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle and not allow for any extra yards to be gained. Maddox currently holds one offer from Campbellsville University but I can see more coming his way soon as he has received a nice amount of college interest and definitely has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["386898"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='386898' first='Ty' last='Bryant'] proved once again this season to be one of the best players in the entire state. While he could've made both my All-Tournament Team Offense and Defense, I really liked what I saw from him at safety. Bryant made his mark during the playoffs, finishing with 12 total tackles, one tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks, and an interception. He is a true ball hawk at safety, showing the ability to read routes and the quarterback and cover a ton of ground once the ball is in the air to make a play. Bryant is able to time his breaks on the ball perfectly to catch interceptions in stride and break up passes. He is also a great communicator in the secondary, making pre-snap adjustments on a regular basis. Bryant also proved to be a very dangerous returner on special teams and was the go-to guy in the Broncos' backfield on offense in key moments. His play in the 5A State Championship Game helped earn him MVP honors. Ty is committed to stay at home and play at Kentucky where I see him developing into a very productive player for them down the road.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["386923"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Joining Bryant on the back end of the Broncos' secondary was [player_tooltip player_id='386923' first='Isaiah' last='Kenney']. The senior safety continued to make his mark during the playoffs, finishing with 26 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and four interceptions. Like Bryant, Kenney is a ball hawk at safety, reading the play and breaking at the perfect moment to make a play on the ball. He has tremendous ball skills, showing the ability to attack the ball at its highest point and make tough catches to come away with interceptions. Kenney is also reliable against the run, showing the ability to fill the lane to provide support. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Kenney does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle in the open field. Kenney currently holds offers from Findlay, Palmetto Prep, Kentucky Christian, and Kentucky, and I see him developing into a very reliable defensive back at the next level.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"Grayson Newman","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"Bowling Green","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_7_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"An underclassman that caught my attention during the playoffs was Grayson Newman from Bowling Green. The sophomore defensive back played a key role in the Purples' run to the 5A State Championship Game, finishing the playoffs with 41 total tackles and two interceptions. Newman lined up at strong safety and was very impressive against the run. He did a great job of reading the play from the secondary and coming downhill in a hurry to fill the lane and provide run support. He takes great angles to the ball and does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle in the open field. In pass coverage, he showed the ability to read route combinations and put himself in a position to make a play on the ball. When the ball was thrown in his direction, he showed the ball skills to catch the ball at its highest point for the interception. While Grayson doesn't currently hold any offers, he should definitely be a player to watch on the recruiting trail over the next couple seasons.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":8,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63be2fc8bccc6"} /--> <!-- wp:heading {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"17px"}}} --> <h2 style="font-size:17px">Honorable Mention:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">[player_tooltip player_id='386929' first='Wyatt' last='Fowler'] (2023 Linebacker, South Oldham); [player_tooltip player_id='386764' first='Xander' last='Early'] (2023 Linebacker, Owensboro); [player_tooltip player_id='386756' first='Davis' last='Fant'] (2023 Linebacker, Bowling Green); [player_tooltip player_id='102291' first='Aden' last='Nelson'] (2023 ATH, Woodford County); [player_tooltip player_id='408049' first='Jeremiah' last='Lowe'] (2024 Defensive Back, Frederick Douglass); [player_tooltip player_id='422905' first='Terrion' last='Hicks'] (2024 Defensive Back, Frederick Douglass)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->