2024 Rankings Update: ATH

<!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">As we head into the 2023 high school football season, we have updated our rankings for the incoming senior class. Now that these rankings are published, I will be taking an in-depth look at each position for the class of 2024. After covering both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, I will wrap things up with the top incoming seniors that stand out in multiple positions. With that being said, here are our top athletes in the class of 2024 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["408040"],"_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='408040' first='JT' last='Haskins'] is a player that has been high on our radar for a while now that continued to impress this past season. Haskins had an outstanding junior year, making an impact in all three phases of the game. On defense, Haskins lines up at safety and finished the year with 46 tackles, one fumble recovery, and four interceptions. He is a ball hawk on the back end of the defense, reading the quarterback and breaking with perfect timing to cover a lot of ground quickly to make a play on the ball. Haskins is also reliable when defending the run, showing the ability to fill the land and make tackles in the open field. JT is also a very talented receiver on offense, catching 40 passes for 758 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. He has the speed to pose as a dangerous deep threat but is also very impressive after the catch, showing the ability to turn short passes into big gains. Haskins also proved to be a dangerous returner on special teams, returning one kickoff for a touchdown this past season. JT currently holds offers from Austin Peay, West Virginia, Marshall, Tennessee Tech, Akron, Eastern Kentucky, Miami (OH), and Louisville, and I expect that list to continue to grow as he is a Power 5 caliber prospect.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["418717"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='418717' first='Justin' last='Ruffin Jr'] is another player that has continued to stay high on our radar for a while now. He played a key role in CAL's 3A State Championship run, making a huge impact in all three phases of the game. On offense, he is a very dangerous receiver, finishing this past season with 38 receptions for 735 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has the speed to blow by defensive backs in the deep passing game and is electric after the catch, showing the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field along with the speed to run away from the defense. On defense, he is a lock down corner on the outside with excellent man coverage skills. Ruffin has shown the ability to open up and run with receivers to mirror their routes and does a great job of turning at the right moment to make a play on the ball when it is thrown his way. He also has shown that he is a dangerous returner on special teams, returning two punts and one kickoff for a touchdown this season. Ruffin currently holds offers from Lehigh, Air Force, Army, Appalachian State, James Madison, South Florida, and Louisville, and I expect that list to grow going into his junior year as he is a Power 5 caliber talent.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["438173"],"_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":"While [player_tooltip player_id='438173' first='Brach' last='Rice'] came into this past season on our radar, he truly exceeded expectations. Rice was a dominant force on both sides of the ball for Dixie Heights as a junior. On defense, he is a run-stuffing linebacker that finished the season with 126 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry against the run. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he explodes through contact to finish the tackle. On the offensive side of the ball, Rice mainly played running back where he finished with 92 carries for 605 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He is a strong downhill runner that has the contact balance to break tackles without losing stride while also showing the burst of speed to run away from the defense. Rice also filled in some at quarterback, throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns, and also returned one punt for a touchdown this past season. Brach currently holds offers from Wofford, Toledo, Eastern Kentucky, and Miami (OH), and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the Division I level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["381910"],"_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='381910' first='TelTel' last='Long'] jumped out to me last off-season and continued to show his talent this past season. He is an electric play maker on offense, lining up at multiple positions. Out of the backfield, Long finished the year with 122 carries for 869 yards and four touchdowns. He has great vision and has the speed to burst through the running lane and run away from the defense. Long also has the elusiveness in the open field to make defenders miss. He also showed the ability to line up at receiver, finishing the year with 26 receptions for 391 yards and four touchdowns. Long is an impressive route runner that creates separation easily while also being very dangerous after the catch. He also played a key role as a defensive back, finishing the year with 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one interception, and also returned one kickoff for a touchdown this season. It still surprises me that Long has yet to pick up an offer as he has the talent to play at the Division I level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["485015"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Wrapping up our top five ATH in the class of 2024 is [player_tooltip player_id='485015' first='Steve' last='Partin'] from Knox Central. Partin is a dynamic athlete that plays many different roles for his team. On offense, he was primarily the starting quarterback, completing 70/114 passes for 927 yards, eleven touchdowns, and only two interceptions. While he is impressive as a passer, he does most of his damage on the ground, running the ball 271 times for 1,782 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. His combination of strength, speed, and elusiveness make him a very dangerous ball carrier once he hits the open field. He also occasionally lined up at receiver this past season, catching 10 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Partin is a very productive linebacker, finishing his junior year with 71 tackles and one tackle for loss. He does a great job of reading his keys and comes downhill in a hurry against the run. Partin plays with a ton of physicality, fighting through blocks on his way to the ball and exploding through contact once he gets there. Steve currently only holds one offer from Yale but I expect more to come as he has received a lot of college interest and has the talent to be productive at multiple positions at the next level.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641ba17250d6e"} /--> <!-- wp:heading {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <h2 class="has-medium-font-size">Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 175):</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. [player_tooltip player_id='499069' first='Daniel' last='Thomas'] (Bell County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. [player_tooltip player_id='287574' first='Avery' last='Bodner'] (Boyle County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. [player_tooltip player_id='381927' first='Parker' last='Chaney'] (Lexington Christian Academy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. [player_tooltip player_id='313671' first='Kaden' last='Smith'] (Taylor County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. [player_tooltip player_id='653479' first='William' last='Carrico'] (Owensboro Catholic)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. [player_tooltip player_id='381914' first='Brajone' last='Dabney'] (Mayfield)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12. [player_tooltip player_id='381938' first='Noah' last='Wallace'] (Raceland)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>13. [player_tooltip player_id='653381' first='Tyleeq' last='Williams'] (Bardstown)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>14. [player_tooltip player_id='653492' first='Elmo' last='Stewart'] (Greenwood)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15. [player_tooltip player_id='653483' first='Tray' last='Price'] (Warren East)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16. [player_tooltip player_id='381888' first='Caden' last='Woolum'] (Belfry)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17. [player_tooltip player_id='381942' first='Jaxson' last='Shoulders'] (Hart County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>19. [player_tooltip player_id='423800' first='JD' last='Crump'] (Hart County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>20. [player_tooltip player_id='408036' first='Troy' last='Humphreys'] (Kentucky Country Day)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>21. [player_tooltip player_id='418719' first='Zander' last='Curry'] (Corbin)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>22. [player_tooltip player_id='510250' first='Jullian' last='Seymour'] (Green County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>23. [player_tooltip player_id='653486' first='Landon' last='Johnson'] (Fleming County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>24. [player_tooltip player_id='423797' first='Lukus' last='McDaniels'] (Jeffersontown)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>25. [player_tooltip player_id='512645' first='Jerimyah' last='Shearer'] (Trigg County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>26. [player_tooltip player_id='423616' first='Tayvian' last='Boykins'] (Pikeville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>27. [player_tooltip player_id='653379' first='Jordan' last='Bradley'] (Hart County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>28. [player_tooltip player_id='381887' first='Dre' last='Young'] (Belfry)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>29. [player_tooltip player_id='423798' first='Ty' last='Taylor'] (Franklin County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>30. [player_tooltip player_id='423799' first='MarQuevion' last='Smith'] (Tates Creek)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>31. [player_tooltip player_id='313668' first='Kelson' last='McKinney'] (Green County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>32. [player_tooltip player_id='653376' first='Donovan' last='Montanaro'] (Harlan)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>33. [player_tooltip player_id='417455' first='Kam' last='Hughes'] (Somerset)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>34. [player_tooltip player_id='423719' first='Ramari' last='Taylor'] (Fern Creek)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>35. [player_tooltip player_id='653491' first='Devontre' last='Patterson'] (Warren Central)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>36. [player_tooltip player_id='653386' first='Steven' last='Layne'] (East Ridge)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>37. [player_tooltip player_id='423801' first='Kaleb' last='Dionne'] (Grant County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>38. [player_tooltip player_id='408037' first='Nehemiah' last='Brown-Hamlin'] (Kentucky Country Day)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->