2024 Rankings Update: ATH
In this article:
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…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs 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.
JT Haskins JT Haskins 6’0″ | 160 lbs | ATH Bryan Station | 2024 State KY 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.
Justin Ruffin Jr Justin Ruffin Jr 5’9″ | 160 lbs | ATH Christian Academy of Louisville | 2024 State KY 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.
While Brach Rice Brach Rice 6’3″ | 220 lbs | LB Dixie Heights | 2024 State KY 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.
Highlights
TelTel Long TelTel Long 5’11” | 170 lbs | ATH Greewood | 2024 State KY 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.
Highlights
Wrapping up our top five ATH in the class of 2024 is Steve Partin Steve Partin 6’2″ | 195 lbs | ATH Knox Central | 2024 State KY 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.
Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 175):
6. Daniel Thomas Daniel Thomas 5'9" | 180 lbs | ATH Bell County | 2024 State KY (Bell County)
7. Avery Bodner Avery Bodner 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Boyle County | 2024 State KY (Boyle County)
8. Parker Chaney Parker Chaney 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Lexington Christian Academy | 2024 State KY (Lexington Christian Academy)
9. Kaden Smith Kaden Smith 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Taylor County | 2024 State KY (Taylor County)
10. William Carrico William Carrico 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH Owensboro Catholic | 2024 State KY (Owensboro Catholic)
11. Brajone Dabney Brajone Dabney ATH Mayfield | 2024 State KY (Mayfield)
12. Noah Wallace Noah Wallace ATH Raceland | 2024 State KY (Raceland)
13. Tyleeq Williams Tyleeq Williams 5'5" | 145 lbs | ATH Bardstown | 2024 State KY (Bardstown)
14. Elmo Stewart Elmo Stewart 6'3" | 170 lbs | ATH Greenwood | 2024 State KY (Greenwood)
15. Tray Price Tray Price 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Warren East | 2024 State KY (Warren East)
16. Caden Woolum Caden Woolum 6'3" | 185 lbs | ATH Belfry | 2024 State KY (Belfry)
17. Jaxson Shoulders Jaxson Shoulders 6'2" | 215 lbs | ATH Hart County | 2024 State KY (Hart County)
19. Jd Crump Jd Crump 6'2" | 205 lbs | ATH Hart County | 2024 State KY (Hart County)
20. Troy Humphreys Troy Humphreys 6'1" | 190 lbs | ATH Kentucky Country Day | 2024 State KY (Kentucky Country Day)
21. Zander Curry Zander Curry 5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH Corbin | 2024 State KY (Corbin)
22. Jullian Seymour Jullian Seymour 5'11" | 165 lbs | ATH Green County | 2024 State KY (Green County)
23. Landon Johnson Landon Johnson 6'4" | 180 lbs | ATH Fleming County | 2024 State KY (Fleming County)
24. Lukus McDaniels Lukus McDaniels 6'5" | 230 lbs | ATH Jeffersontown | 2024 State KY (Jeffersontown)
25. Jerimyah Shearer Jerimyah Shearer 5'10" | 175 lbs | ATH Trigg County | 2024 State KY (Trigg County)
26. Tayvian Boykins Tayvian Boykins 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH Pikeville | 2024 State KY (Pikeville)
27. Jordan Bradley Jordan Bradley 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Hart County | 2024 State KY (Hart County)
28. Dre Young Dre Young 6'1" | 200 lbs | ATH Belfry | 2024 State KY (Belfry)
29. Ty Taylor Ty Taylor 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Franklin County | 2024 State KY (Franklin County)
30. MarQuevion Smith MarQuevion Smith 5'7" | 160 lbs | ATH Tates Creek | 2024 State KY (Tates Creek)
31. Kelson McKinney Kelson McKinney 5'11" | 215 lbs | ATH Green County | 2024 State KY (Green County)
32. Donovan Montanaro Donovan Montanaro ATH Harlan | 2024 KY (Harlan)
33. Kam Hughes Kam Hughes 5'9" | 180 lbs | ATH Somerset | 2024 State KY (Somerset)
34. Ramari Taylor Ramari Taylor 6'1" | 165 lbs | ATH Fern Creek | 2024 State KY (Fern Creek)
35. Devontre Patterson Devontre Patterson 6'1" | 205 lbs | ATH Warren Central | 2024 State KY (Warren Central)
36. Steven Layne Steven Layne 5'11" | 205 lbs | ATH East Ridge | 2024 KY (East Ridge)
37. Kaleb Dionne Kaleb Dionne 6'1" | 160 lbs | ATH Grant County | 2024 KY (Grant County)
38. Nehemiah Brown-Hamlin Nehemiah Brown-Hamlin 6'2" | 160 lbs | ATH Kentucky Country Day | 2024 State KY (Kentucky Country Day)