Kentucky Sleepers to Watch for: Class of 2026 Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the last post in the Kentucky sleepers watch list, we will be covering defensive prospects from the class of 2026. Like I previously stated in my recent post on the class of 2026 offensive sleepers, this class is significant for the large portion of talent in Kentucky high school football since they will be representing the state over the next few seasons. Each player's level of development and playstyle will be evaluated to better visualize how good these players will turn out by the end of their senior season. This is certainly true for college recruiters as many of them want to find and monitor certain players across their entire high school career in order not to make a move too early before seeing what they all can bring to the table. With that being said, I will be listing some key defensive prospects that fulfill these attributes and have shown to have already exceed early development in their game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='971500' first='Cameron' last='Davis']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Ashland Blazer High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"To sum up all what [player_tooltip player_id='971500' first='Cameron' last='Davis'] specializes at on the defensive side of the ball, is that he is an absolute play-stopper. The 6'0 DB from Ashland Blazer High School is one of the best DB prospects at taking down players after the catch or on the run. If Davis is not stopping a play by getting the receiver to miss the catch, he is seen to use his superior tackling abilities to take down players at their tracks. No matter the speed, strength, or size of the incoming ball carrier, Davis seems to have little to no problem finding a way to take them down. Cameron is great at targeting the weak spots of the ball carrier to attack when tackling to take them down despite any sort of athletic advantage held by the runner. When it comes to defending the pass, Davis is terrific at getting his hands toward the ball every time and contesting the opposing receiver on every catch. Although he has presented all these good attributes to his game at such an early stage of his high school career, there have been no reported interests from college schools. With 3 years left to play, Cameron will certainly change that.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jj2kSu0022u003eTape:u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["283954"],"_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":"If any offensive team must circle one player on the opposing defense on who they need to worry about, [player_tooltip player_id='283954' first='Baron' last='Hardesty'] is that man. Baron is one of the hardest-hitting and aggressive defensive end prospects in his state class. The 6'2 230lbs prospect from Bullitt East High School pins players down with ease and with much aggression. His strength and athleticism outweigh every opposing guard attempting to keep him at bay. His speed off the line is incredible as he can jump off the line with much quicker reaction time than most guards and can use his textbook hand skills to slide past them to reach the quarterback. Due to his speed at his position, Hardesty is also amazing at playing help defense outside the line of scrimmage. It is no problem for Baron if he needs to chase down a ball carrier that already blew past the other side of the defensive line to take him down himself. Although he currently has had a few colleges invites from schools, the reason I am listing him here still as a sleeper is because of how he has already shown full development as a defensive end prospect. I would not be surprised by the end of next season he will already have earned offers from college teams. The future is bright for Baron.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2KJQ8Mu0022u003eTape:u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["283966"],"_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='283966' first='Donnez' last='Marshall'] specializes at trucking over the opposing offensive line to put pressure on the quarterback and make defensive stops behind the line of scrimmage. Donnez, a 5'9 240lb DT from Shelby County High School, utilizes his strength and physical endurance to maintain his strong push on the opposing guard to drive past him to put pressure on the QB. What I also like about Marshall is that he uses a lot more leg drive to maneuver himself past the line of scrimmage as opposed to using more upper body like many defensive ends and other D Linemen use to slip past blockers. Because his leg strength is much stronger than any other player on that field, he can use that to push himself through an opposing blocker and reach the QB. Like I briefly mentioned earlier, what is most intriguing is his endurance. Furthermore, Marshall can withstand the same level of power and energy for long periods of time on every play. This enables him to beat out the stamina of a blocker and still have the energy to reach a ball carrier to take them down. As of now he has no college interests or invites to camps, but I believe that will change soon.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2KXxzHu0022u003eTape:u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["335123"],"_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='335123' first='Logan' last='Smith'] is another DB on this list that is effectively equipped with fantastic tackling skills and being able to make defensive stops across the field. Logan, a 5'11 160lbs SS from Calloway County High School, uses his quick acceleration and lateral movements to be able to cover lots of ground on the field and make it to the opposing ball carriers early to take them down. As a safety, Logan excels at reading the incoming play by the offense accurately and positions himself on the correct side of the field to play help defense against the runner. Like Cameron above, Logan also knows how to exploit the weak spots of incoming ball carriers and knows where to hit them to pin them down immediately after initial contact. Smith is considered one of the better secondary players at reducing yards after reception and reducing yards per carry due to his ability to make quick tackles early in the play. Since Smith is a multi-sport athlete as he does track, a lot of those attributes are easily transferrable which can help him further develop his game in the coming years. Keep an eye out for Logan and his play at Calloway County these next 3 years.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2JgeMju0022u003eTape:u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["283962"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='283962' first='Dalton' last='Matney'] is a talented defensive threat from John Central High School that makes it difficult for most offenses to find success on most of their plays. The 6'0 190lbs LB is terrific at reading the QBs offensive intentions and knowing where to position himself every time to make the quickest defensive stop. When making a stop, Matney has great tackling mechanics to balance out the workload of his lower and upper half to make an easy pin down of the ball carrier. When on a blitz, Matney uses his quick acceleration and hand skills to quickly slide past the opposing blockers to put pressure on the QB. Alongside his physical attributes, Matney is an excellent communicator on defense as he can apply his perceptions of incoming plays and can communicate with his teammates to reposition themselves when an offensive play seems to completely counter their current positioning. Dalton's understanding of the game and LB mechanics are often not found to be already matured at his age. It is surprising that not many collegiate schools have begun to invite him to camp and monitor him. However, with 3 years left of high school ball, I certainly believe this will change in the short-term future.rnrnu003ca href=u0022http://www.hudl.com/v/2JgTn9u0022u003eTape:u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644dab642a1eb"} /-->