2023 Team MVP Predictions: 4A (Part 2)

As we approach the end of June, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, it is time to start previewing the upcoming season. As I begin to preview some top players and teams to watch in the 2023 season, I wanted to focus on which player I believe will make the biggest impact for each individual team. After already covering 6A and 5A, I have now turned my attention to class 4A in my “Team MVP” series. With that being said, here is another group of 4A MVP predictions.   Taylor County: Taylor County is a program that will be looking to bounce back after a first-round playoff exit in 2022. They have a solid group of returning players that will be looking to turn things around but incoming senior offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='313670' first='Hayes' last='Johnson'] stands out to me the most. Johnson lines up at right tackle where he has consistently been one of the best offensive linemen in the entire state. He is a physical mauler in the run game, exploding out of his stance and driving his man off the line of scrimmage. Johnson has also shown the ability to get up to the second level and pick up blocks in open space. Hayes is committed to Kentucky where I can see him developing into a key piece of their offensive line when his time comes.   Calloway County: Calloway County is another team looking to turn things around this year after they had a winless 2022 season. If they want to push things in the right direction, incoming sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='401931' first='Wyatt' last='Robbins']. As a freshman, Robbins completed 122/242 passes for 1,390 yards for 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Robbins throws an impressive deep ball, showing the ability to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. He has also shown the ability to step up in the pocket and keep his eyes down the field to make throws under pressure. Wyatt doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be an intriguing player to watch as he continues to develop over the next few seasons.   Hopkinsville: Hopkinsville is another program that will be looking to improve following an early playoff exit last season. If they want to take the next step in 2023, incoming senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='873781' first='Zach' last='Moss'] will be the man to lead the way. As a junior, Moss completed 106/246 passes for 1,644 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has a very strong arm, showing the ability to lead his receivers down the field and hit them in stride in the deep passing game. Moss has also shown the ability to tuck the ball and make plays with his legs when needed as he finished his junior year with two rushing touchdowns. Zach is committed to play baseball at Kentucky but will be looking to hopefully lead his team on a deep playoff run in his last season of high school football.   John Hardin: John Hardin will also be looking to bounce back following a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to turn things around, incoming sophomore running back [player_tooltip player_id='873792' first='Laysen' last='Anderson'] will be one of the players leading the way. Anderson led the team in rushing as a freshman, running the ball 96 times for 1,088 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has impressive vision, showing the ability to find the open running lane and hit it in a hurry. Once he hits the open field, Anderson is able to use his speed and elusiveness to break away for long runs. Anderson doesn't currently hold any offers but he will definitely be a player to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.   Nelson County: Nelson County is a team that will be looking to build off a solid 2022 season. If they want to continue their success as they move up to 4A this season, they will be looking for incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='873782' first='Joey' last='Goff'] to be one of the players to lead the way. Goff plays a key role on both sides of the ball for Nelson County. On offense, Goff finished his junior year as the team's leading rusher, carrying the ball 157 times for 1,090 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is a physical, downhill runner that has the strength and contact balance to break tackles without losing stride. Goff also has the speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. Joey also plays a key role on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker, finishing this past season with 78 tackles, one tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks, and one interception. Goff hasn't picked up any offers yet but he is a player for college coaches to pay attention to as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.   Doss: Doss is a team that will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to get things going in the right direction as they move down to 4A from 5A, they will need a big season out of incoming senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='873783' first='Quinten' last='Shaw']. As a junior, Shaw completed 90/191 passes for 1,488 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Shaw throws an impressive deep ball, showing the ability to lead his receivers down the field and hit them in stride. He has also shown toughness under pressure, showing the ability to make throws while taking on contact. Shaw has also proven to be dangerous as a runner, finishing this past season with 66 carries for 536 yards and 10 touchdowns. Quinten doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on this season.   Valley: Valley is another program that will be looking to bounce back following a disappointing 2022 season. Incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='873784' first='Brandon' last='Drake'] will be one of the players looking to help them turn things around. Drake plays a key role on both sides of the ball for Valley. On offense, he will likely take the reigns as the lead back after being the RB3 behind two seniors last season. As a junior, Drake carried the ball 63 times for 338 yards and two touchdowns. He also plays a key role on defense at linebacker, finishing this past season with 30 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one interception. Drake doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on this season as his role continues to increase.   Waggener: The Wildcats are another team looking to turn things around following a rough 2022 season. If they want to get things going in the right direction, incoming junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='873788' first='Jacobi' last='Jones'] will be one of the players to lead the way. Last season, Jones carried the ball 110 times for 714 yards and six touchdowns. He is a big, athletic running back with impressive vision. He has shown the ability to find cut back lanes with ease in the open field and change direction quickly to pick up extra yards. Jones also has the speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. Jones also caught 15 passes for 157 yards and returned one kickoff for a touchdown last season. Jacobi doesn't currently hold any offers but he deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.   Western: Western is another team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season. If they want to turn things around, they will be looking for a big season out of incoming junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='873789' first='Xavion' last='Ware']. Xavion is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he finished with 151 carries for 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns. The most impressive thing about Ware is his elusiveness. Once he hits the open field, he has shown the ability to make cuts on the dime to make defenders miss. Ware has also shown that he has the strength and contact balance to break tackles without losing stride and the speed to run away from the defense. While Ware doesn't currently hold any offers, I expect some to come his way over the next two seasons as he has the talent to play at the next level.   Henry County: Henry County had a solid regular season last year but unfortunately saw their season end in the first round of the playoffs. As they make the move up to 4A from 3A, they will be looking to build off their 2022 season. If they want to take the next step, incoming junior [player_tooltip player_id='873785' first='Ray' last='Matthews'] will be one of the players to lead the way. As a sophomore, Matthews led the team in rushing, carrying the ball 82 times for 548 yards and 13 touchdowns. Matthews has tremendous vision, showing the ability to find the running lane and burst through it with a sense of urgency. He is also able to use his combination of speed, strength, and elusiveness to break away for long runs. Ray also plays a key role on defense at linebacker, finishing this past season with 55 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and four sacks. Matthews doesn't currently hold any offers but he will definitely be a player to watch over the next two seasons.   North Oldham: North Oldham is another team looking to bounce back following an early playoff exit in 2022. If they want to push things in the right direction, they will need a big year out of incoming senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='873786' first='Jace' last='Bullock']. As a junior, Bullock completed 141/288 passes for 1,797 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Bullock puts a nice amount of touch on his passes, showing the ability to put the ball where only his receiver can catch it. He has also shown the ability to fit passes into tight windows in the short/intermediate passing game. Jace has also shown the ability to make plays with his legs when needed, finishing this past season with five rushing touchdowns. Bullock hasn't received any offers yet but he should be a player to keep an eye on heading into his senior year.   Shelby County: Shelby County is another team looking to turn things around following a disappointing 2022 season. This season, they will be relying heavily on incoming junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='873790' first='Giaonni' last='Hunter'] to lead them in the right direction. Hunter had an impressive sophomore season, carrying the ball 224 times for 1,418 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has impressive vision as a ball carrier, showing the ability to find the open running lane quickly. Once he hits the open field, Hunter has the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss. Hunter also plays a key role on defense at linebacker, finishing this past season with 59 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception. Giaonni doesn't currently hold any offers but he will definitely be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.   Spencer County: Spencer County is a team that will be looking to build off an impressive 2022 season. If they want to continue their success, incoming senior [player_tooltip player_id='873787' first='Kellen' last='Marksbury'] will be one of the players to lead the way. Last season, Marksbury split carries with a senior but still had a productive season as a running back, carrying the ball 94 times for 1,073 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has impressive speed, showing the ability to get around the edge and run away from the defense. Marksbury also led the team in receiving with 15 receptions for 406 yards and eight touchdowns. He is also an impressive corner on defense, showing the ability to read route combinations in zone coverage and break on the ball to break up passes. Kellen finished his junior year with 30 tackles and one interception. Marksbury doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on as he has the talent to play at multiple positions at the next level.   Boyd County: To wrap up this group of 4A programs, I have Boyd County. They are another team looking to build off a solid 2022 season. If they want to keep their success going, they will need a big year out of incoming junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='873791' first='Rhett' last='Holbrook']. As a sophomore, Holbrook completed 106/203 passes for 1,577 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Holbrook throws an impressive deep ball, showing the ability to lead his receivers down the field and put the ball where only his intended receiver can catch it. Rhett has also shown the ability to make plays with his legs. He finished his sophomore year with 97 carries for 515 yards and nine touchdowns. Holbrook doesn't currently hold any offers but he will definitely be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.

As we approach the end of June, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, it is time to start previewing the upcoming season. As I begin to preview some top players and teams to watch in the 2023 season, I wanted to focus on which player I believe will make the biggest impact for each individual team. After already covering 6A and 5A, I have now turned my attention to class 4A in my “Team MVP” series. With that being said, here is another group of 4A MVP predictions.