2024 Rankings Update 2.0: Defensive Linemen
In this article:
With the 2023 high school football season quickly approaching, it is time for some rankings updates! For the state of Kentucky, the updated Top 200 rankings for the talented 2024 class have been posted. With that being said, I will…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith the 2023 high school football season quickly approaching, it is time for some rankings updates! For the state of Kentucky, the updated Top 200 rankings for the talented 2024 class have been posted. With that being said, I will be taking the next couple weeks to breakdown these updated rankings by position. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball by focusing on our top defensive linemen in the class of 2024 in the state of Kentucky.
Darius Wiley Darius Wiley 6’6″ | 235 lbs | DL North Hardin | 2024 State KY has continued to prove over the past couple seasons that he is the top player at his position in his class. He was only able to play in three games this past season but was productive when on the field, finishing with 17 tackle, one tackle for loss, and one sack. Wiley is a very athletic defensive end that is dangerous pass rusher. He has an explosive first step which he turns into impressive speed that he uses to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge. Wiley has also shown that he has the strength to bull rush straight through offensive linemen on his way to the quarterback. Against the run, he does a great job of stacking blocks to read the play then shedding them quickly to get to the ball carrier. Wiley currently holds offers from Akron, Marshall, Purdue, West Virginia, Miami (OH), Indiana, Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, and Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Power 5 caliber prospect.
Jahvon Frazier Jahvon Frazier 6’3″ | 220 lbs | DL Bryan Station | 2024 State KY is another defensive lineman that has been high on our radar for a while now. He is coming off a strong junior season in which he finished with 54 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and five sacks. Jahvon lines up at defensive end where he is a very skilled pass rusher. Frazier has an impressive combination of speed and strength, showing the ability to either run by or straight through opposing offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback. He is also very reliable against the run. Frazier plays with a very high motor , showing the ability to read the play quickly and run down ball carriers from all over the field to make tackles. Jahvon currently holds offers from Army, Navy, Akron, Marshall, Austin Peay, West Virginia, Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, and Southeast Missouri St, and I expect more to come his way as I believe he has the talent to be a productive defensive end at the FBS level.
Chase Couch Chase Couch 6’5″ | 245 lbs | DL Lexington Christian Academy | 2024 State KY is a defensive lineman that jumped onto our radar quickly this past season. He played a key role on the LCA defense as a junior, finishing with 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. Couch lines up at defensive end where he is a very reliable defender against the run. He does a great job of using his strong hands to stack and shed opposing offensive linemen with ease. Once he sheds the block, he uses his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry and is a very reliable tackler in the open field. He is also a reliable pass rusher, showing the ability to use his strength and explosiveness to his advantage to drive straight through opposing offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback. Couch currently holds offers from Marshall, Pennsylvania, Cornell, Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, and Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to be a reliable defensive end at the FBS level.
Highlights
Ashton Jones Ashton Jones 6’2″ | DL St. Xavier | 2024 State KY is a defensive lineman that took a huge jump in our recent rankings update. Jones had a strong junior year, finishing with 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks. He lines up in the interior at defensive tackle where he is a very impressive pass rusher. Jones has the speed to burst into the pocket before opposing offensive linemen can react and also has some impressive pass rush moves that he uses to defeat blocks. He is also reliable against the run, showing the ability to read the play and fight through blocks to get to the ball carrier quickly to make tackles in the open field. Ashton currently holds offers from Navy, Austin Peay, Wofford, Bucknell, Ball State, Columbia, Army, Lehigh, Forham, Southeast Missouri State, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania, and UAB, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the Division I level.
To round out our top five defensive linemen in the class of 2024 in the state of Kentucky, I have Isaiah Hare Isaiah Hare 6’2″ | 275 lbs | DL Bullitt East | 2024 State KY . Hare played a key role in Bullitt East’s 6A State Championship run this past season, finishing with 74 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. Isaiah lines up at defensive end where he is a very skilled pass rusher. He has an explosive first step and the speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge. Once he gets the quarterback, Hare does a great job of exploding through contact to secure the sack. Hare is also a very reliable defender against the run. He does a great job of reading the play and running all over the field to make tackles. Isaiah currently holds offers from Butler, Indianapolis, Wofford, Grand Valley State, Valparaiso, McKendree, Thomas More, Central Missouri, Bethel (TN), and Eastern Illinois, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber defensive end prospect.
Highlights
Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 200):
6. Jasante Harmon Jasante Harmon 6'1" | 270 lbs | DL Scott County | 2024 State KY (Scott County)
7. Xavier Campbell Xavier Campbell 6'0" | 225 lbs | LB Beechwood | 2024 State KY (Beechwood)
8. Christopher Jones Jr Christopher Jones Jr 6'3" | 350 lbs | DL DuPont Manual | 2024 State KY (DuPont Manual)
9. Tay’Shaun Linton Tay’Shaun Linton 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Trigg County | 2024 State KY (Trigg County)
10. Bryce Strickland Bryce Strickland 5'11" | 250 lbs | DL Louisville Male | 2024 State KY (Male)
11. Colton Smith Colton Smith 6'0" | 260 lbs | DL Greenwood | 2024 State KY (Greenwood)
12. Kaden Lewis Kaden Lewis 6'1" | 285 lbs | DL Ballard | 2024 State KY (Ballard)
13. Austin Johnson Austin Johnson 5'10" | 220 lbs | DL North Laurel | 2024 State KY (North Laurel)
14. Izack Messer Izack Messer 6'0" | 250 lbs | DL East Carter | 2024 KY (East Carter)
15. Tyler Neal Tyler Neal 6'2" | 220 lbs | DL St. Xavier | 2024 State KY (St. Xavier)
16. Davion Strode Davion Strode 6'1" | 235 lbs | DL Hazard | 2024 KY (Hazard)