2026 Rankings Release: Defensive Line

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the 2023 high school football season being officially underway, it is the time of the year where initial rankings for the current season are being finalized. After releasing our initial 2024 and 2025 rankings updates for this season, we have now turned our attention to a class debut in our rankings. The 2026 class is loaded with several talented players but some stood out above the rest to make our initial Top 100. With those rankings being officially posted, I will now be breaking them down by position. After covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball, starting with our top defensive linemen in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["283960"],"_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='283960' first='Cole' last='Rose'] is a player that stood out as a freshman and established himself as the top player at his position in the 2026 class. In his first year of high school football, Rose finished with 65 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Rose is a force against the run, showing the ability to read the play and shed blocks quickly to get to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler in the open field. As a pass rusher, Rose has shown the ability to use his speed off the edge to blow by opposing offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback. Through the first two games of the 2023 season, Rose currently has seven tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks. Rose doesn't currently hold any offers but is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.","_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":"Another defensive lineman that had a productive freshman year is [player_tooltip player_id='283954' first='Baron' last='Hardesty']. Baron finished the 2022 season with 30 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Hardesty lines up at defensive end where he is a dominant run defender. He does a great job of reading the play quickly and getting to the ball in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. When the run is away from him, he has shown the ability to run down the line to make tackles from the opposite side. He is also a reliable pass rusher, using a combination of speed and strength to fight through blocks to get to the quarterback. Through two games this season, Hardesty leads the team with 10.5 tackles and also has one tackle for loss. Baron doesn't currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and definitely has the potential to develop into a highly sought after prospect.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["401702"],"_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='401702' first='Deven' last='Leclercq']  is another defensive lineman that caught my attention last season. As a freshman, Leclercq finished with 24 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. Leclercq is a dangerous pass rusher, using his speed and pass rush moves to get to the quarterback. He is also reliable against the run, showing the ability to read the play and shed blocks quickly. Once he sees where the ball is going, he has shown the ability to get to the ball in a hurry to make tackles. Deven doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["283966"],"_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='283966' first='Donnez' last='Marshall'] is a player that recently jumped onto my radar. He is coming off a solid freshman season in which he finished with 39 tackles, three tackles for loss, and four sacks. Marshall lines up at defensive end and plays with a very high motor. Once he sees where the ball is going, he gets there in a hurry and is a very reliable tackler in the open field. Donnez is also an impressive pass rusher, using his speed and strength to beat opposing offensive tackles off the edge. Marshall doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["971540"],"_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":"Rounding out our top five defensive linemen in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='971540' first='Quin' last='Baggett']. Baggett had a solid freshman season, finishing with 27 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Quin lines up at defensive end where he is very disruptive against the run. He has shown the ability to use his speed to shoot into the backfield before opposing offensive linemen have a chance to block him. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable open field tackler. He is also a reliable pass rusher, showing the ability to use his strength to fight through blocks on his way to the quarterback. Through the first two games of his sophomore year, Baggett has seven tackles and one tackle for loss. Quin doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player for college coaches to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64f0f8b8b16e7"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 100):</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. [player_tooltip player_id='971538' first='Josiah' last='Hope'] (North Hardin)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. [player_tooltip player_id='971541' first='Hunter' last='Kinser'] (Edmonson County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. [player_tooltip player_id='401688' first='Andrew' last='Ferguson'] (Pikeville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. [player_tooltip player_id='971539' first='Marcus' last='Lewis'] (Boyd County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. [player_tooltip player_id='401709' first='Jackson' last='Whitten'] (Bracken County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. [player_tooltip player_id='971542' first='Grey' last='Billingsley'] (Barren County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->