2023 Statewide Defensive Top Performers: Week 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 high school football season is in full swing in the state of Kentucky as we have now had five full weeks of regular season action. Week 5 gave us several exciting games with some impressive individual performances. With the offensive side of the ball already being covered, here are my top defensive performances in the state of Kentucky from Week 5.</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":"Dylon Williams","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_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":"Betsy Layne","_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":"Dylan Williams is a player that jumped onto my radar this past week. Williams played a key role on both sides of the ball in the Bobcats' win over Floyd Central but he caught my attention the most on defense. Dylon lined up at defensive back where he showed tremendous ball skills in pass coverage. He finished the game with three interceptions. Williams also showed the ability to provide support against the run, finishing the game with five tackles. While he doesn't currently hold any offers, Dylon deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play on either side of the ball at the next level.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["408044"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='408044' first='Isaiah' last='Watts'] is a player that has been on my radar for a while now and continued to impress this past week. He played a key role in his team's shutout win over Tates Creek. Watts lined up both at safety and in the nickel where he was very impressive in pass coverage, showing the ability to read route combinations to put himself in a position to make a play. When the ball was thrown his way, Watts showed impressive ball skills, coming away with two interceptions. He also showed the ability to come downhill and provide run support, finishing the game with three tackles and one tackle for loss. Watts currently holds offers from Kentucky State and Mount Saint Joseph, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1121518' first='Garrison' last='Brumback'] ","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Carroll County","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Another defensive back that stood out to me this past week was [player_tooltip player_id='1121518' first='Garrison' last='Brumback']. He played a key role in Carroll County's win over Anderson County. Brumback lined up on the outside at corner where he was impressive in man coverage, showing the ability to open up and run with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball was thrown his way, he showed the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing, coming away with two interceptions and returning both of them for touchdowns. He also showed the ability to come downhill and make tackles in the open field against the run. Brumback finished the game with  four tackles and two tackles for loss. Garrison currently holds an offer from Wilmington and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["735611"],"_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='735611' first='Josh' last='Lainhart'] is a player that has been on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out this past week. The junior linebacker played a huge role in Collins' win over Fairdale, finishing the game with 16 tackles and one tackle for loss. Lainhart lined up at inside linebacker where he did a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry to defend the run. Once he got to the ball carrier, he did a great job of running his feet through contact to finish the tackle. Lainhart doesn't currently hold any offers but will be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["399293"],"_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":"For the second straight week, [player_tooltip player_id='399293' first='Jacob' last='Smith'] finds his name on my top performers yet. Smith played a key role in Corbin's close win over Frederick Douglass. He was very disruptive off the edge against the run, using his speed to get to the ball carrier and finishing with a ton of physicality once he got there. Smith finished the game with ten tackles and two tackles for loss. He also made a huge play in pass coverage, coming away with an interception. Along with his brother Jerod, Jacob announced after the game that he was flipping his commitment to Kentucky where I can see him developing into a key piece of their defense once he gets there.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1149579' first='Travis' last='Moten']","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"6'5u0022","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"Fern Creek","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_5_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1149579' first='Travis' last='Moten'] is a player that has gotten off to a strong start to the season and he continued to impress this past week. Moten played a key role in his team's win over Eastern. He lined up at defensive end where he was dangerous as a pass rusher. Moten finished the game with two sacks. He was also very disruptive against the run, finishing with eight tackles and three tackles for loss. Travis currently holds an offer from Otterbein and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"Braedan Kelley","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"Madison Southern","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_6_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Braedan Kelley is another player that jumped onto my radar this past week. Kelley played a key role in the Eagles' win over Henry Clay. He lined up as a defensive back and outside linebacker where he does a great job of reading the run and getting to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles. Kelley finished the game with  11 tackles and four tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to rush the passer, finishing with two sacks. Braedan also came away with one interception which he returned for a touchdown. Kelley doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"Brenden Bates","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"Male","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_7_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Brenden Bates is a player that stood out to me this past week as he made some big plays in Male's win over Trinity. Bates lined up on the outside at corner where he was very impressive in pass coverage. When the ball was thrown his way, he showed the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Bates finished the game with two interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdown. While Brenden doesn't currently hold any offers, he should be a player for college coaches to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_8_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1513809' first='Bryce' last='Moran']","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_8_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_8_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_8_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_8_player_details_school":"Mason County","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_8_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_8_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_8_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1513809' first='Bryce' last='Moran'] is another defensive back that jumped onto my radar this past week. He played a key role in his team's shutout win over Rowan County. Moran lined up at safety where he was very impressive in pass coverage. He does a great job of reading route combinations and the quarterback to put himself in a position to make a play. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown great ball skills, coming away with two interceptions last week and returning one for a touchdown. He also showed the ability to fill the lane and make tackles against the run, finishing with five tackles. Bryce doesn't currently hold any offers but should be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_9_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1175779' first='Kendell' last='Buck-Barber']","_player_evaluations_9_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_9_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_9_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_9_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_9_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_9_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_9_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_9_player_details_school":"Newport","_player_evaluations_9_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_9_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_9_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_9_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_9_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"To wrap up my top defensive performers from Week 5, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1175779' first='Kendell' last='Buck-Barber']. Kendell played a key role in Newport's win over Ludlow this past week. Barber lined up at safety where he was very impressive in pass coverage. He showed tremendous ball skills, coming away with two interceptions and returning one for a touchdown. Barber also showed the ability to provide run support, finishing the game with five tackles and two tackles for loss. Kendell doesn't currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop over the next few seasons.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":10,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-650ca5e69a47b"} /-->