2023 All-Sophomore Team: Defense
Now that the 2023 high school football season is behind us and we are in a new year, I wanted to take the time to look back at some of the top players from this past season. As we have…
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Continue ReadingNow that the 2023 high school football season is behind us and we are in a new year, I wanted to take the time to look back at some of the top players from this past season. As we have already done a lot of coverage on the senior class, I wanted to focus on the top players in the 2025, 26, and 27 classes from this past season. After already covering the class of 25, I have turned my attention to my top players in the class of 2026 from this past season. With the offense out of the way, here is my 2023 All-Sophomore Defense in the state of Kentucky.
Baron Hardesty Baron Hardesty 6’3″ | 245 lbs | DL Bullitt East | 2026 State KY is a player that has been high on my radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season. Hardesty lines up at defensive end where he is dangerous off the edge as a pass rusher. He has shown the ability to use an impressive combination of strength, speed, and pass rush moves to blow by offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback. Baron finished his sophomore season with seven sacks in 12 games. He also showed the ability to stop the run, finishing the year with 71.5 tackles and eight tackles for loss. Hardesty doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on as he has already received some interest from college programs.
Highlights
Cole Rose Cole Rose 6’4″ | 220 lbs | DL George Rogers Clark | 2026 State KY is another defensive lineman in this class that continued to stand out this past season. Rose lines up at defensive end where he is very impressive as a pass rusher. He plays with a high motor, continuously fighting to get to the quarterback, and does a great job of finishing the sack once he gets there. Rose finished this past season with 8.5 sacks in 10 games. He also proved to be reliable against the run, finishing the year with 81 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. Rose has transferred from Montgomery County to George Rogers Clark where I expect a lot of eyes to be on him next season.
Highlights
My final defensive lineman on my 2023 All-Sophomore Defense is Deven Leclercq Deven Leclercq 6’1″ | 280 lbs | DL Southwestern | 2026 State KY . Deven had a solid sophomore year at defensive tackle for Southwestern. He is very disruptive against the run, using his strength to fight through blocks and get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles. Leclercq finished this past season with 60 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in 13 games. He also showed promise as a pass rusher, finishing the season with seven sacks. Deven doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep a close eye on over the next couple seasons.
Highlights
Jacob Savage Jacob Savage 6’0″ | 180 lbs | ATH Ryle | 2026 State KY is a player that came into this season with high expectations and truly lived up to the hype. On defense, he lined up at linebacker where he was very impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading his keys and flowing to the ball quickly to make tackles in the open field. Savage finished his sophomore season with 163 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games. He also finished the season with one sack. Savage also played a key role on offense, running the ball 78 times for 380 yards and seven touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Jacob currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Division I caliber prospect.
Isaac Estrada Isaac Estrada 5’10” | 220 lbs | LB Shelby County | 2026 State KY is a player that caught my attention as a freshman and continued to stand out this past season. Estrada lines up at inside linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. He does a great job of flowing downhill quickly and fighting through blocks on his way to the ball carrier. Estrada is a very reliable open field tackler once he gets to the ball carrier, finishing this past season with 95 tackles and nine tackles for loss in 10 games. He also showed the ability to rush the passer, finishing the season with two sacks. Isaac doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player for college coaches to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.
Wyatt Raney Wyatt Raney 5’11” | 205 lbs | LB Meade County | 2026 State KY is another linebacker that has been on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out this past season. He lines up at inside linebacker where he is dominant against the run. Raney does a great job of reading his keys and using his speed to get to the ball carrier to make the tackle before they can get going. He finished this past season with 101 tackles and three tackles for loss in 10 games. Raney also recovered two fumbles (returning one for a touchdown) and scored one rushing touchdown this past season. Wyatt doesn’t currently hold any offers but is a player to keep an eye on as he definitely has the potential to become a highly sought after linebacker prospect.
Highlights
My final linebacker on my 2023 All-Sophomore Defense is Stryker Davidson Stryker Davidson 6’0″ | 190 lbs | LB George Rogers Clark | 2026 State KY . Stryker has shown the versatility to play both inside and outside linebacker where he is impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading the play and flows to the ball carrier quickly to make tackles in the open field. Davidson finished this past season with 100 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in 10 games. He has also shown the ability to drop into coverage and make plays against the pass. Davidson also finished his sophomore year with one rushing touchdown. Stryker will be joining his teammate Rose in transferring from Montgomery County to George Rogers Clark where I expect him to be a player to watch next season.
Highlights
Juelz Davila Juelz Davila 5’11” | 205 lbs | DB South Oldham | 2026 State KY is a player that exceeded expectations in impressive fashion this past season. Davila lines up at safety where he is very impressive in pass coverage. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Davila finished this past season with four interceptions in 11 games, returning two of them for touchdowns. He also has shown the ability to fill the lane and make tackles against the run, finishing this past season with 89 tackles. Juelz doesn’t currently hold any offers but he should definitely be a player to watch over the next couple seasons.
Highlights
Kendell Buck-Barber Kendell Buck-Barber 5'7" | 170 lbs | DB Newport | 2026 State KY
Kendell Buck-Barber Kendell Buck-Barber 5'7" | 170 lbs | DB Newport | 2026 State KY
Kendell Buck-Barber Kendell Buck-Barber 5’7″ | 170 lbs | DB Newport | 2026 State KY is a player that jumped onto my radar with an impressive sophomore season. Barber lines up at safety where he is very impressive in pass coverage. He does a great job of breaking on the ball with perfect timing and has shown the ball skills to come away with the interception. Barber finished this past season with seven interceptions in 12 games, returning one of them for a touchdown. He also showed the ability to provide support against the run, finishing the season with 54 tackles and eight tackles for loss. Barber also finished the season with 16 receptions for 179 yards, and returned one kickoff and a punt for touchdowns. Kendell doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.
Malik Kirby Malik Kirby 6’0″ | 165 lbs | ATH Mayfield | 2026 State KY is another young defensive back that stood out to me this past season. He lines up on the outside at corner where he is very impressive in man coverage. Kirby does a great job of opening up and running with receivers to mirror their routes and breaks on the ball with perfect timing to make a play when it is thrown his way. Malik finished the season with one interception and several pass breakups in 14 games. He also finished the year with 36 tackles and caught 19 passes for 335 yards and five touchdowns. Malik doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player to pay attention to on both sides of the ball over the next couple seasons.
Highlights
To wrap up my 2023 All-Sophomore Defense, I have James White James White 5’8″ | 140 lbs | DB Fern Creek | 2026 State KY . White had a strong sophomore year at safety for Fern Creek. He is very impressive in pass coverage, showing the ability to read the quarterback and break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. White finished this past season with two interceptions in 12 games. He also showed the ability to fill the lane and provide support against the run, finishing the season with 57 tackles and one tackle for loss. James doesn’t currently hold any offers but should be a player to watch over the next two seasons.
Honorable Mention:
Defensive Line: Andrew Ferguson Andrew Ferguson 6'3" | 250 lbs | DL Pikeville | 2026 State KY (Pikeville); Jackson Whitten Jackson Whitten 6'3" | 210 lbs | DL Bracken County | 2026 State KY (Bracken County)
Linebacker: Dalton Matney Dalton Matney 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB Johnson Central | 2026 State KY (Johnson Central); Mac Darland Mac Darland 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Lexington Christian Academy | 2026 State KY (Lexington Christian Academy); Cooper Mobley Cooper Mobley 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Caldwell County | 2026 State KY (Caldwell County)
Defensive Back: Quilshaun Baines Quilshaun Baines 6'0" | 155 lbs | DB Atherton | 2026 State KY (Atherton)