2026 Rankings Update: ATH

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that another season of high school football is behind us in the state of Kentucky, it is time for some rankings updates. The updated top 150 for the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky has been officially published! With that being said, I wanted to take the next week or so to break down these rankings by position. After already covering the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, I will wrap up my position rankings breakdowns with our top ”ATH” in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky that make an impact at multiple positions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["401710"],"_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='401710' first='Jacob' last='Savage'] continued to establish himself as one of the top players in the state in his class this past season. On defense, Savage lines up at linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. Savage finished this past season with 163 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games. He also showed the ability to rush the passer, finishing the season with on sack. Savage also played a key role on offense as a running back, finishing the season with 78 carries 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 has the talent to play at the Division I level.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["971506"],"_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='971506' first='Elijah' last='Ward'] is a bit of a hidden gem in the state that has been sitting behind some very talented players at Frederick Douglass. While he has played a limited role, he has put together some impressive film on both sides of the ball. On offense, he is an explosive running back with the burst of speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. He also is very impressive on defense at corner where he has shown the ability to lock down opposing receivers in man coverage while also showing the ball skills to make a play on the ball when it is thrown his way. Ward currently holds an offer from Louisville and I can see more coming his way as his role on both sides of the ball continues to grow.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["371230"],"_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='371230' first='Daulton' last='Tarter'] is a player that has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to stand out this past season. While he stood out to me as a linebacker last season, he made his biggest impact on the offensive side of the ball this past season. Tarter is a physical running back who showed the contact balance to run straight through defenders in the open field without losing stride while also showing the burst of speed to run away from the defense on long runs. He finished this past season with 148 carries for 1,436 yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games. Tarter also caught 10 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown this past season. Daulton continued to produce on the defensive side of the ball as well, finishing the season with a team-leading 106 tackles, along with 17 tackles for loss, three sacks, and three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Tarter doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect some to come his way soon as he has received some college interest and definitely has the talent to play on either side of the ball at the next level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["876439"],"_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='876439' first='Dee' last='Parker'] is another player that has been on our radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season. Parker is an electric playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, doing most of his damage out of the backfield. He has the speed to run away from the defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. Parker finished his sophomore season with 230 carries for 1,644 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 games. He also played a key role in the passing game, catching 12 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Parker also made an impact on defense this past season, finishing the year with 37 tackles and two interceptions. Dee doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player to keep an eye on heading into his junior year.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["445546"],"_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":"To wrap up our top five ATH in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I gave [player_tooltip player_id='445546' first='Kristopher' last='Hughes']. Hughes was a key playmaker on offense for Somerset this past season. He made a huge impact in both the running and passing game. As a ball carrier, he showed the contact balance and elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field along with the speed to run away from the defense. Hughes finished the season with 98 carries for 732 yards and 13 touchdowns in 14 games. He also showed the ability to line up in the slot and use his speed to pose as a dangerous deep threat in the passing game. Hughes finished the season as his team's leading receiver, catching 34 passes for 515 yards and five touchdowns. He also played a key role on defense as a defensive back, finishing the season with 85 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and two interceptions. Hughes doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player that college coaches should definitely keep their eyes on over the next two seasons.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65de70e61d5e6"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 150):</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. [player_tooltip player_id='331725' first='Willem' last='McPeake'] (Union County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. [player_tooltip player_id='971497' first='Isaiah' last='Martin'] (Murray)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. [player_tooltip player_id='283968' first='Isaiah' last='Jackson'] (Rockcastle County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. [player_tooltip player_id='283957' first='Cam' last='Estep'] (Corbin)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. [player_tooltip player_id='971505' first='Dameyn' last='Anness'] (Ludlow)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. [player_tooltip player_id='283975' first='Logan' last='Music'] (Johnson Central)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12. [player_tooltip player_id='1176946' first='Mak' last='Hoover'] (Mayfield)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>13. [player_tooltip player_id='971504' first='Bryson' last='Rowsey'] (Raceland)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>14. [player_tooltip player_id='401921' first='Malik' last='Kirby'] (Mayfield)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15. [player_tooltip player_id='283956' first='Brayden' last='Lightfoot'] (Warren East)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16. [player_tooltip player_id='1176975' first='Peyton' last='Williams'] (Trigg County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17. [player_tooltip player_id='971500' first='Cameron' last='Davis'] (Ashland Blazer)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18. [player_tooltip player_id='1176972' first='Kay' last='Sharp'] (Newport)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>19. [player_tooltip player_id='1176941' first='Aiden' last='Wagers'] (Clay County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>20. [player_tooltip player_id='971498' first='Jayden' last='Woods'] (Clay County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>21. [player_tooltip player_id='1076928' first='Brayden' last='Hall'] (Madison Southern)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>22. [player_tooltip player_id='283955' first='Brauck' last='Strunk'] (McCreary Central)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>23. [player_tooltip player_id='335123' first='Logan' last='Smith'] (Calloway County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>24. [player_tooltip player_id='212333' first='Cayden' last='Varney'] (Belfry)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>25. [player_tooltip player_id='1176943' first='Aden' last='Bolden'] (McLean County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>26. [player_tooltip player_id='1175824' first='Cooper' last='Robinson'] (North Laurel)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>27. [player_tooltip player_id='971499' first='Aiden' last='Carr'] (Clay County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>28. [player_tooltip player_id='1175776' first='Joaquin' last='Perreira'] (Frederick Douglass)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>29. [player_tooltip player_id='971503' first='Miles' last='Edge'] (Owensboro Catholic)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>30. [player_tooltip player_id='1176938' first='Abreyan' last='Fletcher'] (Union County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>31. [player_tooltip player_id='773225' first='Jake' last='Crump'] (Hart County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->