2026 Rankings Update: ATH
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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…
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Continue ReadingNow 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.
Jacob Savage Jacob Savage 6’0″ | 180 lbs | ATH Ryle | 2026 State KY 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.
Elijah Ward Elijah Ward 5’9″ | 150 lbs | ATH Frederick Douglass | 2026 State KY 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.
Daulton Tarter Daulton Tarter 5’9″ | 200 lbs | ATH Bracken County | 2026 State KY 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.
Highlights
Dee Parker Dee Parker 5’9″ | 170 lbs | ATH Whitley County | 2026 State KY 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.
To wrap up our top five ATH in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I gave Kristopher Hughes Kristopher Hughes 5’11” | 175 lbs | ATH Somerset | 2026 State KY . 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.
Highlights
Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 150):
6. Willem McPeake Willem McPeake 6'0" | 195 lbs | ATH Union County | 2026 State KY (Union County)
7. Isaiah Martin Isaiah Martin 5'10" | 155 lbs | ATH Murray | 2026 State KY (Murray)
8. Isaiah Jackson Isaiah Jackson 5'11" | 185 lbs | ATH Rockcastle County | 2026 State KY (Rockcastle County)
9. Cam Estep Cam Estep 5'10" | 150 lbs | ATH Corbin | 2026 State KY (Corbin)
10. Dameyn Anness Dameyn Anness 5'11" | 180 lbs | ATH Ludlow | 2026 State KY (Ludlow)
11. Logan Music Logan Music ATH Johnson Central | 2026 State KY (Johnson Central)
12. Mak Hoover Mak Hoover 6'1" | 175 lbs | ATH Mayfield | 2026 State KY (Mayfield)
13. Bryson Rowsey Bryson Rowsey 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Raceland | 2026 State KY (Raceland)
14. Malik Kirby Malik Kirby 6'0" | 165 lbs | ATH Mayfield | 2026 State KY (Mayfield)
15. Brayden Lightfoot Brayden Lightfoot 6'0" | 150 lbs | ATH Warren East | 2026 State KY (Warren East)
16. Peyton Williams Peyton Williams 5'10" | 140 lbs | ATH Trigg County | 2026 State KY (Trigg County)
17. Cameron Davis Cameron Davis 6'1" | 160 lbs | ATH Ashland Blazer | 2026 State KY (Ashland Blazer)
18. Kay Sharp Kay Sharp 6'0" | 150 lbs | ATH Newport | 2026 State KY (Newport)
19. Aiden Wagers Aiden Wagers 6'1" | 240 lbs | ATH Clay County | 2026 State KY (Clay County)
20. Jayden Woods Jayden Woods 5'9" | 150 lbs | ATH Clay County | 2026 State KY (Clay County)
21. Brayden Hall Brayden Hall 5'6" | 140 lbs | ATH Madison Southern | 2026 State KY (Madison Southern)
22. Brauck Strunk Brauck Strunk 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH McCreary Central | 2026 State KY (McCreary Central)
23. Logan Smith Logan Smith 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Calloway County | 2026 State KY (Calloway County)
24. Cayden Varney Cayden Varney 6'2" | 170 lbs | ATH Belfry | 2026 State KY (Belfry)
25. Aden Bolden Aden Bolden 5'9" | 160 lbs | ATH McLean County | 2026 State KY (McLean County)
26. Cooper Robinson Cooper Robinson 5'8" | 160 lbs | ATH North Laurel | 2026 State KY (North Laurel)
27. Aiden Carr Aiden Carr ATH Clay County | 2026 State KY (Clay County)
28. Joaquin Perreira Joaquin Perreira 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Frederick Douglass | 2026 State KY (Frederick Douglass)
29. Miles Edge Miles Edge 5'6" | 165 lbs | ATH Owensboro Catholic | 2026 State KY (Owensboro Catholic)
30. Abreyan Fletcher Abreyan Fletcher 5'10" | 175 lbs | ATH Union County | 2026 State KY (Union County)
31. Jake Crump Jake Crump 6'0" | ATH Hart County | 2026 State KY (Hart County)