2026 Rankings Update: Linebacker
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 side of the ball, I have now turned my attention to the defensive side of the ball. With the defensive linemen out of the way, I will now focus on our top linebackers in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.
Mac Darland Mac Darland 6’2″ | 215 lbs | LB Lexington Christian Academy | 2026 State KY climbed to our top linebacker spot in his class after an impressive sophomore season. Darland lines up at outside linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. He reads his keys quickly and is able to use his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. Mac finished this past season with 78 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in 13 games. He also showed that he has the ability to make plays against the pass, both as a rusher and in coverage, finishing the season with four sacks and an interception. Mac doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect some to come his way soon as he has received some college interest and has the talent to play at the next level.
Highlights
Wyatt Raney Wyatt Raney 5’11” | 205 lbs | LB Meade County | 2026 State KY is a linebacker that has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season. He lines up at inside linebacker where he is very reliable against the run. Raney does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry to meet the ball carrier and 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 (one returned for a touchdown) and scored on rushing touchdown this past season. Wyatt doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player to keep an eye on going into his junior year.
Highlights
Eli Hampton Eli Hampton 6’0″ | 185 lbs | LB Owensboro | 2026 State KY is a player that climbed up our rankings following an impressive sophomore season. Hampton lines up at inside linebacker where he has shown the ability to put pressure on the quarterback. He is very reliable when spying the quarterbacked, showing the ability to mirror the quarterback and time himself perfectly when deciding to rush the passer. Hampton finished the season with several quarterback hurries and one sack. He is also very reliable against the run, coming downhill in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. Eli finished the year with 83 tackles and two tackles for loss in 14 games. Hampton doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player that college coaches should keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.
Stryker Davidson Stryker Davidson 6’0″ | 190 lbs | LB George Rogers Clark | 2026 State KY is a player that has been on our radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season. Davidson has shown the versatility to succeed at both inside and outside linebacker. He does a great job of reading his keys and uses his high motor to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. Davidson finished this past season with 100 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in 10 games. He also finished the season with one interception and scored one rushing touchdown. Stryker doesn’t currently hold any offers and recently transferred from Montgomery County to George Rogers Clark where I expect him to have a lot of eyes on him this season.
Highlights
To wrap up our top five linebackers in the state of Kentucky in the class of 2026, I have Brady Wasik Brady Wasik 5’11” | 185 lbs | LB Lexington Catholic | 2026 State KY . Wasik caught our attention with an impressive sophomore season at inside linebacker. Brady is very reliable against the run as he does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry to make the tackle before the ball carrier can get going. He finished this past season with a team-high 88 tackles and nine tackles for loss. Wasik also showed the ability to rush the passer, coming away with one sack this past season. Brady doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.
Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 150):
6. Isaac Estrada Isaac Estrada 5'10" | 220 lbs | LB Shelby County | 2026 State KY (Shelby County)
7. Karsten Busch Karsten Busch 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB St. Xavier (Ky) | 2026 State KY (St. Xavier)
8. Cage Fannin Cage Fannin 6'2" | 190 lbs | LB Fern Creek | 2026 State KY (Fern Creek)
9. Dalton Matney Dalton Matney 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB Johnson Central | 2026 State KY (Johnson Central)
10. Austin Tremblay Austin Tremblay 6'3" | 250 lbs | LB Madison Central | 2026 State KY (Madison Central)
11. Will Steger Will Steger 5'11" | 190 lbs | LB Montgomery County | 2026 State KY (Montgomery County)
12. Cooper Mobley Cooper Mobley 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Caldwell County | 2026 State KY (Caldwell County)
13. Chapman Russell Chapman Russell 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Christian Academy Of Louisville | 2026 State KY (Christian Academy of Louisville)
14. Ahmari Alexander Ahmari Alexander 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Trigg County | 2026 State KY (Trigg County)
15. Tucker Evans Tucker Evans 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Covington Catholic | 2026 State KY (Covington Catholic)
16. Michael Hammonds Michael Hammonds 5'10" | 185 lbs | LB Logan County | 2026 State KY (Logan County)
17. Caden Caldwell Caden Caldwell LB Leslie County | 2026 State KY (Leslie County)