2027 Stock Watch: LB/DB

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we enter the 2024 high school football offseason, we have been releasing our rankings updates in the state of Kentucky. This past month has been dedicated to the class of 2027, which is a class that is loaded with talent. Over the past couple weeks, I have focused on the top five players at each position so now I wanted to focus on some key players at each position that landed outside the top five that I believe people should be paying close attention to. With that being said, I will be doing a “Stock Watch” series highlighting each position in the 2027 class. 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 line already being covered, here are some 2027 linebackers and defensive backs to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["482999"],"_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='482999' first='Gage' last='Chapman'] is a player that caught my attention with an impressive freshman season. He lines up at inside linebacker where he does a great job of defending the run. Chapman reads his keys and uses his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle in the open field. He finished this past season with 66 tackles and two tackles for loss in eight games. Gage has also shown the ability to rush the passer when called on to blitz, finishing this past season with three sacks. Chapman doesn't currently hold any offers but is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next three seasons.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1200572"],"_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='1200572' first='DJ' last='Hightower'] is another linebacker that caught my attention as a freshman. He lines up on the outside where he is very reliable against the pass. Hightower has the speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge and has also shown the ability to drop into coverage. He finished this past season with three sacks and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) in 11 games. DJ has also showed the ability to stop the run, finishing his freshman year with 53 tackles and nine tackles for loss. Hightower doesn't currently hold any offers but is a player for college coaches to keep an eye on going into his sophomore year.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1200568"],"_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='1200568' first='Brody' last='Calhoun'] is another freshman linebacker that was very productive in his first season. He lines up at middle linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. Brody does a great job of reading his keys and flowing to the ball quickly to make the tackle. He finished this past season with a team-high 50 tackles along with five tackles for loss. Calhoun also showed the ability to blitz in passing situations, finishing the season with 1.5 sacks. Brody doesn't currently hold any offers but is a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1200714"],"_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='1200714' first='Colin' last='Winters'] is a player that put together some solid film as a freshman. He lines up at safety for Murray where he has proven to be reliable in pass coverage. He does a great job of reading route combinations and has impressive ball skills when the ball is thrown his way. Winters finished this past season with one interception in nine games. He also showed the ability to come downhill and provide support against the run, finishing the year with 19 tackles and one tackle for loss. Winters also played a role on offense, running the ball 74 times for 312 yards and seven touchdowns. Colin doesn't currently hold any offers but should be a player to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["871921"],"_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":"The final defensive player on my 2027 “Stock Watch” list is [player_tooltip player_id='871921' first='Carson' last='Herbst'] from Madison Central. Herbst played in mainly a reserve role this past season but put together some solid film. He lines up at safety where he is impressive against the run. Herbst does a great job of reading the play and flowing downhill to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Once he gets there, he does a good job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle. Carson doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on as his role in the Madison Central defense continues to grow.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6605e72ba3b01"} /-->