2025 Rankings Update 3.0: Defensive Linemen
In this article:
Rank Player Height High School Commitment Weight 1 Austin Alexander 6’3″ Cooper 215 2 Javeon Campbell 6’6″ Western Hills 230 3 Dillon Smith 6’4″ Ryle 250 4 Mason Mudd 6’4″ Saint Xavier 260 5 Luke Toothaker 6’5″ Franklin County 230…
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Rank
|
Player
|
Height
|
High School
|
Commitment
|
Weight
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
6’3″
|
Cooper
|
||||
2 |
6’6″
|
Western Hills
|
||||
3 |
6’4″
|
Ryle
|
||||
4 |
6’4″
|
Saint Xavier
|
||||
5 |
6’5″
|
Franklin County
|
||||
6 |
6’5″
|
Beechwood
|
||||
7 |
6’5″
|
Fern Creek
|
||||
8 |
6’1″
|
Paducah Tilghman
|
||||
9 |
6’5″
|
Harlan
|
||||
10 |
6’0″
|
Union Counry
|
||||
11 |
Louisville Male
|
|||||
12 |
6’0″
|
Pikeville
|
||||
13 |
6’3″
|
Paris
|
||||
14 |
6’2″
|
Mayfield
|
||||
15 |
6’1″
|
Corbin
|
||||
16 |
6’1″
|
Ballard
|
||||
17 |
6’0″
|
Louisville Central
|
||||
18 |
6’2″
|
Cooper
|
||||
19 |
6’3″
|
Union County
|
||||
20 |
6’1″
|
Campbell County
|
||||
21 |
6’1″
|
Frederick Douglass
|
||||
22 |
5’8″
|
Male
|
||||
23 |
6’3″
|
Paintsville
|
||||
24 |
6’3″
|
Lexington Christian Academy
|
||||
25 |
6’3″
|
Highlands
|
||||
26 |
Carroll County
|
|||||
27 |
6’3″
|
Betsy Layne
|
||||
28 |
6’3″
|
Madison Central
|
||||
29 |
6’0″
|
Bardstown
|
||||
30 |
6’0″
|
Lloyd Memorial
|
||||
WL |
6’1″
|
Pleasure Ridge Park
|
||||
WL |
Campbell County
|
|||||
WL |
Bourbon County
|
|||||
WL |
5’10”
|
Louisville Fern Creek
|
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Continue ReadingAs we get deeper into the 2024 off-season, another season of high school football is quickly approaching. With that being said, it is time for another round of rankings updates. The third update of our rankings for the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky has been officially posted! Over the next week or so, I will be doing positional breakdowns at each position. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball, starting with our top defensive linemen in the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky.
Austin Alexander Austin Alexander 6’3″ | 215 lbs | DL Cooper | 2025 State KY is a player that has continued to establish himself as one of the top overall players in the state. He lines up at defensive end where he is a very dangerous pass rusher. Alexander has shown the strength and explosiveness to bull rush straight through opposing offensive tackles along with the speed to run right by them. Austin finished this past season with 19 sacks in 15 games. He also finished the season with 81 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and one interception. Alexander also played a key role in Cooper’s offense at tight end this past season, catching 67 passes for 1,138 yards and 19 touchdowns. Austin is committed to North Carolina where I can see him making an immediate impact once he gets there.
Javeon Campbell Javeon Campbell 6’6″ | 230 lbs | DL Western Hills | 2025 State KY is a player that truly made a name for himself with a strong junior year. Campbell lines up at defensive end where he is a force off the edge as a pass rusher. He has shown the ability to explode out of his stance and drive straight through opposing offensive linemen to get to the quarterback. Campbell has also shown impressive speed and pass rush moves off the edge. He has also shown the ability to stop the run, reading the play quickly and shedding blocks with ease then using his high motor to get to the ball carrier to make the tackle. Javeon holds a long list of Power 4 offers and recently listed his “Top Nine” as Kentucky, Alabama, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, Florida, Auburn, Ohio State, LSU , and Georgia.
Dillon Smith Dillon Smith 6’4″ | 250 lbs | DL Ryle | 2025 State KY is a player that has been on our radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season. Smith lines up at defensive end where he is very impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading the play then shedding his blocks quickly to get to the ball carrier. After seeing where the ball is going, Smith has shown the ability to use his speed to get to the ball carrier and make the tackle before they can get going. Dillon finished his junior year with 56 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 13 games. Smith has also shown the ability to make plays against the pass, both as a rusher and in coverage. He finished this past season with six sacks and three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Dillon is committed to Louisville where I can see him developing into a key piece of their defense.
Highlights
Mason Mudd Mason Mudd 6’4″ | 260 lbs | DL Saint Xavier | 2025 State KY is a player that caught my attention with some impressive junior year film. Mudd lines up at defensive end where he is very impressive against the run. He explodes out of his stance and uses his speed to burst into the backfield before opposing offensive linemen have a chance to block him. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler. Mason finished this past season with 22 tackles and two tackles for loss in 11 games. Mudd is committed to Central Michigan where I can see him becoming a key piece of their defensive line.
To wrap up our top five defensive linemen in the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky, I have Luke Toothaker Luke Toothaker 6’5″ | 230 lbs | DL Franklin County | 2025 State KY . Luke lines up at defensive end where he is dominant against the run. Toothaker does a great job of reading the play quickly and using his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. He takes great angles to the ball carrier, getting to them before they can get going to make the tackle. Luke finished his junior year with 72 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss in 14 games. He also showed the ability to rush the passer, finishing the season with 6.5 sacks. Toothaker also made an impact on offense this past season, catching two touchdown passes. Luke currently holds offers from Cornell, Eastern Kentucky, and Yale, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber prospect.
Highlights
Other Players Included in Top 200:
6. Mattox Kelly Mattox Kelly 6'5" | 230 lbs | DL Beechwood | 2025 State KY (Beechwood)
7. Travis Moten Travis Moten 6'5" | 230 lbs | DL Fern Creek | 2025 State KY (Fern Creek)
8. Xsavier Cleary Xsavier Cleary 6'1" | 275 lbs | DL Paducah Tilghman | 2025 State KY (Paducah Tilghman)
9. Hunter Clem Hunter Clem 6'5" | 240 lbs | DL Harlan | 2025 State KY (Harlan)
10. Amare Black Amare Black 6'0" | 225 lbs | DL Union Counry | 2025 State KY (Union County)
11. Javeon Dorsey Javeon Dorsey DL Louisville Male | 2025 State KY (Male)
12. Blake Caudill Blake Caudill 6'0" | 220 lbs | DL Pikeville | 2025 State KY (Pikeville)
13. Preston Cowan Preston Cowan 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL Paris | 2025 State KY (Paris)
14. Tre Jackson Tre Jackson 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Mayfield | 2025 State KY (Mayfield)
15. Jace Hatfield Jace Hatfield 6'1" | 255 lbs | DL Corbin | 2025 State KY (Corbin)
16. Quordair Atkinson Quordair Atkinson 6'1" | DL Ballard | 2025 State KY (Ballard)
17. George Black George Black 6'0" | 240 lbs | DL Louisville Central | 2025 State KY (Central)
18. Michael Mulvihill Michael Mulvihill 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Cooper | 2025 State KY (Cooper)
19. Kamden Davis Kamden Davis 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Union County | 2025 State KY (Union County)
20. Aiden Dowds Aiden Dowds 6'1" | 225 lbs | DL Campbell County | 2025 State KY (Campbell County)
21. Seandre Maxberry Seandre Maxberry 6'1" | 250 lbs | DL Frederick Douglass | 2025 State KY (Frederick Douglass)