Kentucky Future Stars: 8th Grade (2028) Offensive Standouts

After an action-packed weekend of middle school football action at the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Future Stars Game, it's time to break down the top offensive standouts that made their presence known at EKU's Roy Kidd Stadium. Following Team Kentucky's victory over the Volunteers, here's my take on some of the top 8th grade (2028) offensive standouts from the game against Tennessee.    - Big Quarterback that had a physical presence to him as QB1 of the 8th grade Kentucky Future Stars   - Something I haven't noticed before with him, he changed arm angle and release points   - Did a nice job of standing in the pocket, waiting for his WRs to make their move downfield and then putting it where only his weapons could get it     - There really wasn't a debate to begin with, but Thompson's performance solidified him as the top 2028 Wide Receiver in the state, in my opinoin   - Picked up a verbal off from host-school Eastern Kentucky University, during the practices leading up to the annual tilt against Tennessee   - Was named Offensive Co-MVP for his efforts in the game, which included two touchdown receptions     - The cornerstone of an impressive Offensive Line unit that created big days for a Running Back and Wide Receiver to win Offensive Co-MVPs   - Started at Right Guard for the 8th grade Kentucky Future Stars and made some extremely talented Tennessee D-Linemen look mundane   - Seeing how much he loves football was palpable. This was his fourth time playing as a member of the Kentucky Future Stars and was still one of the first linemen celebrating touchdowns in the end zone     - Was my first time getting to see Ladd play live and I was a big fan of him   - Ran very hard with a down hill tilt at all times and was a chore for Tennessee to bring down   - He was one of the most physically impressive-looking prospects on the 8th grade Kentucky Future Stars team this year. Listed as an Athlete, because he looks like he can play all over the field as of June 2024     - Was certainly one of the prospects who upped their stock the most in the game, as Boyd was an impressive Running Back to watch   - Shifty, fast, strong and tough are just some of the adjectives to describe Boyd's performance in the game and overall style of play   - For every impressive throws the QBs made and for every jaw-dropping catch [player_tooltip player_id='871291' first='Avery' last='Thompson'] made, Offensive Co-MVP Boyd matched them play for play as a Running Back     - As he has been throughout this middle school career, Melvin III continues to be one of the most intriguing prospects in this Kentucky 2028 class   - We have him listed as an Athlete because he can do a lot of impressive stuff when the ball is in his hands, regardless of position   - The multi-time Kentucky Future Star put an exclamation point on his middle school career with a beautiful touchdown pass to [player_tooltip player_id='871291' first='Avery' last='Thompson'] to open up the scoring on the day for KY     - Like [player_tooltip player_id='423487' first='Jett' last='Boyd'] listed above, Hawkins was one of the prospects that upped their stock with a huge performance in the game against Tennessee   - As noted in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/06/seven-2028-stock-risers-from-tennessee-vs-kentucky-future-stars/">Stock Risers</a> article, he looked the part of a kid ready to explode on the high school level with his size and ability   - Lived up to his billing as an Athlete by forcing a fumble on a tackle in the third quarter, then proceeded to haul in a receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach for Tennessee    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Kentucky 8th Grade (Class of 2028) Future Stars That Stood Out</h2>   Kentucky Offensive Line - Every big guy that lined up across the offensive front for the 8th Kentucky Future Stars deserves a pat on the back for the way they handled business up front during the game. The skill guys got the headlines and awards, but this game was dictated by this unit. Again, the entire line deserved recognition, but notably [player_tooltip player_id='423463' first='Blake' last='Taylor'] (LG), [player_tooltip player_id='628633' first='Gannon' last='Mullins'] (RT) and [player_tooltip player_id='871294' first='Hudsen' last='Close'] (LT) caught my eye(s) several times   [player_tooltip player_id='1275004' first='Noah' last='Grant'] | Wide Receiver | Owensboro Catholic - Was impressed with the way Grant was able to climb the ladder and go up and make some nice catches--both in warmups and in the game. He's a budding multi-sport star to keep an eye on   [player_tooltip player_id='871288' first='Kingston' last='Dillard'] | Wide Receiver | Owensboro - Was on the receiving end of a pass from [player_tooltip player_id='1190755' first='Xavier' last='Isable'] in the second quarter that allowed Dillard to showcase when he can do. He got open down the sideline, adjusted his body to catch a bit of a tougher ball, and then showed off some speed nearly taking it the house for a touchdown. By my math, it was nearly a 75-yard reception   [player_tooltip player_id='953617' first='Elijah' last='Bishop'] | Running Back | Green County - On a team with this many stars and mouths to feed, I'm sure Bishop didn't get as many touches as he would have liked. However, he made the most of his opportunities--in particular a pair of nice runs that showed off his agility and some power   [player_tooltip player_id='1268773' first='Cayden' last='Shelton'] | Quarterback | Central Hardin - One of three prospects listed as Quarterbacks on the roster, each of the three threw a touchdown pass in the game against Tennessee. Shelton's came in the fourth quarter when he hit a wide open [player_tooltip player_id='1288478' first='Maddox' last='Hawkins'] in the endzone   [player_tooltip player_id='1274991' first='Deion' last='Davidson'] | Wide Receiver | Kentucky Country Day - Not the biggest kid in the world, but showed a ton of wiggle as a Slot Wide Receiver throughout the game. Whether he was targeted or not, there was ample separation made on a lot his routes.

After an action-packed weekend of middle school football action at the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Future Stars Game, it's time to break down the top offensive standouts that made their presence known at EKU's Roy Kidd Stadium. Following Team Kentucky's victory over the Volunteers, here's my take on some of the top 8th grade (2028) offensive standouts from the game against Tennessee.