2026 Under the Radar Prospects: Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that the month of August is finally here, we are just weeks away from the start of the 2024 high school football season! With the season's start coming up, we have issued a new round of rankings updates in the state of Kentucky, with the class of 2026 being the latest to be published. After covering the top players at each position, I wanted to take some time to take a look at some under the radar prospects who are outside of the top five at their position. With the offensive side of the ball already being covered, here are some under the radar defensive prospects to watch in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["401709"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b690c1cfcb4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='401709' first='Jackson' last='Whitten'] is a player who has been on our radar for a while now and continued to stand out last season. He lines up at defensive end where he is able to use his combination of speed and strength to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge as a pass rusher. Jackson finished his sophomore year with seven sacks in 11 games. He also showed the ability to stop the run, finishing the year with 46 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. Whitten also served as the team's starting quarterback last season, throwing for over 1,000 yards for 10 touchdowns. Jackson doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player for college coaches to keep an eye on heading into his junior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175823"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b690c1cfd22"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175823' first='Donee' last='Sutton'] is another player who has continued to impress over the past couple seasons. Sutton lines up at defensive end/outside linebacker where he is very impressive as a pass rusher. He is explosive out of his stance and has shown the ability to fight through blocks on his way to the quarterback. Donee has also shown the ability to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field against the run. Sutton doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1099757"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b690c1cfd6b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1099757' first='Cage' last='Fannin'] is a player who caught my attention when breaking down sophomore year film. Fannin lines up mainly at outside linebacker where he does a great job of defending the run. He reads the play quickly and is able to use his speed to flow to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle. Cage finished last season with 49 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 10 games. He also finished his sophomore year with an interception which he returned for a touchdown and half a sack. Fannin doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player to keep an eye on who has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["283962"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b690c1cfdb0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='283962' first='Dalton' last='Matney'] is a player who has been on our radar for a while now. He lines up at inside linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. Matney does a great job of reading his keys then using his speed and good angles to the football to run sideline to sideline to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Matney is a very reliable open field tackler. Dalton doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["971495"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b6922e68891"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final under the radar defensive prospect to keep an eye on in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky is [player_tooltip player_id='971495' first='A'Davion' last='Dale']. Dale lines up at corner where he is very impressive in man coverage. He does a great job of opening up and using his speed to run with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, he does a great job of breaking on the pass with perfect timing to make a play. He finished his sophomore year with one interception and several pass breakups in 10 games. Dale also showed the ability to provide run support, finishing the year with 26 tackles and one tackle for loss. A'Davion currently holds an offer from Toledo and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->