2026 Rankings Update 4.0: Offensive Line

With another high school football season behind us in the state of Kentucky, it is time for another round of rankings updates! After wrapping up the class of 2025, we have now moved to the class of 2026. With the newest rankings update for 2026 class being officially posted, I'll be taking the next couple weeks to break them down by position. After already covering the offensive skill players, here are our top offensive linemen in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky!    [player_tooltip player_id='402549' first='Jarvis' last='Strickland'] continued to establish himself as the top overall player in the state in his class with a strong junior year. Strickland lined up at left tackle where he was dominant in the run game. He is very impressive in the open field, especially on screen passes, showing the ability to use his physical punch to destroy any defender in his path in open space. Jarvis has also shown the ability to pull from the tackle spot and pick up blocks as a lead blocker. He is also very reliable in pass protection, getting into his pass sets quickly to mirror pass rushers and then showing the ability to use his hands to defeat pass rush moves with ease. Strickland currently holds several Power 4 offers and I expect more to come his way as he is a high-caliber prospect.     [player_tooltip player_id='401700' first='David' last='Pellman'] is another high-caliber offensive line prospect who continued to stand out this season. Pellman lined up at center where he was very impressive as a run blocker. He is a true mauler, exploding out of his stance and running his feet through contact to drive his man several yards down the field with ease. David finishes his blocks with a ton of physicality, resulting in frequent pancake blocks. He is also impressive in pass protection, showing the ability to constantly find work and pick up stunts/blitzes. Pellman currently holds multiple Power 4 offers and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='283977' first='Max' last='Merz'] is another offensive lineman who continued to stand out this season. He lined up mainly at right guard but has shown that he can play both guard spots. Merz is very reliable in the run game, showing the ability to run his feet through contact to create movement off the line of scrimmage. He is also an impressive down blocker, showing the ability to finish his blocks quickly and drive his man out of the picture to create an inside running lane for the ball carrier. Max is committed to Louisville where I can see him being a key contributor at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1584288' first='Bryten' last='Close'] is a player who jumped onto our radar with a strong junior year. He lined up at right tackle where he was very impressive as a run blocker. Close is explosive out of his stance, running his feet through contact and driving his man down the field through the whistle. He has also shown the ability to pull from the tackle spot and destroy any defender in his path as a lead blocker. Close is also reliable in pass protection, showing the footwork to mirror opposing pass rushers while also keeping a strong base, not allowing for much penetration into the pocket. Bryten currently holds offers from Massachusetts and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber talent.     To wrap up our top five offensive linemen in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='971531' first='Ben' last='Myers']. Myers showed impressive versatility this season, showing the ability to play both tackle spots. He is very reliable as a run blocker, showing the ability to drive his man down the field with ease. Myers also does a great job of getting to the second level with a sense of urgency and picking up blocks in the open field. He is also impressive as a pass blocker, showing the ability to keep a strong base while absorbing contact, not allowing for much penetration into the pocket. Ben currently holds an offer from Troy and I expect more to come his way as he definitely has the talent to play for a Division I program.