2026 Rankings Update 4.0: Stock Rising ATH

As we head into the 2025 off-season , we in a new round of rankings updates in the state of Kentucky with the latest update being posted for the class of 2026. After already covering the top players at each position in the class, I wanted to take some time to focus on some players outside the top five at their positions who climbed in our latest update. With the offensive and defensive sides of the ball already being taken care of, here are some stock rising ATH who have stood out to me in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky who make an impact at multiple positions.    [player_tooltip player_id='401694' first='Colin' last='Jefferson'] is a player who has been on our radar for a while now and continued to stand out as a junior. Jefferson was very impressive on defense at safety, proving to be very reliable in pass coverage. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and flowing through the secondary to put himself in a position to make a play. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown impressive ball skills, coming away with four interceptions in 12 games this past season. He also showed the ability to make plays against the run, finishing the year with 23 tackles and one tackle for loss. Jefferson also proved to be a dangerous deep threat as a receiver on offense, catching 14 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns, and made an impact on special teams, returning one punt for a touchdown. Colin currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber prospect.     [player_tooltip player_id='773223' first='Cross' last='Watson'] quickly climbed up our rankings following a very impressive junior season. Watson did most of his damage on offense as a ball carrier where he showed the elusiveness to make defenders miss with ease in the open field. He also showed the burst of speed to run away from the defense on long runs. Watson finished this past season with 106 carries for 1,018 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games. He also made an impact in the passing game, catching 27 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns, and returned one punt for a touchdown. Cross also made an impact on defense, finishing the year with 52 tackles, four tackles for loss, and an interception. Watson doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should definitely be paying close attention to heading into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='773246' first='Wyatt' last='Simons'] made the transition to running back on the offensive side of the ball this past season and thrived in his new role. He had an outstanding junior year, carrying the ball 213 times for 1,348 yards and 17 touchdowns in 11 games. Simons is a strong runner, showing the ability to keep his legs churning through contact while keeping his balance to break tackles with ease without losing stride. He also showed the speed to break away on long runs once he hit the open field. Simons also made a huge impact on defense at linebacker, leading his team with 109 tackles. Wyatt doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to continue to watch who has the talent to play on either side of the ball at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1176943' first='Aden' last='Bolden'] is another player who was very impressive out of the backfield as a junior. He finished this past season with 184 carries for 1,439 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games. Bolden has explosive speed which he uses to burst through the running lane in a hurry then run away from the defense once he hits the second level. He also showed the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. Aden also finished his junior year with four receptions for 46 yards and threw two touchdown passes. He was also a key contributor on defense at outside linebacker, finishing the season with 62 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack. Aden doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player for college coaches to keep an eye on heading into his senior year.     The final stock rising ATH in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky who stood out to me this past season is [player_tooltip player_id='971503' first='Miles' last='Edge'] from Owensboro Catholic. Miles was an electric playmaker on offense, doing a lot of his damage out of the backfield. He led his team in rushing with 81 carries for 764 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. Edge is a very shifty ball carrier, showing the ability to make cuts in the open field to make defenders miss. He also has the speed to break away on long runs. Miles also finished the year with 32 receptions for 338 yards and six touchdowns, and made an impact on defense at linebacker, finishing the season with 99 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and one interception. Edge doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on heading into his final season.

As we head into the 2025 off-season , we in a new round of rankings updates in the state of Kentucky with the latest update being posted for the class of 2026. After already covering the top players at each position in the class, I wanted to take some time to focus on some players outside the top five at their positions who climbed in our latest update. With the offensive and defensive sides of the ball already being taken care of, here are some stock rising ATH who have stood out to me in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky who make an impact at multiple positions.