Louisville 2026s to Watch: Offense

With the month of March coming to an end, the 2025 high school football offseason is in full swing! As we head into a new season, I wanted to take some time to preview some incoming seniors in different areas across the Bluegrass State. After already covering the city of Lexington, I wanted to turn my attention to the talented prospects in Louisville. To kick things off, here are some players from the city of Louisville to watch in the class of 2026 on the offensive side of the ball.    [player_tooltip player_id='971533' first='Chayce' last='Burton'] has been one of the most talented players in the state over the past few years and is coming off a strong junior year. He finished this past season with 128 carries for 908 yards and 15 touchdowns in eight games. Burton is a strong runner, showing the ability to lower his shoulder and run straight through defenders to break tackles without losing stride. Once he hits the open field, he has also shown the speed to run away from the defense on long runs. Burton also caught seven passes for 69 yards as a junior. Chayce currently holds multiple Power 4/Division I offers and I expect more to come his way as he is a high-caliber running back prospect.     [player_tooltip player_id='971534' first='Gerian' last='Traynor'] is another talented running back from the city of Louisville who has been high on our radar for a while now. Traynor had a strong junior year, carrying the ball 132 times for 633 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games. He has very explosive speed, which he uses to get to the outside in a hurry and then up the field to run away from the defense. Traynor also has impressive vision, showing the ability to find cutback lanes then make moves in the open field to make defenders miss. He has also shown the ability to line up in the slot and pose as a threat in the passing game, catching 15 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns last season. Gerian currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky, UNLV, and Bethune-Cookman, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber running back prospect.     [player_tooltip player_id='401700' first='David' last='Pellman'] is another highly-regarded member of the DuPont Manual offense. Pellman lines up at center where he is a dominant run blocker. He is a true mauler, exploding out of his stance and driving his man several yards down the field with ease. Pellman also does a great job of getting to the second level in a hurry to pick up blocks in the open field. He has also proven to be a reliable pass blocker, showing the ability to keep his head on a swivel to pick up stunts/blitzes. Pellman holds a long list of Power 4/Division I caliber offers and I expect that list to continue to grow heading into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1311244' first='Mason' last='Trimble'] caught my attention with a very impressive junior year, completing 160/241 passes for 2,300 yards, 21 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 12 games. Trimble is a very accurate quarterback, showing the ability to fit his passes into tight windows with ease where only his intended receiver can catch it. He has also shown a great feel for pressure, showing the ability to escape the pocket when needed while keeping his eyes down the field to make throws on the run. Trimble also ran the ball 100 times for 315 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. Mason doesn't currently hold any offers but I can see some coming his way soon as he has been receiving college interest.     [player_tooltip player_id='212336' first='Marlon' last='Harbin'] was Trimble's go-to target this past season and will likely continue to be as a senior. He led the team in receiving this past season, catching 47 passes for 639 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Harbin has the speed to blow by defensive backs in the deep passing game and also has a very high catch radius, showing the ability to use his athleticism to attach the ball at its highest point, even with defenders around him. He was also explosive out of the backfield as a junior, leading his team in rushing with 123 carries for 704 yards and 12 touchdowns.     [player_tooltip player_id='1125256' first='Larry' last='Irvin'] is a quarterback who stood out to me with a solid junior season, completing 157/251 passes for 1,967 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 13 games. Irvin has a very strong arm which he is able to use to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game. He also puts a good amount of touch on his passes, putting the ball in a spot where only his intended receiver can catch it. Larry has also shown the ability to tuck the ball and make plays as a ball carrier, finishing this past season as his team's leading rusher with 90 carries for 440 yards and four touchdowns. Irvin doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should keep an eye on heading into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='401718' first='Lamar' last='Hockersmith'] is another player in the Ballard offense to watch this season. He had a solid junior year, carrying the ball 71 times for 403 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games. Lamar has impressive speed which he uses to hit the running lane with a sense of urgency then run away from the defense on long runs. When defenders are able to catch up to him, he has shown the contact balance to break tackles in the open field without losing stride. Hockersmith doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to watch as his workload continues to grow as a senior.     [player_tooltip player_id='401698' first='Daelen' last='Thompson'] is a player who has been on my radar for a while now. He had a strong junior year, catching a team-high 71 passes for 741 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Thompson lines up in the slot where he is a very skilled route runner, using quick breaks in his routes to create separation with ease. He also has the speed to blow by opposing defensive backs in the deep passing game. Daelen doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect some to come his way soon as he definitely has the talent to play at the next level.     My final notable offensive prospect to watch in the class of 2026 in the city of Louisville is [player_tooltip player_id='971528' first='George' last='Luckett']. Luckett lines up at tackle where is very reliable as a run blocker. He does a great job of running his feet through contact and driving his man down the field with ease. George is also an impressive pass blocker, showing the footwork to mirror opposing pass rushers while also showing the ability to fight with his hands to defeat pass rush moves. Luckett currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way heading into his senior year.

With the month of March coming to an end, the 2025 high school football offseason is in full swing! As we head into a new season, I wanted to take some time to preview some incoming seniors in different areas across the Bluegrass State. After already covering the city of Lexington, I wanted to turn my attention to the talented prospects in Louisville. To kick things off, here are some players from the city of Louisville to watch in the class of 2026 on the offensive side of the ball.