2026 Rankings Update 5.0: EDGE

<!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2026","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"5926","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"2494","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-680ff93f3fbcb"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we near the end of April, the 2025 high school football off-season is in full swing! With that being said, we have begun another round of rankings updates for the state of Kentucky, starting with the class of 2026. Now that these rankings have been updated, I have been breaking them down by position. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I have now turned my attention to the defensive side of the ball. With the defensive line already taken care of, here are our top edge defenders 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":["283954"],"_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-680ff93f43ab4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='283954' first='Baron' last='Hardesty'] was one of the most productive defensive players in the entire state this past season. He is a dominant pass rusher, using an impressive combination of strength and speed to beat opposing offensive tackles with ease on his way to the quarterback. Hardesty finished his junior year with 15 sacks in 11 games. He is also very reliable against the run, finishing this past season with 61 tackles and 20 tackles for loss. Baron currently holds multiple Division I offers and I expect more to come his way heading into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1562264"],"_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-680ffa1b58f95"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1562264' first='John' last='Luke Minner'] is a player who has quickly climbed up our rankings over the past year. He is at his best as a true pass rusher off the edge, finishing this past season with 12 sacks in 15 games. Minner has a quick first step out of his stance which he is able to convert into speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease on his way to the quarterback. He has also shown impressive pass rush moves which he uses to defeat blocks. John Luke has also shown the ability to stop the run, finishing his junior year with 40 tackles and three tackles for loss. Minner currently holds several Division I offers and I expect that list to continue to grow heading into his final season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175815"],"_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-680ffb7ebf49a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175815' first='Malik' last='Coburn'] is another edge defender who quickly caught our attention this past season. Coburn is a force against the run, finishing his junior year with 92 tackles and 19.5 tackles for loss in 15 games. He explodes out of his stance and fights straight through blocks on his way to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he runs his feet through contact and finishes his tackles with a ton of physicality. Coburn has also proven to be a dangerous pass rusher, finishing this past season with 9.5 sacks. Malik currently holds an offer from Southeast Missouri State and I expect more to come his way soon as he is a Division I caliber prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1236577"],"_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-680ffb7ebf4f6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1236577' first='Xander' last='Contreras'] is a player who jumped onto our radar with a strong junior year. Contreras is at his best when defending the run. He does a great job of using his strength to stack and shed blocks quickly when he locates the ball carrier. After he sheds the block, he has shown the speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle in the open field. Contreras finished this past season with 72 tackles and one tackle for loss in 11 games. Xander currently holds an offer from Memphis and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way heading into this upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["971527"],"_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-680ffc841d782"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">To wrap up our top five edge defenders in the class of 2026 in the stage of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='971527' first='Stryker' last='Davidson']. Stryker was dominant against the run as a junior, leading his team with 96 tackles and 27 tackles for loss in 12 games. He does a great job of reading the play then using his speed to burst into the backfield before the opposing offensive line can react. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of exploding through contact to secure the tackle. Stryker has also shown the ability to make plays against the pass, finishing this past season with six sacks and one interception which he returned for a touchdown. Davidson doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should definitely keep an eye on this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->