2026 Rankings Update 5.0: Stock Rising ATH

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the month of April is coming to an end, the 2025 high school football offseason is in full swing. With the being said, we have begun a new round of rankings update, starting with the class of 2026. After already covering the top players at each position, I wanted to focus on some players outside of the top five at their position who saw their ranking rise in the latest update. With the offensive and defensive sides of the ball already taken care of, I will wrap things up with some notable stock rising ATH in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky who make an impact at multiple positions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1655656"],"_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-6812997783a2e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1655656' first='Jakeem' last='Ray'] is a player who recently jumped onto our radar. On defense, Ray lines up at corner where he is very reliable in man coverage. He does a great job of opening up and running with receivers to mirror their routes with ease. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown impressive ball skills, coming away with two interceptions as a junior. Jakeem also caught one touchdown pass on offense this past season. Ray currently holds an offer from Southern Mississippi and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["971570"],"_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-6812997783a84"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='971570' first='Bubby' last='McPherson'] is another Boyle County prospect who recently climbed into our rankings. He is a lockdown corner on the defensive side of the ball, showing the ability to mirror opposing receivers' routes, staying in their hip pocket the whole way. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing to break up the pass. Bubby also caught two passes for 39 yards as a junior and returned one punt for a touchdown. McPherson currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky and Southern Mississippi, and I can see more coming his way soon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["401929"],"_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-6812997783aca"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='401929' first='Tyree' last='Stoner'] is a player who has been on our radar for a while now and continued to impress as a junior. On offense, he was very productive out of the backfield, running the ball 37 times for 205 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. Stoner is an elusive ball carrier, showing the contact balance to break tackles and quickness to make defenders miss in the open field. He has also shown the speed to break away from the defense on long runs. Stoner also threw one touchdown pass as a junior and caught six passes for 41 yards. He also made an impact on defense at safety, finishing the year with 20 tackles and one interception which he returned for a touchdown. Stoner currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky and Kentucky Wesleyan, and I can see more coming his way as he is a prospect who could play multiple positions at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["283968"],"_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-6812997783b0c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='283968' first='Isaiah' last='Jackson'] is another player who has been on our radar for a while now. He is an explosive playmaker on offense who has the speed and elusiveness to break away for a big play at any given moment. Jackson led his team in both rushing and receiving as a junior, running the ball 159 times for 1,266 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching 14 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. He also returned one kickoff for a touchdown as a junior and made an impact on defense as a defensive back, finishing the year with 43 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and a team-high four interceptions. Isaiah currently holds an offer from Kentucky State and I expect more to come his way as he has the potential to be a true difference maker at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1655624"],"_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-6812997783b50"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final notable stock rising ATH in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky is [player_tooltip player_id='1655624' first='Kingston' last='Merritt']. On offense, Merritt lines up at receiver where he has shown the ability to use his speed to blow by opposing defensive backs with ease in the deep passing game. He is also very reliable in jump ball/contested catch situations, showing the ability to catch the ball at its highest point, regardless of what type of coverage is around him. Merritt finished this past season with 43 receptions for 686 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games. Kingston also ran the ball 51 times for 358 yards and four touchdowns as a junior, and made an impact on defense, finishing the year with 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one interception. Merritt doesn't currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and his recruitment should continue to heat up heading into his senior season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->