2026 Rankings Update 5.0: Tight Ends

As we head deeper into the month 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 will be breaking them down by position. After already covering the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers, here are our top tight ends in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='971545' first='Eli' last='Pietrowski'] continued to establish himself as one of the best players in the entire state in his class with a strong junior year. He played a key role in the Corbin passing game, finishing the season with 18 receptions for 267 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. Eli lines up in the slot where he has shown the speed to pose as a vertical threat down the seam. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown an impressive catch radius, showing the ability to go up and catch passes at their highest point, regardless of what type of coverage is around him. Pietrowski also made an impact on defense as a junior, finishing the year with 37 tackles, three tackles for loss , and four sacks. Eli currently holds multiple Power 4/Division I offers and I expect more to come his way heading into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1655651' first='Laterrian' last='Spencer'] is a player who caught my attention when breaking down junior year film. Spencer is a very reliable target in the passing game, showing the ability to find openings in the secondary with ease. He is also impressive after the catch, showing the strength and speed as a ball carrier to pick up extra yards. Spencer finished this past season with four receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown in seven games. He is also impressive as a blocker, showing the physicality to finish his blocks with a sense of urgency. Spencer currently holds an offer from Bethune-Cookman and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber prospect.     [player_tooltip player_id='971548' first='Jaxson' last='Byrd'] is a player who has been on our radar for a while now and continued to impress as a junior. He lines up mainly on the outside where he is very impressive in the passing game. Byrd runs routes like a receiver and has also shown the speed to pose as a threat in the deep passing game. He finished his junior year as his team's leading receiver with 29 receptions for 503 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. Byrd also made an impact on defense this past season, finishing the year with 53 tackles, four tackles for loss, and five interceptions. Jaxson doesn't currently hold any offers but I wouldn't be surprised to see some come his way soon as he has received some college interest.     [player_tooltip player_id='1176973' first='Keegan' last='Farrell'] is another tight end who has been on our radar for a while now. He had a strong junior year, catching 30 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. Farrell lines up on the outside where he is able to use his size and athleticism to create a mismatch with smaller defensive backs. He has shown the ability to high point passes with ease, making him a very reliable target in jump ball situations. Farrell has also shown the ability to create separation with smooth breaks in his routes. He also made an impact on defense as a junior, finishing the season with 46 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception. Keegan doesn't currently hold any offers but I can see some coming his way soon as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.     To wrap up our top five tight ends in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1175827' first='Jayden' last='Travis']. Travis played a huge role in the North Hopkins passing game as a junior, leading the team in receiving with 25 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. Jayden is a skilled route runner, using smooth breaks in his routes to create separation with ease. He has also shown the speed to pose as a threat in the deep passing game. Travis doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player for college coaches to keep an eye on heading into his senior season.