NKY 26s to Watch: OL

As we head deeper into the month of June, the 2025 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to highlight some incoming seniors in specific areas of the state of Kentucky. Over the next week, I will be highlighting incoming seniors at each position in Northern Kentucky. After already covering the offensive skill players, here are some notable offensive linemen to watch in the class of 2026 in Northern Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='283977' first='Max' last='Merz'] is one of the top returning offensive linemen in the entire state of Kentucky. Merz has primarily line up at right guard but he has shown the versatility to play on the left side as well. He is a dominant run blocker, showing the ability to explode out of his stance and drive his feet through contact to drive his man down the field with ease. Max finishes his blocks with a ton of physicality, often with a pancake block several yards down the field. He is also reliable in pass protection, showing the ability to keep a strong base while absorbing contact and protect his inside gap. Merz is committed to Louisville where I can see him being a key contributor in the offensive line unit once he gets there.     [player_tooltip player_id='1176968' first='Will' last='Sandfoss'] is an offensive lineman that has been high on my radar for a while now. He is a versatile offensive tackle who plays mostly on the left side but has shown the ability to move over the right side when needed. Sandfoss is very impressive as a run blocker, showing the ability to create movement off the line of scrimmage with ease. He plays with a high motor, making sure to truly finish his blocks through the whistle. In pass protection, Will does a great job of getting into his pass sets quickly then mirroring opposing pass rushers off the edge to keep them away from his quarterback. Will currently holds several Division I offers and I expect that list to continue to grow heading into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1655654' first='Kyler' last='Burton'] is an offensive lineman who caught my attention with a strong junior year. Burton lines up at right tackle where he is a true mauler in the run game. Kyle has a strong initial punch that knocks defenders backwards with ease and does a great job of using his strength to maintain inside position with his hands. Once he is locked in on his man, Burton has shown the ability to drive them down the field with ease and finish with a ton of physicality, resulting in frequent pancake blocks. Kyler currently holds offers from Fork Union, Kentucky Christian, Eureka, and Rio Grande, and I expect more to come his way as he definitely has the talent to play at the next level.     My final notable offensive lineman to watch in the class of 2026 in Northern Kentucky is [player_tooltip player_id='1690816' first='Brody' last='Cook']. Cook is a versatile offensive lineman who has shown the ability to thrive at both tackle and guard. He is very impressive in pass protection, showing the ability to mirror opposing defensive linemen with ease then use his strength/physicality to defeat pass rush moves and finish blocks quickly to protect his quarterback. As a run blocker, Cook has shown the ability to get up to the second level with a sense of urgency and pick up blocks in the open field. Cook currently holds offers from Lawrence Tech and Rio Grande, and I expect more to come his way heading into this upcoming season.

As we head deeper into the month of June, the 2025 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to highlight some incoming seniors in specific areas of the state of Kentucky. Over the next week, I will be highlighting incoming seniors at each position in Northern Kentucky. After already covering the offensive skill players, here are some notable offensive linemen to watch in the class of 2026 in Northern Kentucky.