Western KY 26s to Watch: DL

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we approach the end 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. To continue these series, I have been taking the past week to highlight some incoming seniors at each position in Western Kentucky. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball, starting with some notable defensive linemen to watch in the class of 2026 in Western Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- 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-6862e0deb8a6d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175815' first='Malik' last='Coburn'] has been high on my radar for a while now. He lines up at defensive end where he is very disruptive against the run. Coburn explodes out of his stance and uses his speed to burst into the backfield before the opposing offensive line has a chance to react. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he finishes his tackles with a ton of physicality. Malik finished this past season with 92 tackles and 19.5 tackles for loss in 15 games. He is also very dangerous as a pass rusher, showing the speed to blow by offensive tackles and strength to bull rush straight through them. Coburn finished his junior year with 9.5 sacks. Malik currently holds offers from UT-Martin, Southeast Missouri State, and Indianapolis, and I expect more to come his way 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":["1175821"],"_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-6862e1b2f40cd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175821' first='Xavier' last='Conrad'] is another player who has been on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out as a junior. Conrad lines up as a stand-up defensive end where he is very impressive off the edge as a pass rusher. He does a great job of using his speed and pass rush moves to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease on his way to the quarterback. Xavier finished his junior year with five sacks in 11 games. He also showed the ability to stop the run, finishing the season with 53 tackles and six tackles for loss. Conrad currently holds an offer from Kentucky Wesleyan 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":["1697796"],"_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-6862e8716586d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1697796' first='Javin' last='Dukes'] is a player who grabbed my attention when breaking down junior year film. He lines up at defensive tackle where he is very reliable against the run. Dukes does a great job of reading the play then fighting through blocks on his way to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler, finishing this past season with 21 tackles and four tackles for loss in nine games. He has also shown the strength to bull rush his way to the quarterback as a pass rusher, finishing his junior year with two sacks. Dukes currently holds an offer from McKendree and I expect his recruitment to continue to heat up this offseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1697793"],"_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-6862ebd252263"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final notable 2026 defensive lineman to watch in Western Kentucky this season is [player_tooltip player_id='1697793' first='Caden' last='Conkright']. Caden is a versatile defensive lineman who has shown the ability to play anywhere from nose to defensive end. Conkright is very reliable against the run, using his speed to shoot his gap before opposing offensive linemen can react. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle, finishing last season with 49 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in 15 games. He also proved to be reliable off the edge as a pass rusher, finishing his junior year with 7.5 sacks. Caden doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->