2026 Rankings Update 6.0: Defensive Stock Risers

As we head deeper into the month of July, the 2025 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, we have entered a new round of rankings updates in the state of Kentucky, with the class of 2026 being the latest class to be updated. After taking the past week to break down our top players at each position, I wanted to take some time to cover some players outside the top five at their position who saw their stock rise in the latest update. With the offensive side of the ball already being covered, here are some notable stock risers on the defensive side of the ball in our latest rankings update for the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='1284466' first='JJ' last='Goodman'] is a player who has been on my radar for a while now and continued to impress as a junior. Goodman lines up at defensive end where he is dominant against the run. He explodes out of his stance and uses his strength to fight through blocks on his way to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle. Goodman finished his junior year at Mercer County with 60 tackles and three tackles for loss in 10 games. He has also shown the ability to bull rush straight through opposing offensive linemen to put pressure on the quarterback. JJ currently holds an offer from Morehead State and I expect a lot of eyes to be on him after transferring to Boyle County for his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='401711' first='Jakob' last='Bartley'] is a player who caught my attention when evaluating junior year film. Bartley lines up at defensive end where he is very impressive against the run. He has shown the ability to use his speed to shoot the gap and get to the ball carrier before the opposing offensive line has a chance to react. Bartley has also shown the bend to dip under blocks to make it difficult for offensive linemen to get their hands on him. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler, finishing this past season with 94 tackles and six tackles for loss in 14 games. He has also proven to be a very effective pass rusher off the edge, finishing his junior year with seven tackles. Bartley also came away with one interception and returned it for a touchdown as a junior. Jakob currently holds offers from Colby, Pikeville, and Hanover, and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1594001' first='Damond' last='Jackson'] is another player who jumped onto my radar with a strong junior year. Jackson lines up at outside linebacker where he is very reliable against the run. He does a great job of reading the play quickly then using his speed to get to the ball carrier before they can get going. Damond does a great job of exploding through contact to secure the tackle and not allow any extra yards to be gained. Jackson finished last season with a team-high 90 tackles and 15 tackles for loss in 13 games. He also proved to be a reliable blitzer, timing the snap count perfectly to burst into the backfield before the opposing offensive line has a chance to react. Damond finished his junior year with nine sacks. Jackson doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to this upcoming season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1517151' first='Robert' last='Magalong'] caught my attention at one of our camps this offseason and was just as impressive when watching his junior year film. Magalong lines up at inside linebacker where he does a great job defending the run. He reads his keys quickly the flows to the ball with a sense of urgency. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he finishes his tackles quickly before they have a chance to make a move or pick up extra yards. Robert finished his junior year with a team-leading 110 tackles along with seven tackles for loss in 10 games. He also finished the year with one sack. Magalong currently holds an offer from Judson and I expect his recruitment to continue to heat up this offseason.     My final notable defensive stock riser in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky is [player_tooltip player_id='1635093' first='Hosain' last='Konate']. Konate lines up on the outside at corner where he is very reliable in zone coverage. He does a great job of reading route combinations then breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play when the ball is thrown his way. Konate finished this past season with three interceptions in 10 games, returning one of them for a touchdown. He also showed the ability to provide run support, finishing his junior year with 23 tackles. Hosain currently holds an offer from Ohio Northern and I expect him to be a player who college coaches keep a close eye on this season.

As we head deeper into the month of July, the 2025 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, we have entered a new round of rankings updates in the state of Kentucky, with the class of 2026 being the latest class to be updated. After taking the past week to break down our top players at each position, I wanted to take some time to cover some players outside the top five at their position who saw their stock rise in the latest update. With the offensive side of the ball already being covered, here are some notable stock risers on the defensive side of the ball in our latest rankings update for the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.