2026 Rankings Update 6.0: DL

<!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2026","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"2406","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"2494","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68756305b784e"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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. Now that these rankings have been posted, I have been breaking down our updated Top 275 by position. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball, starting with our top defensive linemen in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["971538"],"_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-68756305b8dd3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='971538' first='Josiah' last='Hope'] is one of the top overall players in the state in his class. Hope lines up at defensive tackle where he is dominant against the run. Josiah has shown the speed to shoot the gap before opposing offensive linemen can react and the strength to fight straight through them on his way to the ball carrier. He finished this past season with 61 tackles and 19 tackles for loss in 11 games. Hope is also impressive as a pass rusher, showing the ability to use his strength and quick pass rush moves to defeat blocks on his way to the quarterback. Josiah finished his junior year with seven sacks. Hope is committed to Purdue where I can see him making an early impact once he gets there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1264301"],"_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-68756305b8e25"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1264301' first='Sam' last='Dawson'] is a defensive lineman who has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to stand out as a junior. Dawson lines up at defensive end where he is very impressive against the run. He explodes out of his stance and has shown the ability to use a strong initial punch and his length to stack and shed blocks with ease. Once he sheds the block, he has shown the speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field, finishing his junior year with 60 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 11 games. He also finished this past season with one sack and an interception. Sam is committed to Louisville where I can see him developing into a key piece of their front seven. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1690338"],"_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-687563cf5dd19"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1690338' first='Jahbarri' last='Frost'] caught our attention with a strong junior year. Frost lines up at defensive tackle where he is at his best against the run, using his strength to fight straight through opposing offensive linemen on his way to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler, finishing last season with 32 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in 14 games. He has also shown the ability to rush the passer, finishing his junior year with four sacks. Frost currently holds offers from Iowa State, Western Illinois, and Eastern Michigan, 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":["1706091"],"_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-6875677aba0aa"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1706091' first='Brandin' last='Woods'] is another player who jumped onto our radar as a junior. Woods lines up at defensive end where he causes a ton of disruption in the backfield. He explodes out of his stance and has shown the ability to use his speed to burst into the backfield before the opposing offensive line has a chance to react. Woods has also shown the strength to fight through blocks when they are able to get their hands on him. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Woods does a great job of running his feet through contact and finishing his tackles with a ton of physicality. Brandin currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Bowling Green State, and Bethune-Cookman, 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":["401709"],"_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-6875677aba111"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">To wrap up our top five defensive linemen in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='401709' first='Jackson' last='Whitten']. Whitten lines up at defensive end where he is a dominant force against the run. He does a great job of stacking blocks and reading the play then shedding them quickly once he sees where the ball is going. After shedding the block, Whitten uses his speed to get to the ball carrier to make the tackle before they can get going. He finished this past season with 82 tackles and 30 tackles for loss in 12 games. Whitten has also proven to be an effective pass rusher, finishing his junior year with 9.5 sacks. Jackson currently holds offers from Cornell, Morehead State, Butler, and Penn, and I expect his recruitment to continue to heat up this offseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->