2026 Rankings Update 6.0: TE

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 will be breaking down our updated Top 275 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'] has continued to prove that he is one of the top players in the state in his class over the past few seasons. As a junior, he played a key role in the Corbin passing game, catching 18 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. Pietrowski lines up primarily in the slot where he has the speed to pose as a deep threat. He has also shown tremendous contested catch ability along with the ability to pick up yards after the catch. Eli is also a reliable blocker in the open field, showing the ability to drive his man out of the picture with ease. He also made an impact on defense last season, 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 going into his senior season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1655651' first='Laterrian' last='Spencer'] caught our attention with a strong junior year. He is a dominant run blocker, showing the physical punch to knock defenders off balance with ease along with the leg drive to create movement off the line of scrimmage. Spencer is also a reliable receiving threat who has shown the ability to find openings in zone coverage to provide a target for the quarterback then get up the field quickly to pick up extra yards. Laterrian finished last season with four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown in seven games. Spencer currently holds offers from Bethune-Cookman, Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, and Lake Erie, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber prospect.     [player_tooltip player_id='1584312' first='Logan' last='Mays'] is a tight end who stood out when evaluating junior year film. He is very reliable in the passing game, showing the ability to use smooth breaks in his routes to create separation. Mays also has a high catch radius which he uses to catch passes at their highest point, regardless of what type of coverage is around him. He is also very impressive as a blocker, showing the ability to drive his feet through contact to move his man down the field with ease. Mays is committed to Navy where I can see him developing into a key contributor at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='971548' first='Jaxson' last='Byrd'] is a player who has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to stand out as a junior. He is a versatile tight end who has shown the ability to line up all over the formation. In the passing game, he has the speed to pose as a deep threat and reliable hands to make catches through contact with ease. He is also dangerous after the catch, showing the speed and strength as a ball carrier to pick up extra yards. Byrd finished this past season with a team-leading 29 receptions for 503 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. Jaxson has also displayed a ton of physicality as a blocker in the open field and scored one rushing touchdown as a junior. He also made a huge impact on defense last season, finishing the year with 53 tackles, four tackles for loss, and a team-high five interceptions. Byrd has received some college interest and I expect his recruitment to continue to heat up this offseason.     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']. As a junior, Travis led his team in receiving with 25 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. Travis lines up mainly in the slot where he is a skilled route runner, using smooth breaks in his routes to create separation. He has also shown the speed to pose as a vertical threat down the seam and to pick up yards after the catch. Travis doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to heading into his senior year.