Defensive Standouts From 7th Grade (2030) Kentucky Future Stars

The Kentucky Future Stars failed to win a game against their rivals from Tennessee in last month's annual border war, but that's not to say the 7th Grade Kentucky defense didn't have a number of prospects with a bright football future. At the end of the day, a loss is obviously a loss, and while there are things that could have been done better to get the win, the defense was not deprived of some standouts.    The more things change, the more they stay the same. For the second consecutive year, [player_tooltip player_id='1306161' first='Cole' last='Pinson'] was named the Defensive MVP of the Kentucky Future Stars after a stellar day against the Volunteer State. The Pikeville Junior High prospect (unofficially) led the team with six tackles on the afternoon, but it was some football fundamentals that really separated him from the pack. The 7th Grade Tennessee Future Stars had a lethal offense which forced Pinson to run literally sideline to sideline all game long. The Outside Linebacker made a number of downfield tackles on speedy receivers that had already beaten the KY Defensive Backs. Furthermore, he played excellent against the pass and dropped back into his zone(s) without hesitation. His range was crucial to limiting the bleeding for Kentucky.     Staying in the Linebacker corps, starting Middle Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1669259' first='Amar'e' last='Garth'] had a solid day for the 7th Grade Kentucky Future Stars. Built very similarly to [player_tooltip player_id='1306161' first='Cole' last='Pinson'] (listed above) with good height and length, Garth is a very good looking 2030 prospect. One of the more naturally athletic football players on Big Blue, he (unofficially) finished the day with four tackles and covered a lot of ground on the field. The Shawnee Middle Schooler is an intriguing prospect due to his stature and build, as he looks like he could play a number of different positions on the field depending on how he grows/fills out.     [player_tooltip player_id='1672966' first='Jake' last='Salmons'] is making his third appearance in writeups stemming from the 7th Grade Tennessee vs. Kentucky Future Stars this year. The Corbin Middle School prospect was an <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/06/warner-named-mvp-other-2030-ky-future-stars-shine-offensively/">offensive standout</a> for Kentucky, much in part to his physical play and countless big blocks on offense. He finds himself in this defensive writeup because of his active and physical play as a Linebacker. He showed versatility as he lined up as a Mike, but played the position like an OLB. He (unofficially) finished with three tackles, but his speed to the ball was very notable.     Joining [player_tooltip player_id='1672966' first='Jake' last='Salmons'] (listed above) on this list of defensive standouts is fellow Corbin Redhound, [player_tooltip player_id='1673906' first='Connor' last='Spencer']. Spencer wasn't a starter for the 7th Grade Kentucky Future Stars but had a nice afternoon as an Edge when he got his opportunities. In limited reps, Spencer did a pretty good job of not letting plays get outside of his far shoulder. He (unofficially) finished with three stops in the game.     Big [player_tooltip player_id='1688860' first='Carter' last='Snyder'] was another non-starter on the defensive side of the ball for the 7th Grade Kentucky Future Stars, but had some nice stops. The stout Defensive Tackle was a load to deal with on the interior line and did a commendable job of stuffing the running efforts of Tennessee. He, like Salmons and Spencer (listed above), finished (unofficially) with three stops.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/Creed-Haley-body.png?w=875" alt="" class="wp-image-1715018" style="width:524px;height:auto" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Notable Defensive Standouts</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1690641' first='Creed' last='Haley'] | Defensive Back | Mayfield Middle School - As mentioned the 7th Grade Kentucky Future Stars had their hands full with a high octane Tennessee offense all game long. With the ball in the air a lot, came many opportunities for a big play. Starting Strong Safety [player_tooltip player_id='1690641' first='Creed' last='Haley'] made the most of one of those opportunities with a beautiful interception in the second quarter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1063743' first='Garrett' last='Pearson'] | Defensive Line | Bowling Green Junior High School - While he was held without a tackle in the first half of the game, starting Defensive Tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1063743' first='Garrett' last='Pearson'] was powerful and quick off the snap. He consistently made life difficult for the Tennessee Offensive Line, as he (unofficially) finished with a pair of tackles--one of which was for a loss.   [player_tooltip player_id='1306186' first='Jameson' last='Justice'] | Linebacker | Pikeville Junior High school - Starting Outside Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1306186' first='Jameson' last='Justice'] was a standout a year ago on the 6th Grade Kentucky Future Stars, and once again had a noteworthy game this year as a seventh-grader. He finished (unofficially) with two tackles.

The Kentucky Future Stars failed to win a game against their rivals from Tennessee in last month's annual border war, but that's not to say the 7th Grade Kentucky defense didn't have a number of prospects with a bright football future. At the end of the day, a loss is obviously a loss, and while there are things that could have been done better to get the win, the defense was not deprived of some standouts.