2025 Week 2 Defensive Top Performers

As we enter the month, the first two weeks of the 2025 high school football season in the state of Kentucky have already come and gone. Week 2 was filled with several exciting matchups with some very impressive individual performances. With that being said, I wanted to focus on some performances that stood out above the rest from Week 2. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, here are my defensive top performers from Week 2 in the state of Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='1870104' first='Shalom' last='Moore'] jumped onto my radar with a very impressive performance in Franklin County's Week 2 win over Bullitt East. Moore lined up at safety where he was very reliable in coverage, showing the ability to read the quarterback and flow through the secondary to put himself in position to make a play. When the ball was thrown his way, he showed impressive ball skills, coming away with two interceptions and returning one of them for a touchdown. He also showed the ability to fill the lane to provide support against the run, leading his team with 16 tackles. Moore doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should have their eyes on this season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1870112' first='Zhian' last='Harmon'] is another defensive back who caught my attention in Week 2. Harmon played a key role at corner in Lafayette's win over Henry County. He was very impressive in coverage, showing the ability to drop into his zone and read route concepts with ease. When the ball was thrown his way, he showed the ability to react with perfect timing to make a play, coming away with two interceptions and returning one of them for a touchdown. Harmon also finished the game with two tackles. Zhian should be a player to keep a close eye on over the next two seasons.     [player_tooltip player_id='1284268' first='Connor' last='Holbrook'] has been on my radar for a while now and continued to impress last week. He played a key role in Hazard's Week 2 win over Whitley County. Holbrook lined up at outside linebacker where he was able to use his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge as a pass rusher to get to the quarterback. Connor finished the game with three sacks. He also showed the ability to stop the run, finishing the game with 13 tackles. Holbrook doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect college coaches to be paying close attention to him over the next couple seasons.     [player_tooltip player_id='1590575' first='Marveen' last='Moise'] caught my attention on the camp circuit this summer and was very impressive in Boone County's Week 2 win over St. Henry. Moise lines up at defensive tackle where he is very impressive as a pass rusher, using his strength to bull rush straight through opposing offensive linemen on his way to the quarterback. He finished last week's game with three sacks. Marveen has also proven to be disruptive against the run, finishing the game with seven tackles and five tackles for loss. Moise doesn't currently hold any offers but I wouldn't be surprised to see some come his way soon as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1638819' first='Darian' last='Bryant'] made a big impact as a freshman last year and is off to a strong start to his sophomore season. He played a huge role in Elizabethtown's win over Central Hardin last week. Bryant lines up at inside linebacker where he is very impressive against the run, showing the ability to read his keys then use his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle. He led his team in tackles with 16 in last week's win along with five tackles for loss. Bryant also finished the game with one sack and made an impact on offense, finishing the game with 10 carries for 62 yards. Darian should definitely continue to be a player to watch over the next three years.     My final defensive top performer from Week 2 in the state of Kentucky is [player_tooltip player_id='498038' first='Takyon' last='Darden']. Darden played a key role at inside linebacker in South Warren's win over Manual. He is very reliable against the run, showing the ability to use his strength to stack/shed blocks with ease then his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he has proven to be a very reliable tackler, finishing last week's game with a team-high nine tackles and three tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to get to the quarterback, finishing the game with two sacks. Takyon doesn't currently hold any offers but he has started receiving some college interest.

As we enter the month, the first two weeks of the 2025 high school football season in the state of Kentucky have already come and gone. Week 2 was filled with several exciting matchups with some very impressive individual performances. With that being said, I wanted to focus on some performances that stood out above the rest from Week 2. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, here are my defensive top performers from Week 2 in the state of Kentucky.