2026 Defensive Back Standouts Through Week 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we get deeper into the month of September, we are already in the sixth week of the high school football regular season in the state of Kentucky. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight some seniors at each position who have stood out so far in their final season. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I have now turned my attention to the defensive side of the ball. With the defensive line and linebackers already taken care of, here are some defensive backs in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky who have stood out so far this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Malachai Rennie","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"170","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Bourbon County","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d1c48564b8e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Malachai Rennie has jumped onto my radar with a strong start to his senior year. He lines up at strong safety where he is very impressive in coverage. Rennie does a great job of reading the quarterback then breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play once it is in the air. Through five games, he leads his team four interceptions. He has also shown the ability to use his closing speed to come downhill and make tackles in the open field, leading his team with 33 tackles so far this season. Rennie also serves as his team's quarterback. He has thrown for 785 yards and seven touchdowns while also leading his team in rushing with 49 carries for 380 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Malachai doesn't currently hold any offers but I can see some coming his way soon as he has received some college interest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1176972"],"_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-68d1c48564c2e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1176972' first='Kay' last='Sharp'] is a player who has been on my radar for a while now and has continued to stand out this season. Sharp lines up at safety where he is very impressive in pass coverage. He does a great job of reading route combinations then breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Through five games, Sharp leads his team with four interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdown. He has also accounted for 13 tackles and two tackles for loss this season. Sharp has also seen some time at quarterback this season where he has thrown for 347 yards and three touchdowns while also running the ball 50 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Kay doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should have on their radar this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175779"],"_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-68d1c48564c8d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175779' first='Kendell' last='Buck-Barber'] is another member of the Newport secondary who has stood out to me this season. He lines up at strong safety/nickel where he has shown great instincts in coverage. Kendell drops into his zone and reads route combinations to put himself in position to make the play. He has shown the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing when it is thrown his way, coming away with three interceptions in five games this season. Buck-Barber has also shown the ability to provide support against the run, accounting for 13 tackles and four tackles for loss this season. He has also played a key role on offense, leading his team in rushing with 74 carries for 531 yards and five touchdowns while also throwing one touchdown pass. Kendell doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect college coaches to be keeping a close eye on his throughout his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["971494"],"_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-68d1c48564ce6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The final 2026 defensive back in the state of Kentucky who has stood out to me so far this season is [player_tooltip player_id='971494' first='Quilshaun' last='Baines']. Baines lines up at safety where he is a true ballhawk in coverage. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and flowing through the secondary, showing the ability to cover a ton of ground to get to the ball. Once he gets in position, Baines has shown impressive ball skills, coming away with a team-high two interceptions though five games this season. He has also shown the ability to fill the lane to provide run support, accounting for 15 tackles and two tackles for loss so far this season. Baines currently holds offers from Austin Peay State, UT-Martin, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber safety prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->