2025 Midseason All-State Team: 1A Defense

As we enter the month of October, we have already made it through the first half of the 2025 high school football regular season in the state of Kentucky. With that in mind, I have been releasing my Midseason All-State teams for each class. After already covering 2A-6A, I have turned my attention to 1A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 1A Midseason All-State Defense.    [player_tooltip player_id='1610655' first='Sean' last='Hurry'] has been high on my radar for a while now and has continued to impress as a junior. Hurry lines up at defensive end where he causes a ton of disruption against the run. He is very explosive out of his stance and uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive linemen before they have a chance to block him. Once Hurry gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler, recording a team-high 41 tackles and eight tackles for loss in the first six games of the season. He also leads his team with four sacks and has caught seven passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. Sean doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should be keeping a close eye on over the next couple seasons.     Derrick Fortner has jumped onto my radar with a strong start to his senior year. Fortner lines up at defensive end where he is a dangerous pass rusher. He uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease and does a great job of finishing at the quarterback, recording a team-leading seven sacks in the first six weeks. Derrick has also shown the ability to stop the run, accounting for 35 tackles and 11 tackles for loss in his first six games. Fortner currently holds offers from Rio Grande and Atlantis, and I expect more to come his way this season.     Chace Williams is another defensive lineman who has caught my attention this season. He lines up at defensive tackle where he is dominant against the run. Williams uses his strength to shed blocks with ease then has shown the speed to get to the ball carrier with a sense of urgency. He is a very good tackler in the open field once he gets to the ball carrier, recording a team-high 62 tackles and seven tackles for loss in his first six games this season. Williams also accounted for three sacks in the first six weeks. Chace doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on over the next two years.     [player_tooltip player_id='1706065' first='Rayce' last='Lindon'] is off to an impressive start to his senior season, sitting as the 1A leader in tackler after six weeks with 81. He lines up at inside linebacker and does a great job of reading his keys then coming downhill with a sense of urgency to get to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle. He has also recorded 5.5 sacks through the first six weeks and has played a role on offense, scoring one rushing touchdown and catching a touchdown pass. Lindon should be a player for college coaches to keep a close eye on throughout his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='415771' first='Jeremiah' last='Anderson'] has been on my radar for a while now and has continued to impress this season. Anderson lines up at outside linebacker where he is very reliable against the run. He reads the play quickly then uses his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle in the open field. Through the first six weeks, Anderson leads his team with 69 tackles along with two tackles for loss. He also scored one rushing touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in the first six games. Jeremiah should be a player to keep a close eye on over the next two seasons.     [player_tooltip player_id='1584343' first='Tyson' last='Martin'] is another outside linebacker who has been on my radar for a while now and has continued to stand out this season. He is very impressive off the edge as a pass rusher, showing the ability to time the snap count perfectly then use his speed to burst into the pocket before opposing offensive tackles can react. Martin does a great job of finishing at the quarterback, leading 1A in sacks through the first six weeks with eight in five games. He also recorded 51 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and one interception in his first five games. Martin has also played a key role on offense this season, leading his team in rushing through five games with 74 carries for 602 yards and five touchdowns while also catching a touchdown pass and throwing a touchdown. Tyson currently holds an offer from Atlantis and I expect more to come his way soon.     [player_tooltip player_id='1176972' first='Kay' last='Sharp'] is off to a very impressive start to his senior year. He lines up at safety where he is very reliable in coverage. Sharp does a great job of reading the quarterback and route combinations then reacting with perfect timing to make a play on the ball. Through the first six weeks, he came away with four interceptions (tied for 1A lead), returning one for a touchdown. He also recorded 15 tackles and two tackles for loss in his first six games. Sharp has also played quarterback this season, throwing for 434 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 109 touchdowns and two touchdowns in the first six games. Kay doesn't currently hold any offers but he definitely deserves some attention from college coaches.     [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 in a strong safety/nickel role where he is very impressive in coverage. Kendell reads routes then breaks on the ball quickly when it is thrown his way to make a play. He came away with three interceptions in his first six games this season. Buck-Barber also recorded 14 tackles and four tackles for loss in the first six games. He has also made an impact on offense and special teams, leading his team in rushing through the first six weeks with 85 carries for 565 yards and five touchdowns while also throwing one touchdown pass and returning one punt return for a touchdown. Kendell has received some college interest and I wouldn't be surprised to see offers start coming his way soon.     To wrap up my 1A Midseason All-State Defense, I have Landyn Goodall. Goodall lines up at safety where he is at his best in coverage. He does a great job of reading routes then flowing through the secondary to put himself in a position to make a play. When the ball is thrown in his direction, he has shown impressive ball skills, coming away with four interceptions (tied for 1A lead) in his first five games this season, returning one of them for a touchdown. He also recorded 20 tackles and three tackles for loss in the first five games. Landyn doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to watch throughout the rest of his senior year.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Honorable Mention</h2>   Defensive Line: [player_tooltip player_id='1659856' first='Arion' last='Stuckey'] (Bellevue, 2026)   Linebacker: [player_tooltip player_id='1284268' first='Connor' last='Holbrook'] (Hazard, 2027); Kayne Ross (Bellevue, 2026); Elias Lopez (Dayton, 2027)   Defensive Back: [player_tooltip player_id='1584333' first='Nick' last='Cozzi'] (Bishop Brossart, 2026); Brandon Santiago (Paris, 2027)

As we enter the month of October, we have already made it through the first half of the 2025 high school football regular season in the state of Kentucky. With that in mind, I have been releasing my Midseason All-State teams for each class. After already covering 2A-6A, I have turned my attention to 1A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 1A Midseason All-State Defense.