2025 PRZ KY All-State Team: 5A Defense

As we approach the final days of the year, the 2025 high school football season has come and gone in the state of Kentucky. With that being said, I will be taking the next couple weeks to release my 2025 All-State teams to highlight the top players from this season in each class. After already covering 6A, I have now turned my attention to 5A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 2025 5A All-State Defense!    [player_tooltip player_id='1175825' first='Chris' last='Lauderdale'] had a very impressive senior year, earning himself PRZ KY Defensive Player of the Year honors. He lined up at defensive end/outside linebacker where he was dominant off the edge as a pass rusher. Lauderdale was able to use his impressive burst of speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease of his way to the quarterback. He did a great job of finishing at the quarterback once he got there, leading the entire state in sacks with 19 in 12 games. Lauderdale also proved to be very reliable against the run, finishing the year with a team-high 76 tackles and 23 tackles for loss. Chris is committed to Thomas More where I can see him making an early impact at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1610654' first='Zai'Vion' last='Meads'] continued to prove that he is one of the best defensive linemen in the state this season. Meads lined up at defensive tackle where he was very effective against the run. He does a great job of reading the play then using his strength to stack/shed blocks quickly. After shedding the block, he has shown the speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle before they can get going. Meads finished his junior year with a team-leading 72 tackles and 17 tackles for loss in 14 games. He also recorded nine sacks this season. Zai'Vion currently holds multiple Power 4 offers and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1590575' first='Marveen' last='Moise'] jumped onto my radar this past summer and continued to stand out this season. He lined up at defensive tackle where he caused a ton of disruption against the run. Moise explodes out of his stance and uses his strength to fight through blocks with ease on his way to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler, finishing his senior year with 75 tackles and 25 tackles for loss in 11 games. He also showed the ability to use his speed to shoot the gaps effectively as a pass rusher and he did a great job of finishing at the quarterback once he got there, recording nine sacks this season. Moise hasn't reported any offers but he definitely has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1264307' first='JW' last='Muster'] has been on my radar for a while now and finished his high school career on a high note this season. Muster lined up at defensive tackle where he was very impressive against the run. JW plays with a high motor, using his speed to burst through the gaps untouched then get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle and not allow for any extra yards to be gained. Muster finished this past season with 62 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 15 games. He also recorded six sacks as a senior. JW holds a few offers and I can see him developing into a productive player at the next levels wherever he decides to play.     [player_tooltip player_id='971508' first='Isaac' last='Estrada'] is another player who has been on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out this season. Estrada lined up at inside linebacker where he was very impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading his keys then using his speed to flow to the ball carrier with a sense of urgency. Estrada does a great job of securing the tackle quickly once he gets to the ball carrier, finishing his senior season as the 5A leader in tackles with 188 in 13 games. He also accounted for nine tackles for loss and a sack this season. Isaac is another player who waiting for an opportunity to play at the next level and has proven to be deserving.     [player_tooltip player_id='1908432' first='Kirk' last='LaGrange'] caught my attention with a very strong senior year. He lined up at outside linebacker where he proved to be very reliable against the run. LaGrange diagnoses the play quickly then uses his speed to run sideline to sideline to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he explodes through contact and finishes his tackles with a ton of physicality. Kirk finished this season with a team-high 125 tackles and 18 tackles for loss in 11 games. He also showed the ability to make plays against the pass, finishing the year tied for the team lead in interceptions with four (two returned for touchdowns) while also recording six sacks. LaGrange also made an impact on offense as a senior, scoring two rushing touchdowns. Kirk currently holds multiple offers and I expect him to find success wherever he ends up playing at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1200577' first='Ty' last='Ashley'] continued to proved that he is the best linebacker in the state in his class this season. He lined up at inside linebacker where he asserted his dominance against the run. Ashley reads his keys effectively then comes downhill in a hurry to meet the ball carrier in the gap. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of driving his feet through contact to secure the tackle with ease. Ty finished his junior year with a team-leading 148 tackles along with 10 tackles for loss in 15 games. He also recorded three sacks and four interceptions (tied for team lead) this season. Ashley also played a role on offense this year, scoring one rushing touchdown and catching a touchdown pass. Ty currently holds several Power 4/Division I offers and I expect them to continue to pile up for him moving forward.     [player_tooltip player_id='1908439' first='Javier' last='Diaz'] jumped onto my radar with an impressive junior year. He lined up at inside linebacker where he was very reliable against the run. Diaz showed the ability to time the snap count perfectly then use his speed to burst into the backfield before the opposing offensive line had a chance to block him. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle and make sure no extra yards are gained. He finished his junior season with a team-high 117 tackles and 39 tackles for loss in 11 games. Diaz also recorded eight sacks and made an impact on offense this season, scoring one rushing touchdown. Javier is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to this offseason.     [player_tooltip player_id='378839' first='Garyon' last='Hobbs'] continued to show that he is one of the best players in the state this season. Hobbs lined up in a strong safety/linebacker role where he proved to be effective against both the run and pass. Against the run, he uses his speed to come downhill in a hurry to get to the ball carrier and make the tackle before they can get going. He finished this season with 71 tackles and 11 tackles for loss in 13 games. In coverage, he does a great job of reading routes and flowing through the secondary to put himself in position to make a play. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown very impressive ball skills, coming away with a team-high five interceptions this season, returning two of them for touchdowns. He also recorded three sacks, and returned one punt and a kickoff for touchdowns as a junior. Hobbs also played a key role on offense this year, catching 35 passes for 583 yards and seven touchdowns while also running the ball 25 times for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Garyon currently holds a long list of Power 4 offers and I expect more to come his way this offseason.     [player_tooltip player_id='971548' first='Jaxson' last='Byrd'] has been on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out this season. On defense, Byrd lined up at safety where he was very reliable in coverage. He does a great job of reading routes the flowing through the secondary accordingly. Once the ball is in the air, Byrd does a great job of breaking with perfect timing to make a play. Byrd finished his senior year as the 5A leader in interceptions with seven in 11 games, returning one of them for a touchdown. He also recorded 40 tackles and six tackles for loss this season, and played a key role on offense, leading his team in receiving with 23 catches for 385 yards and three touchdowns while also carrying the ball 47 times for 315 yards and five touchdowns. Byrd has received a strong amount of college interest and I wouldn't be surprised to see some offers come his way soon.     [player_tooltip player_id='1909841' first='Asher' last='Brewer'] is another 5A defensive back who continued to impress this season. Brewer lined up at safety where he proved to be very reliable against the run. He does a great job of diagnosing the play quickly then filling the lane with a sense of urgency. Brewer is a very good tackler once he gets to the ball carrier, finishing the year with a team-leading 86 tackles along with two tackles for loss in 13 games. He also proved to be reliable in coverage, showing the ability to read routes then react with perfect timing to make a play when the ball is thrown in his direction. Brewer finished his junior year with a team-high four interceptions. Asher doesn't currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and I expect a lot of eyes to be on him this offseason.     To wrap up my 2025 5A All-State Defense, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1908446' first='Bryson' last='Shoulders']. Shoulders lines up at safety where he is very impressive in coverage. Bryson does a great job of sitting back in zone coverage and reading both the quarterback and route combinations effectively. When the ball is thrown in his direction, Shoulders breaks on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Bryson finished the season with four interceptions (tied for team lead) in 11 games, returning three of them for touchdowns. He also showed the ability to provide run support, recording 72 tackles and one tackle for loss this season. Shoulders is a player who college coaches should have on their radar going into his senior year.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Honorable Mention:</h2>   Defensive Line: [player_tooltip player_id='401719' first='Landon' last='Clark'] (Owensboro, 2026); Gage Kinney (Madisonville-North Hopkins, 2027); DeJean Harvey (Madisonville-North Hopkins, 2026)   Linebacker: [player_tooltip player_id='1211382' first='Montez' last='Trussell'] (Bowling Green, 2026); [player_tooltip player_id='1200643' first='Cohen' last='Finley'] (Pulaski County, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='871295' first='Malachi' last='Smith'] (South Laurel, 2027); Bryan Ford (Pulaski County, 2026)   Defensive Back: [player_tooltip player_id='1264311' first='Nishawn' last='Golsby'] (Dixie Heights, 2026); [player_tooltip player_id='971494' first='Quilshaun' last='Baines'] (Atherton, 2026); [player_tooltip player_id='1375197' first='JuJu' last='Harmon Jr'] (Scott County, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='1200578' first='Tee' last='Green'] (Owensboro, 2027)

As we approach the final days of the year, the 2025 high school football season has come and gone in the state of Kentucky. With that being said, I will be taking the next couple weeks to release my 2025 All-State teams to highlight the top players from this season in each class. After already covering 6A, I have now turned my attention to 5A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 2025 5A All-State Defense!