2025 State Semifinals Defensive Standouts

As we approach the first weekend of December, the 2025 KHSAA State Championship matchups have been set. With that being said, I wanted to highlight some of the top performers from last week's semifinal action who helped set the stage for this weekend. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, here are some players who stood out on the defensive side of the ball in the state semifinals in Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='1665337' first='Juleone' last='Carney'] has been high on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out in Trinity's win over St. Xavier last week. He lined up at defensive tackle where he was very effective as a pass rusher. Carney was able to use his strength and high motor to bull rush straight through opposing offensive linemen. Once he got to the quarterback, he did a great job of finishing the play, finishing the game with 2.5 sacks. He also recorded four tackles in the win. Juleone currently holds an offer from Southern Mississippi and I can see more coming his way going into his senior year. Carney and the Shamrocks will be looking to win their third-straight 6A State Championship trophy against South Warren this weekend.     [player_tooltip player_id='1284262' first='Luke' last='Vize'] is another member of the Shamrocks' defense who stood out in last week's win. Vize lined up at inside linebacker where he was very impressive against the run. He did a great job of reading his keys then using his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Once he got to the ball carrier, he proved to be a very reliable tackler, finishing the game with a team-high nine tackles along with 1.5 tackles for loss. He also recorded 1.5 sacks. Vize doesn't currently hold any offers but should be a player for college coaches to keep a close eye on moving forward.     [player_tooltip player_id='2074542' first='Kobe' last='Pullom'] is a player who recently jumped onto my radar and he continued to impress in Owensboro's semifinal win over Woodford County. Pullom lined up at outside linebacker where he was very disruptive against the run. He showed the speed to blow by opposing offensive linemen and strength to shed blocks with ease on his way to the ball carrier. Pullom proved to be a very reliable tackler in the open field, finishing the game with a team-leading 14 tackles along with one tackle for loss. Kobe should be a player for college coaches to have on their radar going into his senior year. Pullom will look to help Owensboro win the 5A State Championship Game against a talented Pulaski County team this week.     [player_tooltip player_id='1200577' first='Ty' last='Ashley'] is another member of the Owensboro front seven who made an impact in last week's win. He lined up at inside linebacker where he was dominant against the run. Ashley showed the ability to read his keys quickly then explode downhill to meet the ball carrier in the gap before they could get going. Once he got to the ball carrier, he did a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle, finishing the game with 10 tackles and one tackle for loss. He also came away with an interception in the win. Ashley currently holds multiple Division 1/Power 4 offers and I expect them to keep coming as he is a very talented prospect.     [player_tooltip player_id='1706059' first='Simon' last='Rickman'] has been on my radar for a while now and continued to impress in Murray's win over Lloyd Memorial last week. Rickman lined up at outside linebacker where he proved to be very reliable against the run. He showed the ability to diagnose the play quickly then use his speed to run sideline to sideline to get to the ball carrier. Simon proved to be a good open field tackler, finishing the game with a team-high 10 tackles. He also came away with an interception and made an impact on offense, scored one rushing touchdown. Simon currently holds offers from Muskingum, Pikeville, and Bethel (TN), and I expect him to make an impact wherever he ends up playing at the next level. Rickman and the Tigers will be looking to stop CAL's dominant run this week in the 3A State Championship Game.     My final defensive standout from the state semifinals in the state of Kentucky is Bowen Johnson. Bowen played a key role in KCD's impressive win over Campbellsville. He lined up at middle linebacker where he proved to be a very effective blitzer, timing the snap count perfectly to burst through his gap before the opposing offensive line had a chance to block him. Johnson did a great job of finishing at the quarterback, recording 3.5 sacks in the win. He also accounted for a team-high 10 tackles and one tackle for loss. Bowen is committed to Washington & Lee where I can see him being a productive player at the next level. Johnson will be looking to help guide KCD to a 1A State Championship victory over Raceland this week.

As we approach the first weekend of December, the 2025 KHSAA State Championship matchups have been set. With that being said, I wanted to highlight some of the top performers from last week's semifinal action who helped set the stage for this weekend. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, here are some players who stood out on the defensive side of the ball in the state semifinals in Kentucky.