Talented Lexington DL to Watch This Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we get deeper into the month of June, the 2026 high school football season is getting closer and closer. The offseason is in full swing and players across the state of Kentucky are looking to make a name for themselves. With that being said, I wanted to take a look at the city of Lexington in particular and highlight some players at each position to keep an eye on this season. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to five defensive linemen to watch in Lexington this upcoming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1665339"],"_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-6a399b48a6a09"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1665339' first='Deonte' last='Moses'] has been high on my radar for a couple years now. He lines up at defensive tackle where he is very impressive against the run. Moses does a great job of using his strength to shed blocks quickly then has shown the speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he has proven to be a reliable tackler, finishing his junior year with 24 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in 10 games. Deonte holds offers from Miami (OH) and Eastern Kentucky and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way going into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1217856"],"_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-6a399b48a6a8e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1217856' first='Aberian' last='Dean'] is another member of the Tates Creek defensive line who I have my eyes on heading into the upcoming season. Dean lines up at defensive end where he has shown the ability to cause disruption against the run. He uses his speed to shoot the gap before opposing offensive linemen can react. Dean has proven to be a reliable open field tackler, running his feet through contact to secure the tackle quickly. Aberian finished last season with 18 tackles and a tackle for loss. Dean recently picked up his first offer from Findlay and I can see more coming his way this summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1284259"],"_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-6a399b48a6ac7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1284259' first='Maddox' last='Jones'] is one of the top edge defenders in the state in his class. He is tough to block off the edge as a pass rusher as he has the bend and impressive pass rush moves to avoid blocks with ease. Jones has also proven to be reliable against the run, using his speed to shoot the inside gap and get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle. He finished his junior year with 34 tackles in 13 games. Maddox currently holds offers from Southern Mississippi and Georgia State, and I expect more to come his way moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["855755"],"_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-6a399b48a6afd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='855755' first='LaMonte' last='Brown Jr.'] is another member of the Broncos' defensive line unit who has stood out to me. Brown lines up at defensive end where he causes a ton of disruption in the backfield both against the run and as a pass rusher. He is very explosive out of his stance and uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive linemen with ease. Brown does a great job of finishing the tackle once he gets to the ball carrier/quarterback, recording 29 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks as a junior. LaMonte holds offers from Kentucky State and Pikeville, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way soon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["478102"],"_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-6a399b48a6b31"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final defensive lineman to watch in Lexington this upcoming season is [player_tooltip player_id='478102' first='Bode' last='Darland']. Bode lines up off the edge where he is very impressive as a pass rusher. He uses his speed to his advantage to run by opposing offensive tackles with ease off the edge. Darland has also shown the bend to avoid blocks on his way to the quarterback. Bode finished last season with five sacks and several quarterback pressures in 14 games. He also recorded 55 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups as a sophomore. Darland has received a strong amount of college interest and I expect coaches to continue to be watching him closely heading into his junior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->