2026 PRZ KY Preseason All-State Teams: 3A Defense

<p>As the month of August comes to an end, the 2026 high school football season is officially underway in the state of Kentucky. With that being said, I will be continuing to release my Preseason All-State Teams over the next few days. After already covering classes 4A-6A, I have now turned my attention to 3A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 3A Preseason All-State Defense.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Line:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1638814' first='Kellan' last='Hall'] is one of the best players in the entire country in the class of 2028. Hall lines up at defensive end where he creates havoc in the backfield. He is very explosive out of his stance and uses his speed and strength to overpower opposing offensive linemen with ease. Hall gets to the ball carrier/quarterback with a sense of urgency and finishes his tackles quickly. He had a very strong sophomore season, finishing the year with 53 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks in 11 games. Kellan holds a long list of Power 4 offers and I expect them to continue to pile up for him moving forward. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1654927' first='Caleb' last='Lovely'] is another defensive lineman who is coming off an impressive sophomore year. He has a ton of versatility, showing the ability to thrive at both tackle and end. Caleb has proven to be a very promising pass rusher, using his pass rush moves and strength to defeat blocks with ease on his way to the quarterback. Once he gets to the quarterback, he does a great job of finishing the play, recording 6.5 sacks and several quarterback pressures in 10 games last season. He also recorded a team-high 60 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore. Caleb is a player who I expect a lot of college coaches to have on their radar over the next two seasons. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">To round out the defensive line, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1665346' first='Jesse' last='Clark']. Jesse lines up at defensive tackle where he is a dominant run stopper. He fights through blocks with ease then uses his speed/high motor to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle in the open field. Last season, Clark recorded 115 tackles and six tackles for loss in 15 games. He also finished his junior year with two sacks. Jesse holds offers from Murray State and Wabash, and I expect more to come his way this season.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Linebackers:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2084268' first='Micah' last='Newsome'] is coming off a very impressive junior year. He lines up at inside linebacker where he has proven to be very reliable against the run. Newsome does a great job of reading his keys effectively then flowing sideline to sideline to get to the ball carrier with a sense of urgency. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very good open field tackler, finishing last season with a team-leading 140 tackles and 19.5 tackles for loss in 15 games. He also recorded three sacks and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown, as a junior. Newsome is committed to Western Kentucky where I can see him having a very productive collegiate career. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='482999' first='Gage' last='Chapman'] is a player who has been high on my radar for a while now. He lines up at middle linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. Gage diagnoses the play quickly then comes downhill in a hurry to meet the ball carrier before they can get going. He does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle quickly, recording 149 tackles in 13 games last season. Chapman also finished his junior year with five sacks and an interception, which he returned for a touchdown. He also played a key role on offense last year, carrying the ball 58 times for 539 yards and nine touchdowns. Gage holds offers from UT-Martin and Murray State, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way soon. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1652072' first='Lincoln' last='Tomlinson'] has been a very productive linebacker over the past couple seasons. He lines up at outside linebacker where he has a true nose for the football. Lincoln reads the play quickly then uses his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry. He has also shown the strength to fight through blocks on his way to the ball carrier. Tomlinson is a very reliable tackler, finishing last season with a team-high 149 tackles and 16 tackles for loss in 14 games. He also finished his sophomore year with one interception and made an impact on offense, running the ball 113 times for 726 yards and 16 touchdowns while also catching 16 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Tomlinson has received a good amount of college interest and I could see some offers start to come his way soon. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1638830' first='Ben' last='Schlarman'] is another outside linebacker who has impressed over the past couple seasons. He is very impressive against the run, showing the ability to read the play then use his speed to run sideline to sideline to run down the ball carrier from all over the field. Schlarman finishes his tackles quickly, not allowing for any extra yards to be gained. Ben finished last season with 55 tackles and nine tackles for loss in 12 games. Schlarman also came away with one interception, which he returned for a touchdown, and caught scored one rushing touchdown as a sophomore. Ben currently holds offers from Miami (OH) and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way over the next two years. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Backs: </h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='378839' first='Garyon' last='Hobbs'] adds yet another highly-regarded player to an already loaded CAL roster after transferring back to the program from Atherton for his senior year. Hobbs plays in a strong safety/linebacker role where he is very impressive both in coverage and against the run. In the run game, Hobbs has shown the ability to fill the lane and use his closing speed to get to the ball carrier before they can get going. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he explodes through contact and finishes his tackles quickly, recording 71 tackles and 11 tackles for loss in 13 games last season. Against the pass, he has shown the ability to make plays both in coverage and as a pass rusher, finishing his junior year with a team-high five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) along with three sacks. He returned two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns last season, and made an impact on offense, catching 35 passes for 583 yards and seven touchdowns while also scoring three rushing touchdowns. Garyon is committed to Indiana where I can see him being a true impact player at the next level.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='953600' first='Kyle' last='Sledge Jr.'] is a defensive back who has been high on my radar for a while now. He lines up at safety where he is very reliable in coverage. Sledge does a great job of reading both the quarterback and route combinations then flowing through the secondary to put himself in position to make a play. When the ball is thrown in his direction, he breaks with perfect timing to break up the pass. He has also shown the ability to provide support against the run, finishing last season with 47.5 tackles and one tackle for loss in 10 games. Sledge also returned a punt for a touchdown as a sophomore. Kyle currently holds offers from Samford, Tulsa, East Tennessee State, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect a lot of eyes to be on him after transferring to Glasgow from Bowling Green for his junior year. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">To wrap up my 3A Preseason All-State Defense, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1200714' first='Colin' last='Winters']. Winters is a versatile defensive back who has shown the ability to line up at both corner and safety. In coverage, he has great instincts, showing the ability to read routes then react to the ball with perfect timing to make a play once it is in the air. He finished his junior year with one interception and several pass breakups in 15 games. Winters has also shown the ability to provide support against the run, recording 62 tackles last year. Colin is a player who college coaches should definitely have their eyes on this season. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Honorable Mention:</h2>   <p><strong>Defensive Line: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2212089' first='Jordan' last='Huffman'] (Glasgow, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='1715680' first='Matthew' last='Stephens'] (LaRue County, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='2337049' first='Rylee' last='Cundiff'] (LaRue County, 2027)</p>   <p><strong>Linebacker: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='409027' first='Carlo' last='Chicko'] (Lawrence County, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='1640945' first='Levi' last='Clemmons'] (Rockcastle County, 2028)</p>   <p><strong>Defensive Back: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2145275' first='Jayson' last='Ruffin'] (Christian Academy of Louisville, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='1610695' first='Fred' last='Carson'] (Bourbon County, 2027)</p>

As the month of August comes to an end, the 2026 high school football season is officially underway in the state of Kentucky. With that being said, I will be continuing to release my Preseason All-State Teams over the next few days. After already covering classes 4A-6A, I have now turned my attention to 3A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 3A Preseason All-State Defense.