2026 PRZ KY Preseason All-State Teams: 4A Offense

<p>As we get deeper into the month of August, 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 week or so. After already covering class 6A & 5A, I will now turn my attention to 4A, starting with my 4A Preseason All-State Offense. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterback:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='865432' first='Mason' last='Salmons'] is coming off a very productive junior season in which he completed 113/177 passes for 2,401 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only two interceptions in 14 games. Salmons has a very strong arm which he uses to lead his receivers down the field with ease in the deep passing game. He also puts a nice amount of touch on his passes, putting the ball in a spot where only his intended receiver can catch it. Salmons has also shown some true dual-threat ability, using his speed to pick up big gains on the ground on a regular basis. Last season, Mason ran the ball 91 times for 530 yards and eight touchdowns. Salmons currently holds multiple offers, including two Division I offers from Eastern Kentucky and Marshall, and I expect more to come his way this season. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Running Back:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='463134' first='Maverick' last='Ashby'] will be looking to bounce back in a big way after missing last season due to injury. He is a very patient ball carrier with impressive vision, showing the ability to let blocks set up then find the open running lane effectively. Once the running lane opens up, he uses his explosive speed to hit it with a sense of urgency then run away from the defense for big gains. He has also played a role on defense at strong safety over the past few years. Maverick is committed to Georgetown (DC) where I can see him being a productive player at the next level. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wide Receivers:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1160198' first='Chance' last='McPike'] is one of the most explosive playmakers in the state. He thrives out of the slot where he is able to use his speed to blow by opposing defensive backs in the deep passing game. McPike is also dangerous in the open field after the catch, showing the ability to use his speed and elusiveness to turn short passes/screens into big gains. Chance finished his junior year with 33 receptions for 540 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games. He also ran the ball four times for 153 yards and two touchdowns last season, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. McPike is committed to Austin Peay State where I can see him making an early impact. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='871291' first='Avery' last='Thompson'] is one of the best receivers in the state, regardless of class. He is a skilled route runner who uses his smooth breaks and speed to his advantage to create easy separation. Thompson also has a very high catch radius, using his length and athleticism to attack the ball at its highest point. Avery finished his sophomore year as his team's leading receiver, hauling in 70 passes for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns in 14 games. He also came away with two interceptions on defense last season. Thompson holds a long list of Power 4 offers and I expect that list to continue to grow over the next couple seasons. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2066970' first='Zach' last='Thomas'] caught my attention with an impressive sophomore season in which he caught 26 passes for 584 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. Thomas has explosive speed which he uses to run by opposing defensive backs with ease in the deep passing game and to pick up yards after the catch. He is also very reliable in contested/jump ball situations as he uses his athleticism to attack passes at their highest point along with his strong hands to bring in catches through contact. Thomas also made an impact on defense last season as a defensive back, recording 53 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Zach currently holds offers from Memphis and Army, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way soon. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tight End:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1200686' first='Seneca' last='Driver'] is not only the best player in the state of Kentucky but he is arguably the best tight end in the entire country as well. He is a very skilled target in the passing game as he has the speed and route running ability to create separation along with the catch radius and strong hands to make catches in traffic with ease. Driver is also impressive after the catch, using his speed and strength as a ball carrier to pick up extra yards. Seneca had a strong junior year, catching 49 passes for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 games. He also scored three rushing touchdowns last season and made an impact on defense, recording 67 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a team-leading five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns). Driver is committed to Oklahoma where I expect him to have a very successful collegiate career. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line:</h2>    <p>[player_tooltip player_id='871294' first='Hudsen' last='Close'] is one of the top returning offensive linemen in the entire state. Close lines up at left tackle where he is a dominant run blocker. He explodes out of his stance and drives his man off the line of scrimmage with ease. Close finishes his blocks with a ton of physicality, resulting in frequent pancake blocks. Hudsen has also shown the ability to pull from the tackle spot and pick up blocks in the open field. Close holds multiple Power 4 offers and I expect more to come his way throughout the next two seasons. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1268014' first='Christian' last='Bryant'] has been consistently high on my radar over the past couple seasons. He lines up at left tackle where he has proven to be very reliable as a run blocker. Bryant is very impressive in open space, showing the ability to get to the second level with a sense of urgency and pick up blocks on linebackers with ease. He has also shown the ability to create movement off the line of scrimmage, often driving his man several yards down the field. Bryant has also proven to be reliable as a pass protector, showing the ability to fight with his hands to defeat pass rush moves while maintaining a strong base. Christian currently holds several Power 4/Division I offers and I expect more to come his way this upcoming season. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1701070' first='Grant' last='Holman'] is another member of the Boyle County offensive line unit who has stood out over the past couple years. Holman lines up at right tackle where he is at his best as a run blocker. He has shown a very strong leg drive which he uses to drive his man down the field with ease and finish his blocks through the whistle. In pass protection, Grant has shown the ability to keep a strong base while absorbing contact, not allowing easy penetration into the pocket. Holman currently holds offers from Troy and Eastern Kentucky, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way soon. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2337047' first='Landon' last='Robinson'] is coming off a strong sophomore season at right guard for Covington Catholic. Robinson is very impressive in the open field, showing the ability to get move with a sense of urgency, whether it is pulling or getting straight to the second level. Once he gets to the second level, he picks up blocks with ease and has shown the physical punch to knock defenders off balance with ease. He has also shown the leg drive to create easy movement off the line of scrimmage. Robinson holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect a lot of college coaches to have their eyes on him during his junior season. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">All-Purpose:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">To wrap up my 4A Preseason All-State Offense, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1200564' first='Tayden' last='Lorenzen']. Lorenzen does a little bit of everything in the Highlands offense. Last season, he led his team in rushing with 123 carries for 541 yards and 18 touchdowns in 13 games. He is a strong downhill runner who has shown the leg drive and contact balance to run straight through defenders without breaking stride. Lorenzen has also shown the ability to line up at tight end and pose as a vertical threat in the passing game, catching 26 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns last season. He also threw two touchdown passes as a junior. Tayden is committed to Miami (OH) where I can see him being a true impact player at the next level. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Honorable Mention:</h2>   <p><strong>Quarterback: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1688494' first='Jhet' last='Raleigh'] (Boyle County, 2028); [player_tooltip player_id='1056924' first='Knox' last='Barrett'] (Franklin County, 2028); [player_tooltip player_id='1756938' first='Bryce' last='Armstrong'] (Highlands, 2029)</p>   <p><strong>Running Back: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1200692' first='Christian' last='Helle'] (Logan County, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='1593996' first='Antonio' last='Kinzer'] (Elizabethtown, 2028); Ronin Renton (North Oldham, 2027)</p>   <p><strong>Wide Receiver: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1269565' first='Jace' last='Hagy'] (Elizabethtown, 2028); [player_tooltip player_id='1402920' first='Jaelyn' last='Anderson'] (Taylor County, 2029); [player_tooltip player_id='378830' first='Gavin' last='Johnson'] (Boyle County, 2027)</p>   <p><strong>Tight End: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1200658' first='Maddox' last='Hager'] (Boyle County, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='1715690' first='Owen' last='Pitzer'] (Covington Catholic, 2027)</p>   <p><strong>Offensive Line: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1270351' first='Ethan' last='Cobb'] (Taylor County, 2028); [player_tooltip player_id='1200693' first='Harrison' last='McGraw'] (North Oldham, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='741221' first='Jonathan' last='Miller'] (Corbin, 2027)</p>   <p></p>

As we get deeper into the month of August, 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 week or so. After already covering class 6A & 5A, I will now turn my attention to 4A, starting with my 4A Preseason All-State Offense.