KY ‘28 Position Rankings Breakdowns: QB

As we get deeper into the month of August, we are just days away from the start of the 2026 high school football season in Kentucky. With that in mind, we are wrapping up our latest round of rankings updates. The latest class of rankings to drop in the state of Kentucky is for the incoming junior class of 2028. Now that we have officially released our updated Top 150 for the class, I will be taking some time to break our rankings down by position. To kick things off, here are our top quarterbacks in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='1701057' first='Jackson' last='Burke'] solidified himself as the top quarterback in the state in his class with an outstanding sophomore season in which he led CAL to their fourth-consecutive 3A state title. The big thing that stands out with Burke is his accuracy as he set a national record for single-season completion percentage last year at 83.3%, completing 214/257 passes for 3,526 yards, 53 touchdowns, and only one interception in 15 games. He has shown a great ability to go through his progressions and scan the field to find the open receiver then place the ball where only his intended receiver can catch it. Burke also scored one rushing touchdown as a sophomore. Jackson currently holds an offer from UT-Martin and I expect a lot of eyes to be on him this upcoming season as CAL looks to be the favorites in 3A again this year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1604542' first='William' last='Shoptaw'] is coming off a very impressive sophomore year at Hazard in which he led 1A in passing, completing 210/346 passes for 2,798 yards, 23 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 12 games. Shoptaw has a great feel for pressure, showing the ability to escape the pocket when needed while keeping his eyes down the field to make throws on the run. He also has the arm strength to stretch the field along with the accuracy to put passes where only his intended receiver has a chance to catch it. William also ran the ball 21 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns last season. Shoptaw picked up offers from Eastern Kentucky and Miami (OH) this summer and I expect him to gain a lot more attention this season after transferring to 6A powerhouse St. Xavier.     [player_tooltip player_id='1688494' first='Jhet' last='Raleigh'] had a successful first season as the Rebels' starting quarterback last year as he helped lead them to a 4A state title. As a sophomore, he completed 141/191 passes for 2,067 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just two interceptions in 15 games. Jhet has shown impressive ball placement, putting the ball in a spot away from opposing defensive backs where only his intended receiver can catch it. He has also shown the ability to maneuver in the pocket with ease to avoid pressure while keeping his eyes down the field to find the open receiver. Raleigh also showed some dual-threat ability as a sophomore, running the ball 60 times for 339 yards and five touchdowns. Jhet holds offers from Troy and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he continues to develop over the next couple seasons.     [player_tooltip player_id='1701052' first='Charlie' last='Ellison'] is another player who impressed in his first season as his team's starting quarterback. In 13 games last season, Ellison completed 53/89 passes for 1,412 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Charlie does a great job of using his arm strength to lead his receivers down the field in the deep passing game and to fit passes into tight coverage in the short/intermediate passing game. He is also a master of the play action, using his fake handoffs to make the opposing defense bite or freeze up to free up passing lanes. Charlie also carried the ball 42 times for 109 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore. Ellison currently holds offers from Miami (OH) and Eastern Kentucky, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way this upcoming season.     To wrap up our top five quarterbacks in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1056924' first='Knox' last='Barrett']. Knox is coming off a strong sophomore season in which he completed 225/321 passes for 3,119 yards, 37 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 15 games. Barrett throws an impressive deep ball, using his arm strength to stretch the field with ease while also showing the touch to put the ball in a spot where only his intended receiver can catch it. He has also shown the ability to escape the pocket when under pressure while keeping his eyes down the field to make throws on the run. Knox also scored one rushing touchdown last season. Barrett recently picked up his first offer from Kentucky State and I fully expect more to come his way over the next couple seasons.