Southward is a versatile player with potential on both sides of the ball, but I find myself drawn to what he can become offensively. He’s a good athlete with solid speed and the kind of twitch that helps him create separation and make defenders miss in space. Once the ball gets in his hands, he can turn routine plays into bigger gains. He looks confident on the field and seems like someone who can develop throughout his high school career and become an impact player.

After playing his middle school ball at Paducah, and playing a huge role in their run to the KYMSFA D2 State Championship Game, Jaheim Southward Jaheim Southward 6'1" | 150 lbs | WR/DB Bowling Green | 2029 KY will be at Bowling Green High School this upcoming season. He checks every box athletically and joins a scary group of skill players for the Purples — with four WRs listed in my Top-15.

Rounding out the 2025 8th Grade Kentucky Future Stars Wide Receiver group is none other than Jaheim Southward Jaheim Southward 6'1" | 150 lbs | WR/DB Bowling Green | 2029 KY . Southward will be joining his regular season teammate Jake Brown Jake Brown 5'8" | 130 lbs | WR/DB Paducah Tilghman | 2029 KY (listed above) and was also highlighted in my recent article about the future talent in the Paducah Tilghman program. He’s a very good looking athlete with the potential to become something really special on the next level if he continues to work towards it. Look for him to stretch the field a bit vertically, and if nothing else, he should draw double coverage at times.

Most teams have a Swiss Army Knife, or a special Chess Piece type of player, that can be moved around and lined up in various positions–depending on formation. Southward checks that box for Paducah. A long, lean athlete, Southward was one of the most dangerous weapons on the 2024 Blue Tornado squad and scored touchdowns as a Running Back, Wide Receiver and as a Returner during his eighth-grade campaign. Additionally, he has also proven to blanket the opposition as a Defensive Back. Southward is a long-strider and multi-sport athlete that looks to have a tremendously bright future in athletics. He culminated his season with a Division 2 Regional Player of the Year Honorable Mention nod and this spring, was selected to play for Region 1 in the KYMSFA Battle of the Regions.