2026 PRZ KY Preseason All-State Teams: 2A Defense

<p>As we enter the month of September, the 2026 high school football season is officially underway in the state of Kentucky. With that being said, I have been releasing my Preseason All-State Teams . After already covering classes 3A-6A, I have now turned my attention to 2A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 2A Preseason All-State Defense.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Line:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='478102' first='Bode' last='Darland'] played a key role in LCA's state title run last season. He lines up off the edge at defensive end where he is dependable against both the run and pass. As a pass rusher, he is able to use his speed and bend to his advantage to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease. He does a great job of finishing at the quarterback, recording five sacks in 14 games last season. Against the run, Darland has shown the ability to use his strength to fight through blocks then get to the ball carrier with a sense of urgency to make the tackle in the open field. Bode finished his sophomore year with 55 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. Darland has received a good amount of college interest and I expect his recruitment to continue to heat up this season. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2372407' first='Brody' last='Hicks'] caught my attention with a very impressive sophomore season. He is a very dangerous pass rusher off the edge. Hicks explodes out of his stance and uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles before they have a chance to block him. Once he gets to the quarterback, he finishes the play quickly, recording 10 sacks in 13 games last season. He has also shown the ability to run sideline to sideline to make tackles against the run, finishing last year with 72 tackles and 20 tackles for loss. Hicks also scored two rushing touchdowns as a sophomore. Brody is a player who college coaches should definitely start to keep an eye on this season. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2372406' first='Jayse' last='Amburgey'] is another defensive end who stood out last season. He is very disruptive against the run, showing the ability to read the play then use his speed to get to the ball carrier before opposing offensive linemen can block him. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Amburgey has proven to be a very reliable tackler, finishing his junior year with 136 tackles and 29 tackles for loss in 11 games. He also recorded 3.5 sack last season. Jayse is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to this season. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Linebackers:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1174159' first='Thomas' last='Sizemore'] has proven to be one of the best linebackers in the state over the past two seasons. He lines up at inside linebacker where he has a true nose for the football. Sizemore reads the play quickly then uses his closing speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry and make the tackle before they can get going. He finished last season with 74 tackles and four tackles for loss in 12 games. Thomas currently holds offers from Kentucky, Miami (OH), and Marshall, and I fully expect more to come his way over the next couple years. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1200723' first='Crayson' last='Lafferty'] has transferred back to Prestonsburg for his senior year after spending last season at Martin County. Lafferty lines up at inside linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading his keys then using his smooth lateral movement to flow to the ball carrier quickly. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Lafferty has proven to be a very reliable open field tackler, finishing last season with a team-high 150 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in 12 games. Crayson also made an impact on offense last year, carrying the ball 146 times for 935 yards and 18 touchdowns. Lafferty currently holds an offer from Midway and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way soon. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2034557' first='Jameson' last='Chaffin'] jumped onto my radar with a strong sophomore year. He lines up at inside linebacker where he is at his best against the run. Chaffin diagnoses the play quickly then explodes downhill out of his stance, using his speed to burst through his gap before the opposing offensive line can block him. When he gets to the ball carrier, Chaffin does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle quickly. Jameson recorded a team-leading 126 tackles along with five tackles for loss in 12 games last season. He also finished his sophomore year with one sack. Jameson is a player who college coaches should have on their radar this year. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1668609' first='Braiden' last='Ford'] will be looking to build off a very impressive freshman year. He lines up at middle linebacker where he is a very effective run stopper. Ford does a great job of reading his keys quickly then using his speed to get to the ball carrier before they can get much momentum going. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Ford finishes his tackles quickly, not allowing for extra yards to be gained. Braiden finished last season as his team's leading tackler with 126 in 12 games along with five tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to make plays against the pass last year, recording three sacks and an interception, which he returned for a touchdown. Ford also scored two rushing touchdowns as a freshman. Braiden holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way as he continues to develop over the next few years. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Backs:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1715702' first='Earnest' last='Perry'] is a player who has caught my attention with some impressive film. He lines up on the outside at corner where he is very reliable in man coverage. Perry has shown the ability to jam receivers to redirect their routes then open up and use his speed to mirror them. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown the ability to get his head turned with perfect timing to make a play, finishing last season with nine pass breakups and two interceptions. He also made an impact on offense last year, finishing with 300 all-purpose yards and scoring three touchdowns. Perry holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way throughout his senior year. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1042321' first='Jeremiah' last='Burbage'] is coming off a strong sophomore season. He lines up at corner where he has shown the ability to lock down his man in man coverage. Burbage does a great job of opening up with ease and using his speed to stay in the receiver's hip pocket throughout their route. When the ball is thrown his way, Burbage reacts with perfect timing to make a play on the ball, breaking up 15 passes in 14 games last season. He also recorded 24 tackles as a sophomore and made an impact on offense, catching 13 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremiah holds offers from Middle Tennessee State, Eastern Kentucky, and Grambling State, and I expect that list to continue to grow over the next couple seasons. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">To wrap up my 2A Preseason All-State Defense, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1715673' first='Eli' last='Caudill']. Eli lines up at safety where he is a true ballhawk in the secondary. He does a great job of reading both routes and the quarterback then flowing through the secondary accordingly. Once the ball is in the air, he breaks with perfect timing to make a play on the ball, coming away with six interceptions in 14 games last season (tied for 2A lead), returning two of them for touchdowns. He has also shown the ability to fill the lane to provide run support, recording 90 tackles and one tackle for loss as a junior. Eli also scored three rushing touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass last season. Caudill is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to during his senior year. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Honorable Mention:</h2>   <p><strong>Defensive Line: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='734299' first='Gavyn' last='Combs'] (Betsy Layne, 2027); Landon Gray (Bracken County, 2027)</p>   <p><strong>Linebacker: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='871920' first='Austyn' last='Lawless'] (Somerset, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='1257663' first='Aiden' last='Lyons'] (Lexington Christian Academy, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='2145267' first='Maddox' last='Pugh'] (Prestonsburg, 2027); [player_tooltip player_id='2106532' first='Jude' last='Evans'] (Owensboro Catholic, 2028)</p>   <p><strong>Defensive Back</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='2190425' first='Luke' last='Whitledge'] (Owensboro Catholic, 2028); [player_tooltip player_id='1200701' first='JB' last='Woolum'] (Belfry, 2027)</p>

As we enter the month of September, the 2026 high school football season is officially underway in the state of Kentucky. With that being said, I have been releasing my Preseason All-State Teams . After already covering classes 3A-6A, I have now turned my attention to 2A. With the offense already taken care of, here is my 2A Preseason All-State Defense.