2022 5A Regular Season All-State Team: Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">Now that high school football playoffs in Kentucky are in full-swing, I wanted to take a look back at the top players from the 2022 regular season. With that being said, I have been releasing my 2022 Regular Season All-State teams for each class. After covering 1-4A, I have now turned my attention to the top players in 5A from the regular season. With the offensive side of the ball already out of the way, here is my 2022 5A Regular Season All-State defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["386166"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='386166' first='Oryend' last='Fisher'] is a talented defensive end that has made quite the name for himself the past couple seasons. He continued to impress in his final regular season, finishing with 71.5 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. Fisher is a long, athletic defensive end that is very dangerous as a pass rusher. He has very impressive speed off the edge, using it to run right by opposing offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback. Fisher also plays with a high motor and takes great angles to the ball when the play is away from him, showing the ability to run all over the field to make tackles. Once he gets to the ball, Fisher is a very physical tackler that makes sure his presence is felt with every hit. Oryend is committed to West Virginia where I see him developing into a key piece of their defense.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["386160"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Another high-caliber senior defensive lineman that continued to impress this season is [player_tooltip player_id='386160' first='Jamarrion' last='Harkless'] from Frederick Douglass. His stats are misleading as the Broncos' starters didn't play a lot in the regular season due to blowout wins but Harkless still produced when in the game, finishing the regular season with 15 tackles, five tackles for loss, and one sack. Harkless is a dominant run stuffer at defensive tackle. He explodes out of his stance and runs straight through opposing offensive linemen to get into the backfield. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he runs his feet through contact to secure the tackle and not allow for any extra yards to be gained. Harkless has also shown the ability to slide outside at defensive end and use his speed to win off the edge as a pass rusher. Jamarrion is committed to Auburn where I see him developing into their next great interior defensive lineman.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["373821"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"An underclassman defensive lineman that stood out to me this year is [player_tooltip player_id='373821' first='Austin' last='Alexander'] from Cooper. Alexander had a very impressive sophomore regular season, finishing with 74 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and eleven sacks. He is a very dangerous pass rusher that has the speed to run right by opposing offensive tackles but also has an impressive variety of pass rush moves that he uses to defeat blocks. Alexander is also reliable against the run, showing the ability to squeeze the edge and read the play. When the play is away from him, he has shown the ability to use his speed and run down the line to make tackles from the back side. He also showed some skill in pass coverage, coming away with one interception and returning it for a touchdown. Austin currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky, Liberty, Akron, and Maryland, and I expect that list to continue to grow as he has the potential to be a true Power 5 caliber defensive end.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["521582"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='521582' first='Daniel' last='Winburn'] is a player that jumped onto my radar this season. Winburn had a very impressive final regular season at Fairdale, finishing with 37 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. He is a very dangerous pass rusher, showing an explosive first step out of his stance. After that first step, he uses his speed to blow right by opposing offensive tackles off the edge. He also has shown the strength to fight through blocks on his way to the quarterback. Against both the run and the pass, Winburn plays with a high motor, continuously working to get to the ball. Once he gets to the ball, he is a very reliable tackler in the open field. Daniel currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky and Findlay, and I see him developing into a very productive defensive end/outside linebacker at the next level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["423659"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='423659' first='Jack' last='Lonaker'] is a linebacker that I've had high on my radar for a while now and he continued to impress this season. Lonaker had a very productive junior regular season, finishing with 134 total tackles. He does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry against the run. Once he gets to the ball, he is a very good open field tackler and finishes his tackles with a ton of physicality. Lonaker is also reliable in pass coverage, showing the ability to read route combinations and put himself in a position to make a play on the ball. While Jack doesn't currently hold any offers, I expect him to pick some up soon as he has been receiving a lot of college interest and has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["489996"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='489996' first='Layton' last='Abbott'] is a player that made a huge statement and jumped onto my radar in his senior year. Abbott was a tackling machine this year, finishing the regular season with 132 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and one sack. Abbott plays inside linebacker and does a great job of flowing to the ball. Once he sees an opening, Abbott comes downhill in a hurry and explodes through contact once he gets to the ball carrier to secure the tackle. Layton doesn't currently hold any offers but he deserves some attention as he definitely has the talent to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["499120"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='499120' first='Lofton' last='Howard'] has been on my radar for a while and continued to impress in his final season. He finished the regular season with 94 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and one interception. Against the run, Howard does a great job of reading the play and coming downhill to get to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle. He has also shown the ability to use his speed to win off the edge as a pass rusher. In pass coverage, he has shown the ability to read route combinations and put himself in a position to make a play on the ball. Howard also played a key role on offense as both a ball carrier and a receiver but I still liked what I saw from him the most on defense. Lofton is committed to Western Kentucky where I see him developing into a key player for them down the road.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["386929"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='386929' first='Wyatt' last='Fowler'] is another player that I've had high on my radar for a while now that continued to impress this season. Fowler made the transition from safety to a true off-ball linebacker role this season and thrived in his new role. He finished his final regular season with 83 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Fowler does a great job of reading his keys against the run and exploding out of his stance to fill the running lane. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very physical tackler. Fowler plays with a very high motor and has shown the ability to run sideline to sideline to make tackles in the open field. Against the pass, he does a good job of reading route combinations and coming downhill to lay hits when the ball is thrown short. Wyatt currently holds an offer from Morehead State and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way as he has the talent to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["386898"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"Over the past few seasons, [player_tooltip player_id='386898' first='Ty' last='Bryant'] has established himself as one of the best players in the entire state. While he made an impact on both sides of the ball this year, I continued to like him the most on defense at safety. Although his reps were limited due to being pulled early in blowout wins, Bryant produced when on the field, finishing his senior regular season with ten tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception. Bryant plays with a center fielder mentality at safety, reading route combinations and putting himself in a position to make a play on the ball. When the ball is in the air, he has shown the ability to cover a lot of ground quickly to make a play. Against the run, Bryant does a good job of coming downhill to provide support and is a very reliable open field tackler. Ty has committed to stay at home and play at Kentucky where I expect him to develop into a key player for them down the road.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["408049"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"Another Bronco secondary member that has caught my attention is junior corner,  [player_tooltip player_id='408049' first='Jeremiah' last='Lowe']. Like Bryant, Lowe was limited in reps during the regular season but finished with nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Lowe locks down his side of the field, showing the ability to open up and run with opposing receivers to mirror their routes in man coverage. When the ball is thrown in his direction, Lowe has shown the ability to break across the intended receiver's body to break up the pass or come away with the interception. Against the run, Lowe isn't afraid to come downhill to provide support and is a very reliable open field tackler. Jeremiah currently holds offers from Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan, Western Michigan, Miami (OH), and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect that list to continue to grow as he is a Power 5 caliber talent at corner.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_10_player":["386923"],"_player_evaluations_10_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_10_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_10_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_10_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_10_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_10_evaluation":"Another member of the Broncos' secondary makes the list as [player_tooltip player_id='386923' first='Isaiah' last='Kenney'] had an impressive senior regular season. Kenney finished the year with 15 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and three interceptions in limited reps. He joins Bryant on the back end of the secondary at safety  and does a great job of reading the quarterback and route combinations. Once the ball is in the air, Kenney breaks on the ball with perfect timing to catch interceptions in stride. After the catch, Kenney has shown the ability to use his speed to return interceptions the other way for big plays, returning two interceptions for touchdowns this season. Against the run, Kenney has shown the ability to come downhill and fight through blocks to get to the ball carrier and make tackles in the open field. Kenney holds offers from Kentucky and Palmetto Prep, and I see him developing into a very productive defensive back wherever he decides to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_10_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_11_player":["145010"],"_player_evaluations_11_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_11_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_11_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_11_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_11_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_11_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='145010' first='Cristian' last='Conyer'] is another player that has been very high on my radar for a while and he continued to impress this season. Conyer finished his final regular season with eight tackles and one interception with limited reps. He is a lock down corner on the outside, using his speed and athleticism to turn and run with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown the ability to fight across the intended receiver's body to break a play on the ball. He also has shown the ball skills to attack the ball at its highest point and come away with the interception. Against the run, Conyer comes downhill to provide support and is a reliable tackler in the open field. He has also shown promise on special teams as a returner, showing the ability to return a kickoff or punt for a touchdown at any given moment. Cristian is committed to Tennessee where I see him developing into a key player for their defense.","_player_evaluations_11_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_12_player":["102291"],"_player_evaluations_12_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_12_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_12_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_12_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_12_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_12_evaluation":"The defensive back pool in 5A was so loaded with talent that I decided to add an extra spot. [player_tooltip player_id='102291' first='Aden' last='Nelson'] is a player that I have been high on for a while now that continued to impress this season. He finished his final regular season with 42 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and two interceptions. Nelson has seen time at multiple spots in the secondary and has been successful in every role. In pass coverage, he has shown the ability to read the quarterback and route combinations to help him break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. He is also very reliable against the run, coming downhill to fill the lane. Nelson is a very good open field tackler once he gets to the ball. He also played a key role on offense and could play on that side of the ball at the next level if asked to but I liked him the most on defense. Aden currently holds offers from Kent State, UT Martin, Western Kentucky, Ball State, Army, Akron, Miami (OH), and Tennessee State, and I see him developing into a key player on either side of the ball wherever he decides to play in college.","_player_evaluations_12_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":13,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-637c655e64284"} /--> <!-- wp:heading {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"17px"}}} --> <h2 style="font-size:17px">Honorable Mention:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">Defensive Lineman: [player_tooltip player_id='386174' first='Sahvon' last='Hines'] (Owensboro, 2023); [player_tooltip player_id='386161' first='Jalen' last='Hand'] (Frederick Douglass, 2023); [player_tooltip player_id='408047' first='Jasante' last='Harmon'] (Scott County, 2024)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">Linebacker: [player_tooltip player_id='287571' first='Jeremiah' last='Goodwin'] (Owensboro, 2023); [player_tooltip player_id='386764' first='Xander' last='Early'] (Owensboro, 2023); [player_tooltip player_id='422904' first='Darion' last='Neal'] (Frederick Douglass, 2024)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">Defensive Back: [player_tooltip player_id='287579' first='Zachary' last='Clark'] (Owensboro, 2023); [player_tooltip player_id='422905' first='Terrion' last='Hicks'] (Frederick Douglass, 2024); [player_tooltip player_id='490055' first='Jerry' last='Kpehe'] (Doss, 2023); [player_tooltip player_id='386928' first='Augustin' last='Nyembo'] (Bowling Green, 2023)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->