2024 Rankings Update 2.0: Defensive Linemen

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the 2023 high school football season quickly approaching, it is time for some rankings updates! For the state of Kentucky, the updated Top 200 rankings for the talented 2024 class have been posted. With that being said, I will be taking the next couple weeks to breakdown these updated rankings by position. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball by focusing on our top defensive linemen in the class of 2024 in the state of Kentucky. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["423619"],"_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='423619' first='Darius' last='Wiley'] has continued to prove over the past couple seasons that he is the top player at his position in his class. He was only able to play in three games this past season but was productive when on the field, finishing with 17 tackle, one tackle for loss, and one sack. Wiley is a very athletic defensive end that is dangerous pass rusher. He has an explosive first step which he turns into impressive speed that he uses to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge. Wiley has also shown that he has the strength to bull rush straight through offensive linemen on his way to the quarterback. Against the run, he does a great job of stacking blocks to read the play then shedding them quickly to get to the ball carrier. Wiley currently holds offers from Akron, Marshall, Purdue, West Virginia, Miami (OH), Indiana, Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, and Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Power 5 caliber prospect.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["408042"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='408042' first='Jahvon' last='Frazier'] is another defensive lineman that has been high on our radar for a while now. He is coming off a strong junior season in which he finished with 54 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and five sacks.  Jahvon lines up at defensive end where he is a very skilled pass rusher. Frazier has an impressive combination of speed and strength, showing the ability to either run by or straight through opposing offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback. He is also very reliable against the run. Frazier plays with a very high motor , showing the ability to read the play quickly and run down ball carriers from all over the field to make tackles. Jahvon currently holds offers from Army, Navy, Akron, Marshall, Austin Peay, West Virginia, Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, and Southeast Missouri St, and I expect more to come his way as I believe he has the talent to be a productive defensive end at the FBS level.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["423622"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='423622' first='Chase' last='Couch'] is a defensive lineman that jumped onto our radar quickly this past season. He played a key role on the LCA defense as a junior, finishing with 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. Couch lines up at defensive end where he is a very reliable defender against the run. He does a great job of using his strong hands to stack and shed opposing offensive linemen with ease. Once he sheds the block, he uses his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry and is a very reliable tackler in the open field. He is also a reliable pass rusher, showing the ability to use his strength and explosiveness to his advantage to drive straight through opposing offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback. Couch currently holds offers from Marshall, Pennsylvania, Cornell, Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, and Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to be a reliable defensive end at the FBS level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["381879"],"_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='381879' first='Ashton' last='Jones'] is a defensive lineman that took a huge jump in our recent rankings update. Jones had a strong junior year, finishing with 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks. He lines up in the interior at defensive tackle where he is a very impressive pass rusher. Jones has the speed to burst into the pocket before opposing offensive linemen can react and also has some impressive pass rush moves that he uses to defeat blocks. He is also reliable against the run, showing the ability to read the play and fight through blocks to get to the ball carrier quickly to make tackles in the open field. Ashton currently holds offers from Navy, Austin Peay, Wofford, Bucknell, Ball State, Columbia, Army, Lehigh, Forham, Southeast Missouri State, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania, and UAB, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the Division I level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["305210"],"_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":"To round out our top five defensive linemen in the class of 2024 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='305210' first='Isaiah' last='Hare']. Hare played a key role in Bullitt East's 6A State Championship run this past season, finishing with 74 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. Isaiah  lines up at defensive end where he is a very skilled pass rusher. He has an explosive first step and the speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge. Once he gets the quarterback, Hare does a great job of exploding through contact to secure the sack. Hare is also a very reliable defender against the run. He does a great job of reading the play and running all over the field to make tackles. Isaiah currently holds offers from Butler, Indianapolis, Wofford, Grand Valley State, Valparaiso, McKendree, Thomas More, Central Missouri, Bethel (TN), and Eastern Illinois, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber defensive end prospect.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64b1bae2db7a7"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 200):</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. [player_tooltip player_id='408047' first='Jasante' last='Harmon'] (Scott County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. [player_tooltip player_id='423621' first='Xavier' last='Campbell'] (Beechwood)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. [player_tooltip player_id='423620' first='Christopher' last='Jones Jr'] (DuPont Manual)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. [player_tooltip player_id='381923' first='Tay'Shaun' last='Linton'] (Trigg County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. [player_tooltip player_id='653476' first='Bryce' last='Strickland'] (Male)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. [player_tooltip player_id='653475' first='Colton' last='Smith'] (Greenwood)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12. [player_tooltip player_id='331707' first='Kaden' last='Lewis'] (Ballard)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>13. [player_tooltip player_id='490012' first='Austin' last='Johnson'] (North Laurel)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>14. [player_tooltip player_id='287576' first='Izack' last='Messer'] (East Carter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15. [player_tooltip player_id='381877' first='Tyler' last='Neal'] (St. Xavier)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16. [player_tooltip player_id='653385' first='Davion' last='Strode'] (Hazard)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->