I am additionally impressed with Dalton Matney Dalton Matney 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB/EDGE Johnson Central | 2026 KY , a linebacker at Johnson Central High School. Matney and the Golden Eagles earned a 28-14 win over Boyd County last week. In addition to solid size and speed off the snap, Matney stands out with his defensive awareness and ability to quickly stop the rush, capitalizing on openings in the pocket. Matney’s versatility and defensive playmaking ability also impresses as he’s proven he can dive for tackles in the pocket to quickly stop the running back.

Dalton Matney Dalton Matney 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB/EDGE Johnson Central | 2026 KY is a player that has recently jumped onto my radar. Matney is coming off a solid freshman year in which he finished with 51 tackles,  two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Dalton lines up at middle linebacker where he does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry to meet the ball carrier in the gap on inside runs. On outside runs, Matney takes great angles to the ball and is a very reliable tackler in the open field. Matney is off to a strong start to his sophomore season as he has 19 tackles and two tackles for loss through the first two weeks. Dalton doesn’t currently hold any offers but he is a player that college coaches will want to pay attention to over the next few seasons.

Dalton Matney Dalton Matney 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB/EDGE Johnson Central | 2026 KY is a talented defensive threat from John Central High School that makes it difficult for most offenses to find success on most of their plays. The 6’0 190lbs LB is terrific at reading the QBs offensive intentions and knowing where to position himself every time to make the quickest defensive stop. When making a stop, Matney has great tackling mechanics to balance out the workload of his lower and upper half to make an easy pin down of the ball carrier. When on a blitz, Matney uses his quick acceleration and hand skills to quickly slide past the opposing blockers to put pressure on the QB. Alongside his physical attributes, Matney is an excellent communicator on defense as he can apply his perceptions of incoming plays and can communicate with his teammates to reposition themselves when an offensive play seems to completely counter their current positioning. Dalton’s understanding of the game and LB mechanics are often not found to be already matured at his age. It is surprising that not many collegiate schools have begun to invite him to camp and monitor him. However, with 3 years left of high school ball, I certainly believe this will change in the short-term future.

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