Kirby was the best player on the field tonight. He rushed for four touchdowns, made several plays defensively, and stepped up as a leader on the field. Colgate is getting a good football player in their program next season.

Stout versus the run

Scheme Fit- 4-3 Mike Linebacker

Kyle played great as a Junior in 2024. His excellent play helped the Granville Blue Aces to a 9-win season where they held opposing offenses to 12.3 points per game. He lines up at MLB. Against the run, he displays very good football intelligence as he quickly reads run/pass. He takes excellent angles in pursuit and displays very good explosiveness as he delivers a powerful hit near the LOS preventing a gain of significant yardage. Against the pass, he reacts quickly to the ball being thrown and shows great range and closing speed before making the tackle preventing a first down.

Kirby earned high praise from head coach Heath Hinton and for good reason: the 6-foot-1, 215 middle linebacker is a stout run defender and displays excellent instincts. College camp season should provide a nice boost to his recruitment.

Kyle Kirby Kyle Kirby 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB/RB Granville | 2026 State OH is one of the best linebacker prospects in the state in the class of 2026. He has led a Granville defense that allows under 10 points per game. Kirby shows a great gap burst and hands at the line of scrimmage, which leads to big and easy tackles. His intelligence is easily identifiable, and he fits the part of being a leader and a great player on the field. Kirby is becoming a bigger player in the recruiting trail, which is much deserved. For Granville, they ran into a scorching Bellefontaine team last season in the regional semis. This year, this defense led by Kirby is the real deal, and they’ll look to rely on his leadership to survive and advance.