Next up on my finalist list is a defensive back who finished tied for the statewide lead in interceptions. Liam Hutson Liam Hutson 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH North Oldham | 2023 State KY had an outstanding senior season at North Oldham, finishing with 58 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and nine interceptions. Hutson lined up at safety and did a great job of reading the play on the backside of the defense. Once the ball was in the air, Liam showed the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing to catch interceptions in stride. After the interception, Hutson showed the speed to take it the other way, finishing the season with two interceptions returned for touchdowns. He also did a great job against the run, showing the ability to fill the lane and make tackles in the open field. Liam currently holds offers from Millikin and Hanover, and I expect more to continue to come his way as he definitely has the talent to play at the next level.

Liam tied with both Terrell Henry Terrell Henry 6'3" | 185 lbs | ATH Marion County | 2023 State KY and Wyatt Blythe Wyatt Blythe 6'1" | 155 lbs | ATH Metcalfe County | 2023 State KY for most total interceptions in the state with 9 for the 2022 season. Like Terrell, Liam’s pure athleticism steals the show for the amazing highlights he made on defense. What makes Liam a fantastic free safety is his on-ball awareness. When the quarterback decides to go off the initial play, Liam can detect this easily and shift with the momentum of where the quarterback is going to throw the ball and make a defensive stop. When this happens, the likely outcome is an easy interception for Liam. Besides his on-ball awareness, Liam is one of the better tacklers in the safety position. No matter who is taking up the ball, Hutson can put anyone down to prevent a big offensive play. But what is most unique about Liam is that he can be just as good as he is at free safety if he were placed at any other spot in the secondary. His ability to shift positions to make a defensive play is terrific and he could easily be utilized in this way to further enhance the defense. Currently, there has been some interest in Liam for football however he is actively pursuing Baseball as well.

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Liam Hutson Liam Hutson 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH North Oldham | 2023 State KY is a senior defensive back that had a breakout year this season. Hutson finished his final regular season as the 4A leader in interceptions with eight, along with 43 tackles and a sack. He lined up at safety and showed the ability to sit back in coverage and read the quarterback then break on the ball with perfect timing to catch interceptions in stride. After the catch, he showed the speed to take interceptions the other way for big plays, returning two for touchdowns this year. He also played a key role on offense as a receiver and as a returner on special teams but I liked him the most at defensive back. Liam is also a talented baseball player so it remains to be seen what he will do after high school but he definitely has the talent to play football in college if he decides to go that route.

Next up on my list is the state’s leader in interceptions, Liam Hutson Liam Hutson 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH North Oldham | 2023 State KY . The senior defensive back has eight interceptions through nine games this season along with 36 total tackles and one sack. Hutson lines up at safety and does a great job of reading routes and the quarterback to time his breaks on the ball perfectly to catch interceptions in stride. After the catch, he has shown off his speed, returning his interceptions for 145 total yards and two touchdowns. Hutson shows tremendous ball skills on the back end, covering ground quickly and showing the ability to make plays on the ball at its highest point. Liam doesn’t currently hold any offers and is also a talented baseball player so it remains to be seen what he will decide to do after college but he definitely has the talent to play football at the next level if he decides to pursue that route.