One of my favorite stories of the season is how Lexington Catholic kicker Max DeGraff Max DeGraff 5'11" | 155 lbs | K Lexington Catholic | 2023 State KY turned into a dominant receiver this season. DeGraff had an outstanding senior year, finishing with 64 receptions for 1,425 yards and 21 touchdowns. He is a very dangerous deep threat, using his speed to run right by defensive backs. DeGraff also showed tremendous ability after the catch, using his speed and elusiveness in the open field to turn short passes into big gains. While he stood out as a receiver, DeGraff still proved to be one of the best kickers in the state connecting on 58/59 PAT attempts and 4/6 field goals. Max is committed to Kentucky where he will likely be a kicker but he could play receiver if ever asked to do so.

My last finalist for my 2022 Offensive Player of the Year is Lexington Catholic’s Max DeGraff Max DeGraff 5'11" | 155 lbs | K Lexington Catholic | 2023 State KY . DeGraff had a surprising breakout season as he was mostly known as one of the state’s best kickers but truly shined at receiver. He finished his senior year with 64 catches for 1,425 yards and 21 touchdowns. What stood out the most when watching DeGraff is his explosive speed which he used to blow by defensive backs in the deep passing game. He was also very dangerous after the catch, using his speed to run away from the defense while also showing the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. While he stood out at receiver, Max continued to show that he is one of the best kickers in the state, making 58/59 PATs and 4/6 field goals this season. DeGraff is committed to Kentucky where he will likely be a kicker but he has the talent to play receiver if ever asked to do so.

Coming into this season, DeGraff was mainly known as a kicker. However, he showed that he is more than that during the regular season, becoming one of the best receivers in the state. He continued to impress during the playoffs, catching 17 passes for 199 yards and four touchdowns during their three game playoff stretch. DeGraff has the speed to run by defenders in the deep passing game and also has the route running skills to create separation on short and intermediate routes. After the catch, he is able to use his speed and quickness in the open field to turn short passes and screens into big plays. While he impressed as a receiver, he continued to show that he is one of the best kickers in the state, making all eleven of his PAT attempts during the playoffs. Max is committed to Kentucky where he will most likely be a kicker but he does have the ability to play receiver if the need ever arises.

Although Max is being recruited as the top-rated kicker in the state, I could not ignore the crazy season he had at the receiver position. Max ended his senior season with Lexington Catholic completing 64 receptions for 1,425 receiving yards & 21 touchdowns in 13 games played. Max is just a purely athletic stud who can do anything asked of him on the football field. But as a receiver, he is amazing at making crucial catches with lots of contact and running for lots of yards after the catch. What is unique about Max is the strength that enables him to push off opposing DBs to come up with the grab, and when running the football, easily stiff-arming defenders to the ground to run into the endzone. It baffles me how such a kicking prospect has so much more talent & athleticism on his belt. Max is truly a one-of-a-kind talent and deserves recognition for his incredible performance at receiver this year. Max is fully committed to the University of Kentucky as a kicker, and it will be sad that he will not be able to fully utilize his talent on the football field as he did for Lexington Catholic High School.

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While he is mainly known as a kicker, Max DeGraff Max DeGraff 5'11" | 155 lbs | K Lexington Catholic | 2023 State KY has had a breakout year as a receiver this season. He finished the regular season as the 4A leader in receiving with 47 catches for 1,226 yards and 17 touchdowns. The main thing that sets him apart is his impressive speed. He uses his speed to create separation in the deep passing game and after the catch to run away from the defense. DeGraff has also shown the ability to make defenders miss in the open field after the catch. He also continued to show his ability as a kicker, finishing the regular season 47/48 on PATs and 6/7 on field goals. Max currently holds offers from Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky where he would likely find a role on special teams but could easily play receiver if asked to do so.

Max DeGraff Max DeGraff 5'11" | 155 lbs | K Lexington Catholic | 2023 State KY is one of the biggest surprises to me this season. Coming into the year, I knew that he was one of if not the best kicker in the state but what I did not know is how dynamic of a play maker he would be at receiver. DeGraff is currently sitting at fourth in the entire state in receiving through eight games with 37 catches for 932 yards and 12 touchdowns. His speed is the main thing that sets him apart as he is simply able to run right by defensive backs in the deep passing game. Once he has the ball in his hands, he uses that speed to run away from the defense. DeGraff has also shown the ability to make defenders miss in the open field on his way to the end zone. While he has been impressive on offense, he has still shined at kicker, connecting on four field goals and 35 PATs this season. Max currently holds offers from Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky where he will likely find a role on special teams but he has the talent to play receiver if needed down the road. 

For the second time this season, Max DeGraff Max DeGraff 5'11" | 155 lbs | K Lexington Catholic | 2023 State KY cracks my top performers list and has proven to me once again that he is more than just a kicker. DeGraff had an outstanding performance on offense this past Friday, lining up at receiver and catching five passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns. He is a very skilled route runner with the ability to create separation in his breaks. DeGraff also showed great concentration while making catches, looking the ball in from his body and making sure he secures the catch before making his next move. To add to his performance, he continued to do his thing at kicker, making 6/6 PAT attempts. DeGraff doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect him to find a home at the next level as he has received a ton of interest as a kicker and has shown the versatility to play offense if needed as well.

Perhaps the most impressive performance of this past weekend came from Max DeGraff Max DeGraff 5'11" | 155 lbs | K Lexington Catholic | 2023 State KY . DeGraff is known best as one of the top kickers in the state but it looks like I’m going to need to list him as an athlete after catching six passes for 274 yards and five touchdowns in the Knights’ dominating win over Henry Clay. He showed that he has the speed to run by defensive backs in the deep passing game but also showed the ability to to pick up yards after the catch by breaking tackles and making defenders miss in the open field. DeGraff continued to do his thing at kicker, averaging 63 yards on kickoffs, 47 yards on punts, and making two field goals from 48 and 35 yards. Max doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect him to play somewhere at the next level as he has received a ton of college interest.