Kentucky’s 50 best high school football players in 2018 . . . plus a few more
The following is a preseason list of the Herald-Leader’s top 50 football players in the state, as selected by coaches and staff writer Josh Moore.
The top 10 players are presented in order of votes received in a preseason survey of coaches, who were asked to rank the top 10 players in the state regardless of school classification. The next 40 are, in alphabetical order, the other players most often named as part of that polling and, in a few instances, players who were not frequently named in polling but whose absence would have called into question the integrity of the ranking (Josh Moore made that call).
Additionally, more notable players from Kentucky’s respective geographic regions were recognized according to those regions.
(Click each player’s name to watch his Hudl highlights.)
THE TOP 10
1. Wandale Robinson (Western Hills/Sr.)
Position: RB/WR
Height/weight: 5-8/170
Total points received in polling: 305
2. Stephen Herron (Trinity/Sr.)
Position: DE
Height/weight: 6-4/235
Total points received in polling: 219
3. Milton Wright (Christian Academy of Louisville/Sr.)
Position: WR
Height/weight: 6-3/200
Total points received in voting: 193
4. Bryan Hudson (Scott County/Sr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-4/292
Total points received in voting: 190
5. Jacob Lacey (South Warren/Sr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-2/285
Total points received in voting: 156
6. Tanner Bowles (Glasgow/Sr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-5/280
Total points received in polling: 114
7. JJ Weaver (Moore/Sr.)
Position: DE/LB/LB
Height/weight: 6-6/240
Total points received in polling: 110
8. Vito Tisdale (Bowling Green/Jr.)
Position: S/RB
Height/weight: 6-1/185
Total points received in polling: 70
9. Michael Mayer (Covington Catholic, Jr.)
Position: TE
Height/weight: 6-5/240
Total points received in polling: 53
10. Reese Smith (Boyle County, Jr.)
Position: WR/DB
Height/weight: 5-11/175
Total points received in polling: 39
THE NEXT 40
ANTHONY ADKINS (LaRue County, Sr.)
Position: Athlete
Height/weight: 6-3/222
Position: RB
Height/weight: 6-1/205
BEAU ALLEN (Lexington Catholic, Jr.)
Position: QB
Height/weight: 6-2/200
JAYLYN ALLEN (PAINTSVILLE, JR.)
Position: RB/LB
Height/weight: 6-1/220
Position: DE
Height/weight: 6-1/246
LANDEN BARTLESON (Boyle County, Jr.)
Position: RB/DB
Height/weight: 6-1/190
TRE BASS (Franklin-Simpson, Sr.)
Position: RB/DB
Height/weight: 5-8/180
CLAYTON BUSH (South Warren, Sr.)
Position: S
Height/weight: 6-0/185
Position: LB
Height/weight: 6-4/222
JACK COLDIRON (Covington Catholic, Sr.)
Position: WR/LB
Height/weight: 6-5/215
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-4/295
Position: WR
Height/weight: 6-1/165
Position: WR
Height/weight: 6-3/195
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-3/280
Position: S
Height/weight: 6-0/185
Position: WR/S
Height/weight: 6-3/185
Position: QB
Height/weight: 5-11/185
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-3/275
CONNOR GUTHRIE (Mayfield, Sr.)
Position: QB
Height/weight: 6-3/175
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-3/315
BEN JACKSON (Clark County, Sr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-7/290
JOE JACKSON (Johnson Central, Sr.)
Position: RB
Height/weight: 6-0/194
RAMOND JACKSON (Henry Clay, Sr.)
Position: S/RB
Height/weight: 5-9/165
CAM JONES (Frederick Douglass, Sr.)
Position: QB
Height/weight: 6-8, 242
KYLE KELLY (Newport Central Catholic, Sr.)
Position: LB/RB
Height/weight: 6-2/205
SHAWN’KEL KNIGHT-GOFF (Doss, Sr.)
Position: DE
Height/weight: 6-4/210
REED LANTER (Boyle County, Jr.)
Position: QB
Height/weight: 6-1/175
CADEN MCKINNIS (Logan County, Sr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-2/255
JOSH MINKINS JR. (Ballard, Jr.)
Position: WR/DB
Height/weight: 6-2/170
OCTAVIOUS OXENDINE (North Hardin, Jr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-3/305
WALKER PARKS (Frederick Douglass, Jr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-5/255
JACK RANDOLPH (Franklin-Simpson, Sr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-3/290
JAMEER RILEY (Caldwell County, Sr.)
Position: DB/WR
Height/weight: 5-11/160
TREL RILEY (Caldwell County, Sr.)
Position: DB/WR
Height/weight: 6-1/179
Position: RB
Height/weight: 6-3/220
MARQUEL TINSLEY (Daviess County, Sr.)
Position: WR/DB
Height/weight: 6-2/210
SAM VAUGHAN (Lexington Catholic, Sr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-7/280
Position: WR
Height/weight: 5-10/150
VON WILLIAMS (Owensboro Catholic, Sr.)
Position: RB/DB
Height/weight: 6-1/205
JOHN YOUNG (Christian Academy of Louisville, Jr.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-6/295
Five more you should know from . . .
CENTRAL KENTUCKY: Glenn Covington, Scott County (Sr. DB/WR); Ethan Hahn, Madison Central (Sr. RB/DB); Dane Jackson, Madison Southern (Jr. OL/DL); Cade McKee, Scott County (Jr. QB); Zach Thornton, Danville (Sr. QB)
EASTERN KENTUCKY: Bailey Blair, Hazard (Sr. QB); Seth Johnson, Shelby Valley (Sr. RB); Dagen Rash, Belfry (Sr. OL/DL) Zack Roberts, Pikeville (Sr. RB/LB); Nathan Skidmore, Powell County (Sr. RB/LB)
LEXINGTON: Xavier Brown, Lexington Christian Academy (Fr. WR); Dekel Crowdus, Frederick Douglass (So. WR); Kendrick Curry, Bryan Station (Sr. DB/WR); Luke Duby, Tates Creek (Jr. QB); Langston Jackson, Henry Clay (Sr. DB/RB)
LOUISVILLE: U’Kari Baker, Central (Sr. WR/DB); Austin Carr, Ballard (Sr. QB); Austin Collins, Christian Academy of Louisville (Jr. OL/DL); Raymeco Mucker, Pleasure Ridge Park (Sr. DE), Osman Sall, Fern Creek (Sr. DB)
NORTHERN KENTUCKY: Logan Castleman, Beechwood (Sr. RB/DB); Grady Cramer, Highlands (Sr. QB); Tad Fisher, Bracken County (Sr. RB/LB); Austin Hammack, Simon Kenton (Sr. RB); Brycen Huddleston, Highlands (Jr. RB/LB)
WESTERN KENTUCKY: Joey Cambron, Daviess County (Sr. QB); Drew Cox, Ballard Memorial (Sr. WR); Mitchell Harralson, Caldwell County (Sr. LS); Trey Matthews, Mayfield (Sr. WR); Jadonavin McNeal, Christian County (Sr. RB)
ANYWHERE ELSE: Keaton Martin, South Oldham (Jr. RB); Wes Oliver, Taylor County (So. RB); Ryan Pyles, Elizabethtown (Jr. OL/DL); Jake Sloan, Pulaski County (Jr. WR/DB); Aubrey Weaver, Wayne County (Sr. WR/DB)