Ten finalists named for 2024 Kentucky Mr. Football award
Ten finalists have been announced by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association for its annual Mr. Football award.
Sayre standout Brock Coffman, Boyle County’s Montavin Quisenberry, Bowling Green’s Deuce Bailey and Male’s Antonio Harris are among the seniors who KFCA members can pick for Kentucky high school football’s highest individual honor, according to an email sent out Wednesday by the association.
The award winner is expected to be announced early next week.
Also on the ballot were Central’s Cortez Stone, Christian Academy-Louisville’s Connor Hodge, Owensboro Catholic’s Brady Atwell, Paducah Tilghman’s Jack James, Union County’s Jarren Johnson and South Warren’s Bryce Button.
All but Button, Hodge, James and Johnson were honored last week as players of the year for each of their respective classes.
Coffman, Bailey, Hodge and James helped lead each of their teams to state championships.
Quisenberry, a Kentucky signee, has already earned state player of the year honors from Gatorade and the Louisville Quarterback Club (as its Paul Hornung Award winner).
Coffman and Harris are Louisville commits, James is headed to Troy, Bailey to Missouri State and Atwell is signed with Western Kentucky baseball. Hodge has signed with East Carolina. Button is signed with Eastern Michigan. Johnson and Stone are uncommitted.
Since 2019, the KFCA has named its Mr. Football based on a vote from its membership. The historic Mr. Football was chosen by members of the Kentucky Associated Press from 1986 to 2021 and no longer exists.
The KFCA has kept the tradition of only recognizing seniors for its Mr. Football. Voting by the coaches is due Monday with an announcement expected soon after.
Coaches will also select their Jimmie Reed Coach Award from six finalists — Sayre’s Chad Pennington, Owensboro Catholic’s Jason Morris, Central’s Marvin Dantzler, Boyle County’s Justin Haddix, South Warren’s Brandon Smith and Manual’s Keith Eckloff.
2024 Mr. Football finalists
Here’s a closer look at this year’s Mr. Football finalists in alphabetical order.
BRADY ATWELL, OWENSBORO CATHOLIC
Bio: 6-3/225/QB/Western Kentucky baseball commit.
2024: 3,766 yards, 49 TDs passing, 609 yards, 20 TDs rushing.
Career: 11,631 yards, 153 TDs passing, 2,013 yards, 48 TDs rushing, 27 yards receiving, 103 tackles, 4 defensive interceptions.
Notes: 2024 Class 2A and district player of the year, 2023 first team all-state and KFCA Class 2A player of the year.
DEUCE BAILEY, BOWLING GREEN
Bio: 6-0/170/QB/Missouri State signee.
2024: 3,183 yards, 45 TDs passing, 423 yards, 5 TDs rushing.
Career: 10,936 yards, 130 TDs passing, 1,164 yards, 19 TDs rushing.
Notes: 2024 and 2023 Class 5A state finals MVP and KFCA player of the year, 2023 third team all-state, 2022 all-state honorable mention, 2023 and 2024 KFCA district player of the year.
BRYCE BUTTON, SOUTH WARREN
Bio: 6-3/210/QB/Eastern Michigan signee.
2024: 2,853 yards, 39 TDs passing, 257 yards, 8 TDs rushing.
Career: 8,344 yards, 95 TDs passing, 1,052 yards, 21 TDs rushing.
BROCK COFFMAN, SAYRE
Bio: 6-0/170/WR/DB/Louisville signee.
2024: 1,530 yards, 27 TDs receiving, 77 tackles, 5 interceptions, 3 punt return TDs.
Career: 3,894 yards, 61 TDs receiving, 156 tackles, 20 interceptions, 5 punt return TDs, two pick sixes, 1 kickoff return TD, 1 fumble recovery TD.
Notes: 2024 KFCA Class A player of the year, state finals MVP and KFCA district player of the year, 2023 all-state third team.
ANTONIO HARRIS, MALE
Bio: 6-0/170/ATH/DB/Louisville signee.
2024: 351 yards, 5 TDs rushing, 574 yards, 9 TDs receiving.
Career: 60 yards passing, 391 yards, 5 TDs rushing, 1,878 yards, 30 TDs receiving, 47 tackles, 5 interceptions.
Notes: 2024 KFCA Class 6A and district player of the year, 2023 all-state second team, 2022 all-state honorable mention.
CONNOR HODGE, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY-LOUISVILLE
Bio: 6-1/160/QB/WR/DB/East Carolina signee.
2024: 3,659 yards, 40 TDs passing, 984 yards, 19 TDs rushing, 28 tackles, 5 defensive interceptions.
Career: 3,704 yards, 40 TDs passing, 986 yards, 19 TDs rushing, 2,006 yards, 31 TDs receiving, 131 tackles, 23 interceptions, 4 pick sixes.
Notes: 2024 Class 3A finals MVP, 2023 all-state first team at defensive back, three-time Class 3A state champion.
JACK JAMES, PADUCAH TILGHMAN
Bio: 5-11.5/195/QB/Troy State commit.
2024: 4,133 yards, 57 TDs passing, 182 yards, 8 TDs rushing.
Career: 13,993 yards, 181 TDs passing, 477 yards, 15 TDs rushing.
Notes: Kentucky’s all-time career passing attempts, completions, yardage and TDs leader, 2024 district player of the year, 2023 all-state honorable mention.
JARREN JOHNSON, UNION COUNTY
Bio: 5-8/180/QB/DB/Uncommitted.
2024: 719 yards, 7 TDs passing, 2,682 yards, 44 TDs rushing, 49 tackles, 5 defensive interceptions, including 1 for a TD.
Career: 1,399 yards, 13 TDs passing, 5,370 yards, 82 TDs rushing, 74 tackles, 5 interceptions.
Notes: 2024 and 2023 KFCA district player of the year.
MONTAVIN QUISENBERRY, BOYLE COUNTY
Bio: 5-9/160/WR/DB/Kentucky signee.
2024: 112 yards, 2 TDs passing, 882 yards, 13 TDs rushing, 794 yards, 13 TDs receiving, 31 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 punt return TD, 1 kickoff return TD.
Career: 1,316 yards, 15 TDs passing, 4,192 yards, 60 TDs rushing, 2,509 yards, 38 TDs receiving, 152 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 11 interceptions, 7 punt return TDs, 6 kickoff return TDs.
Notes: 2023 Class 4A finals MVP and two-time state champion, 2022 and 2023 first team all-state, 2024 district player of the year.
CORTEZ STONE, CENTRAL
Bio: 5-10/170/RB/Uncommitted.
2024: 1,882 yards, 30 TDs rushing, 78 yards receiving, 15 tackles.
Career: 7,321 yards, 100 TDs rushing, 483 yards, 2 TDs receiving, 17 tackles, 1 kickoff return TD.
Notes: 2024 Class 2A and district player of the year, 2023 second team all-state, 2022 first team all-state.
