2024 Class of the Commonwealth: Kentucky’s top high school football seniors
The Lexington Herald-Leader is proud to present its 33rd edition of the Class of the Commonwealth, an annual selection of the state’s top high school senior football players.
All choices were made by Herald-Leader digital sports writer Jared Peck using criteria that included: career statistics and accomplishments, senior season stats and accomplishments, recruiting rankings, advancement in the postseason and any other notable accomplishments in athletics.
The list includes 24 players, with each of the 12 state finalist teams guaranteed at least one selection. There are 13 honorable mentions named. Each group of players is listed in alphabetical order.
FROM THE STATE FINALISTS
AUSTIN ALEXANDER, COOPER, 6-3, 243-pound defensive end/tight end. Alexander, a North Carolina signee, has been integral to the Jaguars’ run to back-to-back Class 5A finals. In 2024, he notched 52 tackles and 13 sacks to go with 706 yards and 13 TDs receiving. For his career, he had 279 tackles and 48.5 sacks on defense and 2,522 yards and 39 TDs receiving.
BRADY ATWELL, OWENSBORO CATHOLIC, 6-3, 225-pound quarterback. Atwell led the Aces to back-to-back Class 2A finals and threw for 3,766 yards and 49 TDs in 2024 to go with 609 yards and 20 TDs rushing, earning the Western Kentucky baseball commit KFCA Class 2A player of the year honors twice. His 11,631 career passing yards rank him in the KHSAA’s top 10 all-time. His 153 career passing TDs are second only to Paducah Tilghman’s Jack James.
DEUCE BAILEY, BOWLING GREEN, 6-0, 170-pound quarterback. Bailey, a Missouri State commit, led the Purples to three straight Class 5A finals and back-to-back state titles. He earned KFCA 5A player of the year and title game MVP honors as a junior and senior. He threw for 3,183 yards and 45 TDs in 2024 to go with 423 yards and five TDs rushing.
BROCK COFFMAN, SAYRE, 6-0, 170-pound wideout/safety. Coffman, a Louisville signee, helped lead the Spartans to the school’s first Class A state football title, earning title game MVP honors as well as Class A player of the year honors as a senior. In 2024, he had 1,530 yards and 27 TDs receiving to go with 77 tackles, four interceptions and three punt return TDs.
CHASE FLAHERTY, BEECHWOOD, 5-10, 185-pound running back/linebacker. Flaherty earned Class 2A championship game MVP honors by rushing for 75 yards and four touchdowns in the Tigers’ 50-34 win over Owensboro Catholic despite a sprained ankle that did not let him practice that week. For the season, he had 1,456 yards and 30 TDs rushing.
CONNOR HODGE, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY-LOUISVILLE, 6-1, 160-pound quarterback/defensive back. Hodge, an East Carolina signee, has been part of the Centurions’ three straight Class 3A titles, this year as a QB who threw for 3,659 yards and 40 TDs to go with 984 yards and 19 TDs rushing. He served as a wideout/defensive back earlier in his career and was first team all-state on defense as a junior.
JACK JAMES, PADUCAH TILGHMAN, 5-11.5, 195-pound quarterback. James, a fifth-year senior and Troy signee, broke four KHSAA career passing records on the way to leading the Blue Tornado to the Class 4A title. James owns the records for career passing attempts (1,563), completions (939), yards (13,993) and TDs (181). Minus his bonus freshman year, James would still rank as the all-time passing TD leader and be second in the other categories.
JARREN JOHNSON, UNION COUNTY, 5-8, 180-pound quarterback/defensive back. Johnson helped lead the Braves to their first Class 3A state finals appearance. He rushed for 2,682 yards and 44 TDs and passed for 719 yards and seven TDs in 2024. In the state title game he threw for a TD, ran for a TD and had an interception return for a score. As a junior, he rushed for 2,091 yards and 33 TDs.
JEREMIAH LYNN, TRINITY, 5-11 190-pound wide receiver. Lynn has been the leading receiver for the Shamrocks each of the last three seasons and part of their back-to-back Class 6A state championships. Had 519 yards and five TDs receiving as a senior following a junior year in which he topped 1,000 yards receiving with 14 TDs.
LINDEN SAMMONS, RACELAND, 6-2, 225-pound defensive end. Among the top defensive players for the Rams each of the last three seasons, Sammons led Raceland with 85 tackles and nine sacks in 2024, earning KFCA District 6 player of the year honors and helping his team reach the Class A finals for the third straight season.
DILLON SMITH, RYLE, 6-4, 250-pound defensive lineman. Smith, a three-star recruit and Louisville signee, led the Raiders with 9.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for a loss to go with 59 tackles as a senior, helping Ryle to district and region titles and the school’s second state finals appearance. Smith also led Ryle in sacks and tackles for a loss as a sophomore and a junior.
LUKE TOOTHAKER, FRANKLIN COUNTY, 6-5, 230-pound defensive end/tight end. Toothaker, a three-star recruit and Air Force commit, notched 68 tackles, nine tackles for a loss and two sacks in helping the Flyers reach the Class 4A state finals for the second time in school history. As a junior, he had 17.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks and caught a pair of TD passes.
AT-LARGE HONOREES
BRENDON ANTHONY, PIKEVILLE, 5-10, 185-pound running back/linebacker. The 2023 Class A finals MVP rushed for 1,221 yards and 12 TDs as a senior to go with a team-high 133 tackles. He also had 14 tackles for a loss and two sacks. For his career, Anthony rushed for 2,942 yards and 38 TDs.
JAVEON CAMPBELL, WESTERN HILLS, 6-5, 265-pound defensive lineman. Campbell, a four-star Kentucky signee and the No. 1 rated high school player in the state, tallied 16 sacks to go with 63 tackles and 20 tackles for a loss as a senior. He’s also the Wolverines’ all-time scoring leader on the basketball court.
MARTELS CARTER, PADUCAH TILGHMAN, 6-0, 190-pound safety/wideout. Carter, is one of three four-star recruits and Kentucky signees in the state. He earned Class 5A state championship game MVP honors with 169 yards and a touchdown receiving to go with a rushing TD and a team-high seven tackles in the Blue Tornado’s 27-20 win over Franklin County.
KADE ELAM, CORBIN, 6-1, 215-pound quarterback. Elam, a Louisville baseball commit, helped lead the Redhounds to the Class 4A finals as a sophomore and a region title as a senior. He threw for 3,411 yards and 40 TDs and rushed for 483 yards and 16 TDs in 2024. His career marks are 8,884 yards and 106 TDs passing and 1,306 yards and 39 TDs rushing.
ANTONIO HARRIS, MALE, 6-0, 170-pound wideout/defensive back. Harris, a three-star Louisville commit, was named Class 6A player of the year by the KFCA in 2024 and has been a multi-faceted threat for the Bulldogs each of the last three seasons. As a senior, he rushed for 351 yards and five TDs to go with 574 yards and nine TDs receiving.
CLAY HAYDEN, BEECHWOOD, 6-1, 180-pound quarterback. A member of three Class 2A state championship teams and the starting QB for two of those title runs, Hayden threw for 2,981 yards and 49 TDs as a senior and totaled 8,882 yards and 120 TDs passing for his career.
JEREMIAH JONES, MURRAY, 6-4, 200-pound wideout/defensive back. Jones, a three-star Nebraska signee, led the Tigers in receiving yards (1,014 with eight TDs), sacks (11) and tackles for a loss (18) and was second on the team in tackles with 117. He notched 15 interceptions for his career, including seven as a freshman.
TRAVIS MOTEN, FERN CREEK, 6-5, 250-pound defensive lineman. A three-star Michigan signee, Moten led the state with 19.5 sacks to go with a team-high 92 tackles and 30 tackles for a loss in 2024. He had 83 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks as a junior, leading Fern Creek in those categories each of the last two years.
MONTAVIN QUISENBERRY, BOYLE COUNTY, 5-9, 160-pound running back/wideout/defensive back. Quisenberry, a Kentucky signee, earned Mr. Football, Kentucky Gatorade player of the year and the Paul Hornung Award honors as the state’s top player and won two state titles with the Rebels. For his career, he rushed for 4,192 yards and 60 TDs and had 2,509 yards and 38 TDs receiving to go with seven punt return TDs and five kickoff return TDs.
PEYTON SMITH, FREDERICK DOUGLASS, 5-10, 195-pound running back. Though slowed by injury in 2024, Smith, an Eastern Kentucky signee, was one of the state’s most prolific rushers during his three seasons at Taylor County. He topped 1,800 yards as a freshman and for his career, racked up 5,242 yards and 70 TDs rushing.
ISAAC “SPIKE” SOWELLS JR., MALE, 6-2, 295-pound offensive lineman. Sowells, a three-star North Carolina State commit, played on the offensive and defensive fronts for the Bulldogs in 2024 after earning all-state first-team honors as a junior. He recorded 20 tackles and three sacks in addition to clearing the way for Male’s potent offensive attack.
CORTEZ STONE, CENTRAL, 5-10, 170-pound running back. Stone earned Class 3A player of the year honors from the KFCA after rushing for 1,882 yards and 30 TDs in 2024. For his career, Cortez rushed for 7,321 yards and 100 TDs, which included more than 1,300 yards as a freshman and more than 2,100 yards as a sophomore.
HONORABLE MENTION
Gradey Anthony, North Oldham. Three-star offensive lineman signed with Louisville.
Demauriah Brown, Boyle County. Rebels’ leading rusher as a senior.
Bryce Button, South Warren. Eastern Michigan signee was a Mr. Football finalist.
Aveion Chenault, Frederick Douglass. Three-star Western Michigan signee a standout basketball player, too.
Mike Curry, Atherton. Topped 1,000 yards rushing each of the last two years.
Vanzale Hinton, Paducah Tilghman. Three-star defensive back signed with Vanderbilt.
Braxton Jennings, Ashland Blazer. Two-way standout for the Tomcats.
Zack McCourt, Johnson Central, Returned from injury to rush for 2,291 yards and 31 TDs in 2024.
Andrew McCutcheon, Betsy Layne. Top senior running back with 2,157 yards and 29 TDs.
Luke Pennington, Sayre. Threw for 2,939 yards and 53 TDs for Class A champs.
Tyson Sammons, Greenup County. Dual-threat QB topped 10,000 combined yards with 119 TDs.
Kalen “Jaws” Washington, Bryan Station. Career included 4,772 yards and 58 TDs rushing
Cedric Works, Frederick Douglass. Four-star Kentucky signee had 54 tackles and four sacks.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 6:30 AM.
