Herald-Leader Hundred: 2020’s top Kentucky high school football players
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2020 Kentucky high school football preview
The 2020 high school football season kicked off Friday, Sept. 11. High school sports beat writer Jared Peck wrote numerous stories in the Herald-Leader and on Kentucky.com previewing the season around the city, region and state and highlighting the top players and games and rankings. Click below to read all of his stories in case you missed any of them.
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With 63 Kentucky high school football coaches weighing in on who they think the best football players in Kentucky are, Frederick Douglass offensive lineman Jager Burton topped the 2020 Herald-Leader Hundred.
The highly coveted senior, who recently committed to Kentucky, is regarded by 247Sports.com as 2021’s No. 1 recruit in the state and No. 3 offensive guard in the nation. He appeared on 39 ballots in our preseason football coaches survey with 18 of those putting him in their top spot.
The following is @HLpreps’ preseason list of the top 100 players in the state, as put forth by high school head coaches and also selected by digital sports writer Jared Peck.
The top 10 players are presented in order of votes received from the coaches, who were asked to rank the top 10 players in the state regardless of school classification. Rankings were assigned point values of 10 points for a top pick down to one point for the 10th player on the list. All of the state’s head coaches were invited to participate.
The next 40, in alphabetical order, are the other players most often named as part of that polling combined with @HLprep’s picks based on their career, statistics, recruiting rankings and coaches’ comments.
Additionally, 50 more notable players from Kentucky’s various geographic regions are recognized as players to watch to complete the first-ever Herald-Leader Hundred.
(Each player’s Hudl.com highlights are available by clicking his name in the online version of this story)
THE TOP 10
1. JAGER BURTON
School/Class: Frederick Douglass/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-4/275/G/DT
Total points received in survey: 330
2. JANTZEN DUNN
School/Class: South Warren/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-1/178/FS/CB
Total points received in survey: 238
3. DEKEL CROWDUS
School/Class: Frederick Douglass/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 5-10/169/WR
Total points received in survey: 210
4. JORDAN DINGLE
School/Class: Bowling Green/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-4/240/TE/WR
Total points received in survey: 202
5. KAIYA SHERON
School/Class: Somerset/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-3/195/QB
Total points received in survey: 158
6. JORDAN LOVETT
School/Class: North Hardin/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-2/190/FS/WR
Total points received in survey: 127
7. LA’VELL WRIGHT
School/Class: North Hardin/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-1/210/RB/WR
Total points received in survey: 111
8. GAVIN WIMSATT
School/Class: Owensboro/Jr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-3/197/QB
Total points received in survey: 81
9. DANE KEY
School/Class: Frederick Douglass/Jr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-2/170/WR
Total points received in survey: 78
10. BRAEDON SLOAN
School/Class: Wayne County/Sr.
Height/Weight/Position: 6-0/185/RB
Total points received in survey: 59
THE NEXT 40
Jahmir Ackerson, Newport Central Catholic/Sr./5-10/210/RB/OLB
Parker Bates, Apollo/Sr./6-5/290/T/DT
Jonathan Berry, Scott County/Sr./6-4/270/T
Grant Bingham, Johnson Central/Jr./6-6/302/T
Eli Blakey, Manual/Sr./6-2/185/FS/WR
Hunter Bradley, McCracken County/6-0/208/RB
Selah Brown, Male/Jr./6-2/270/DE/FB
Evan Brown, St. Xavier/Sr./6-4/255/T/DE
Nick Broyles, Franklin County/Sr./6-1/180/QB
Ty Bryant, Frederick Douglass/Jr./5-11/170/FS/WR
Caleb Jacob, Covington Catholic/Sr./6-4/210/QB
Brett Coleman, Belfry/Sr./6-3/186/SS/OLB
Tristan Cox, Pulaski County/Sr./6-3/240/MLB/RB
Darion Dearinger, Anderson County/Sr./6-3/270/DE/TE
Jack Dingle, Trinity/Sr./6-4/215/OLB
Isaac Dixon, Belfry/Sr./5-11/185/RB/CB
Cole Durbin, North Bullitt/Sr./5-11/205/RB/WR
Charlie Ely, Trinity/Sr./6-2/225/MLB
Fred Farrier, Franklin County/Sr./6-1/170/WR/CB
Kade Grundy, Somerset/Sr./6-2/190/WR/DB
Cameron Hergott, Beechwood/Sr./6-3/190/QB/FS
Marcus Harris, North Hardin/Sr./6-2/180/WR
Demetrius Huguley, Ballard/Sr./6-3/220/TE/WR
Azariah Israel, Clark County/Sr./5-10/180/RB
Reece Jesse, Hopkinsville/Sr./6-3/180/WR
Malachi Lawrence, Manual/Sr./6-4/235/OLB/TE
Treyveon Longmire, Corbin/Jr./6-2/178/RB/WR/CB
Michael Lunz, North Hardin/Sr./6-3/230/LB
Will McDaniel, Boyle County/Sr./5-11/190/RB/SS
Nathan McElroy, Trinity/Sr.6-2/205/QB
Isaac McNamee, Pikeville/Jr./6-4/210/QB
Jon Nalley, Daviess County/Sr./6-6/302/T/G
Jawaun Northington, Manual/Jr./5-11/185/RB/OLB
Austin Oppel, Meade County/Sr./5-9/180/RB
Keontae Pittman, Ashland Blazer/Sr./6-0/185/RB
Josh Rowe, Bryan Station/Sr./6-4/275/DT
Caden Veltkamp, South Warren/Jr./6-5/205/QB
Cole Wallace, Rowan County/Sr./5-10/175/RB/OLB
Logan Weedman, Apollo/Sr./6-5/250/DE/T/TE
Sam Young, Oldham County/Jr./6-3/180/QB/FS
AND 50 MORE YOU SHOULD KNOW FROM …
LEXINGTON: JT Acosta, Tates Creek/Sr.; Isaiah Allen, Frederick Douglass/Sr.; Xavier Brown, Lexington Christian/Jr.; Mattie Lebryk, Lexington Christian/Sr.
CENTRAL KENTUCKY: Jeremy Hamilton, Scott County/Jr.; Adrian Jones, Madison Southern/Jr.; Trace Mitchell, Clark County/Sr.
LOUISVILLE: Brandt Babin, Christian Academy-Louisville/Sr.; Braeden Babin, Christian Academy-Louisville/Sr.; Jaylin Bross, Male/Sr; Exavier Douglas, Kentucky Country Day/Sr.; Terran Hearn, Ballard/Sr.; James Johnson, DeSales/Sr.; Gavin Malott, Trinity/Sr.; Terrance Mitchell, Fern Creek/Sr.; Justice Thompson, Ballard/Sr.
EASTERN KENTUCKY: Matt Anderson, Pike County Central/So.; Leetavious Cline, West Carter/Sr.; Nathan Conley, Russell/Sr.; William Long, Breathitt County/Sr/; Mason Lovely, Magoffin County/Sr.; Seth Mounts, Belfry/Sr.; Gavin Thomas, Williamsburg/Sr.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY: AJ Bradford, Shelby County/Sr.; Jordan Marksberry, Dayton/Sr.; Brandon McClendon, Holy Cross (Covington)/Sr.
SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY: Dylan Bland, Russell County/Sr.; Javeius Bunton, Bowling Green/Sr.; Sebastian Conwell, Greenwood/Sr.; Arren Hash; Campbellsville/Sr.; Michael Hawkins, Somerset/Jr.; Q’Daryius Jennings, Grayson County/Sr.; Rece Jones, Bowling Green/Sr.; Wes Oliver, Taylor County/Sr.; Drew Polston, Pulaski County/Jr.; Tyler Shofner, Taylor County/Sr.; Logan Stephens, Casey County/Jr.; Manie Wimberly, North Hardin/Jr.
WESTERN KENTUCKY: Miller Blakely, McCracken County/Sr.; Christopher Boarman, Owensboro Catholic/Sr.; LeAndre Bolen, McCracken County/Jr.; Broc Bridges, Fulton County/Sr.; Gunnar Evans, Daviess County/Jr.; Kylan Galbreath, Mayfield/Sr.; Austin Gough, Owensboro/Sr.; Harold Hogg, Apollo/Sr.; Sebastian Lawrence, Murray/Sr.; Andrew Munster, McLean County/Sr.; Adrian Stringer, Hopkins County Central/Sr.; Anthony Woodard, Logan County/Sr.
Miss someone? Putting together a list of top players is an inexact science. Have someone in mind? Holler at digital sports writer Jared Peck on Twitter @HLpreps.
This story was originally published September 6, 2020 at 8:23 AM.
