The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Kentucky using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from Kentucky set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 20#14 (tie). Stone Perkins (ATH)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #137
- College: Ball State
- Offers: Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois State, Miami (OH), Southern Miss
- High school: Christian Academy of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
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2 / 20#14 (tie). Dylan Lee (ATH)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #137
- College: Colgate
- Offers: Colgate, Pennsylvania
- High school: Ryle (Union, KY)
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3 / 20#14 (tie). A'Davion Dale (CB)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #172
- College: not committed
- Offers: Eastern Kentucky, Toledo
- High school: Martha Layne Collins (Shelbyville, KY)
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4 / 20#14 (tie). Hank James (S)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #167
- College: Troy
- Offers: Troy, Arkansas State, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville
- High school: Paducah Tilghman (Paducah, KY)
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5 / 20#14 (tie). Eli Pietrowski (TE)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #99
- College: not committed
- Offers: Appalachian State, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Marshall
- High school: Corbin (Corbin, KY)
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6 / 20#14 (tie). Jay'Quan Crawford (RB)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #114
- College: not committed
- Offers: Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Toledo
- High school: Franklin County (Frankfort, KY)
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7 / 20#14 (tie). Ronald Lunz (WR)
- National rank: #1,849 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #267
- College: not committed
- Offers: Kentucky, Miami (OH), Western Kentucky
- High school: North Hardin (Radcliff, KY)
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8 / 20#13. Max Merz (IOL)
- National rank: #1,805 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #145
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Marshall, Toledo
- High school: Highlands (Fort Thomas, KY)
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9 / 20#12. Corey Warner (CB)
- National rank: #1,697 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #163
- College: UMass
- Offers: UMass, Akron, Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan
- High school: Dupont Manual (Louisville, KY)
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10 / 20David Lee // Shutterstock
11 / 20#9 (tie). Chayce Burton (RB)
- National rank: #1,252 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #75
- College: not committed
- Offers: Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Louisville, Minnesota
- High school: Louisville Male (Louisville, KY)
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12 / 20#9 (tie). David Pellman (IOL)
- National rank: #1,252 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #100
- College: Eastern Kentucky
- Offers: Eastern Kentucky, East Carolina, Florida, Kent State, Kentucky
- High school: Dupont Manual (Louisville, KY)
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13 / 20#8. Cam O'Hara (QB)
- National rank: #1,229 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #65
- College: Western Kentucky
- Offers: Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Akron, Austin Peay
- High school: Cooper (Union, KY)
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14 / 20#7. Bryten Close (OT)
- National rank: #1,121 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #93
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Ohio, Colgate, East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky
- High school: Taylor County (Campbellsville, KY)
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16 / 20#5. Jacob Savage (LB)
- National rank: #848 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #65
- College: Indiana
- Offers: Indiana, Akron, Charlotte, Dartmouth, Eastern Kentucky
- High school: Ryle (Union, KY)
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17 / 20#4. Karsten Busch (LB)
- National rank: #445 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #30
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Bucknell, Cincinnati, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Tech
- High school: St. Xavier (Louisville, KY)
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18 / 20#3. Evan Hampton (RB)
- National rank: #415 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #26
- College: Vanderbilt
- Offers: Vanderbilt, Louisville, Arkansas, Boston College, Buffalo
- High school: Owensboro (Owensboro, KY)
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19 / 20#2. Josiah Hope (DL)
- National rank: #391 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #45
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Purdue, Arkansas, Auburn, Eastern Kentucky
- High school: North Hardin (Radcliff, KY)
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20 / 20#1. Jarvis Strickland (OT)
