2022 3A Regular Season All-State Team: Offense
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The 2022 high school football season was an exciting one. There have been a lot of players that have stood out and jumped onto our radar this season in the state of Kentucky. Now that the playoffs are underway, I…
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Continue ReadingThe 2022 high school football season was an exciting one. There have been a lot of players that have stood out and jumped onto our radar this season in the state of Kentucky. Now that the playoffs are underway, I wanted to take a look back at some of the top players from the regular season in each class. With that in mind, I have decided to put together my All-State teams for each individual class. After covering 1A and 2A, I will now turn my attention to the top players in 3A. With that being said, here is my 3A Regular Season All-State Team on the offensive side of the ball.
Cole Hodge Cole Hodge 6’2″ | QB Christian Academy Of Louisville | 2024 State KY is our top ranked quarterback in the state of Kentucky for the class of 2024 and he has continued to live up to the hype this season. Hodge has had another outstanding year, completing 106/143 passes for 2,041 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only three interceptions in the regular season. He has a very impressive arm, leading his receivers down the field in the deep passing game and putting enough zip on passes to fit them into tight windows in the short/intermediate passing game. Hodge also shows a great ability to make throws on the run and has impressive ball placement, putting passes where only his receivers can catch them. He has also shown the ability to tuck the ball and make big plays on the ground, finishing the regular season with 44 carries for 508 yards and seven touchdowns. Cole currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky and Central Michigan and I expect that list to grow as he is a true Division I caliber talent at quarterback.
Daniel Thomas Daniel Thomas 5’9″ | 180 lbs | ATH Bell County | 2024 State KY is a player that jumped onto my radar this season as he finished the regular season as the statewide leader in rushing. The junior running back finished the regular season with 168 carries for 1,881 yards and 25 touchdowns. Thomas is an explosive, downhill runner that does a great job of finding the running lane and hitting it in a hurry. He is a very strong runner that keeps his legs churning through contact and shows the contact balance to break tackles without breaking stride. Once he hits the open field, Thomas has shown that he has the breakaway speed to run away from the defense. He has also shown reliability as a pass catcher as he is the team’s leading receiver with 11 catches for 355 yards and five touchdowns. Thomas also plays a key role on defense at linebacker as Bell County’s leading tackler, but he looks the best with the ball in his hands. Daniel doesn’t currently hold any offers, but he is definitely a name to watch going into his final season as he has been receiving some college interest and has the talent to play at the next level.
Highlights
Keiran Stockton Keiran Stockton 6’2″ | 230 lbs | RB Glasgow | 2023 State KY is a running back that I’ve been high on all season. He has had a very impressive senior year, finishing the regular season with 143 carries for 1,265 yards and 23 touchdowns. Stockton is a strong downhill runner with the ability to run straight through tackles without breaking stride. He also has the speed to break away from the defense once he hits the open field while also showing the occasional moves to make defenders miss. Stockton also caught six passes out of the backfield in the regular season for 91 yards and a touchdown. Keiran currently holds offers from Georgetown College, Kentucky Wesleyan, Presbyterian College, and Lindsey Wilson, and I can see him turning into a very productive running back at the next level.
Highlights
Maddux McKinney Maddux McKinney 6’3″ | 185 lbs | WR McCreary Central | 2023 State KY was another senior that jumped onto my radar this season. The McCreary Central receiver finished the regular season as the leading receiver in 3A, catching 50 passes for 1,005 yards and ten touchdowns. He is an athletic outside wide receiver that uses his elusiveness and speed in the open field to turn short passes and screens into big plays. McKinney is also a good route runner, showing the ability to create separation with the smooth breaks in his routes. He also played quarterback at times this year, completing 10/12 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. McKinney found a role on defense as well, finishing with 13 total tackles and an interception but he shined the brightest at receiver. Maddux holds an offer from Cumberlands (KY) but I believe that more should come his way as he has the talent to be a very reliable pass catcher in college.
Justin Ruffin Jr Justin Ruffin Jr 5’9″ | 160 lbs | ATH Christian Academy of Louisville | 2024 State KY is a player that I’ve had high on my radar since the off-season. He is the go-to target for the CAL offense, finishing the regular season with 31 receptions for 662 yards and ten touchdowns. Ruffin is a very explosive receiver on the outside with the speed to run right by defensive backs in the deep passing game. He also has shown the ability to use his speed and elusiveness in the open field to turn short passes into big gains. Ruffin is also a very dangerous returner on special teams, returning two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns this year. Justin currently holds offers from Louisville, South Florida, and James Madison, and I expect that list to grow going into his final season as he is a true Division I caliber talent.
Another junior wide receiver that I’ve had high on my radar for a while now is Jhaden Vaughn Jhaden Vaughn 6’5″ | 180 lbs | WR Trigg County | 2024 State KY from Trigg County. Vaughn continued to impress this year, finishing the regular season with 35 catches for 789 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a smooth route runner with the ability to create separation with the breaks in his routes. Vaughn also has the speed to pose as a very dangerous deep threat. When the ball is thrown his way, Vaughn has shown the ability to go up and catch the ball at its highest point even when contested. Jhaden currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky, but I expect more to come for him going into his final season as he is a special talent at wide receiver.
Steven Banks Steven Banks 6’3″ | 215 lbs | TE Belfry | 2023 KY was by far the most impressive tight end in 3A this season. He played a key role in the Belfry offense, catching three passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns in a run-heavy offense. In the passing game, Banks has the speed to run down the seam and pose as a dangerous target down the middle of the field. He also has shown the ability to run routes like a receiver and create separation from defenders. Banks is also a key component in the run game for Belfry as he creates a ton of movement off the line of scrimmage and has shown the ability to get down the field and pick up blocks in open space. Steven currently holds offers from Pikeville, UVA-Wise, Thomas More, Kentucky Christian, and Cumberlands (KY), and I see him thriving at the next level as he is a complete tight end.
Hayes Johnson Hayes Johnson 6’5″ | 295 lbs | OL Taylor County | 2024 State KY is our top ranked offensive lineman in the state of Kentucky in the class of 2024 and he continued to impress this season. He is the anchor in their run game from the right tackler spot. Johnson is a physical mauler that explodes out of his stance and does a great job of running his feet through contact to drive his man down the field. He also does a great job of getting to the second level and destroying anything in his path in the open field. Hayes currently holds offers from Louisville, Tennessee, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Purdue, Michigan State, Baylor, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect that list to continue to grow as he is a true Power 5 caliber talent.
Another junior offensive lineman that I’ve had high on my radar since this off-season is Tomago Daniels Jr Tomago Daniels Jr 6’5″ | 290 lbs | OL Paducah Tilghman | 2024 State KY from Paducah Tilghman. Daniels plays right tackle and plays with a ton of physicality. He creates movement off the line of scrimmage in the run game and does a great job of picking up blocks in the open field. Daniels has also shown the ability to get out into the flat as a blocker on screen passes. In pass protection, Daniels has solid footwork and does a good job of picking up stunts and blitzes. Tomago currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky and Southeast Missouri State, and I can see him picking up more going into his senior year as he is a very skilled offensive lineman.
Highlights
Lining up on the opposite tackle from Daniels on the Paducah Tilghman offensive line is Melvin Puckett Melvin Puckett 6’3″ | 295 lbs | OL Paducah Tilghman | 2024 FL . Pucketts is a big, athletic left tackle that does a great job in pass protection. He has good footwork and shows the ability to mirror pass rushers off the edge and protect his inside gap. In the run game, Puckett does a solid job of creating movement off the line of scrimmage. He plays with an impressive amount of physicality, finishing his blocks through the whistle. Puckett currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year.
The lone freshman on my 3A All-State offense is offensive tackle Bo Wolford Bo Wolford 6’3″ | 280 lbs | OL Belfry | 2026 State KY from Belfry. Wolford is a physical mauler at the right tackler spot, exploding out of his stance and driving his man several yards down the field. He truly finishes his blocks through the whistle, resulting in several pancake blocks. Wolford also does a great job of getting to the second level and picking up blocks in open space. Bo will be a name to watch over the next few years as I truly believe he could turn into a very high caliber offensive line prospect.
Highlights
Wrapping up the offensive line, I have Nelson County senior, Carson Mattingly Carson Mattingly 5’11” | 255 lbs | OL Nelson County | 2023 State KY . I’ve been very impressed with Mattingly’s game since this past off-season, and he continued to impress during his senior year. Mattingly plays right guard and does a very good job when asked to pull. When pulling, he destroys anything in his path as a lead blocker, allowing the ball carrier to spring into the open field. He also does a great job of running his feet through contact to create movement off the line of scrimmage in the run game. In pass protection, Mattingly shows solid footwork and does a good job of protecting his inside gap. While Carson doesn’t currently hold any offers, he has been receiving some college interest and I expect an offer to come for him as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Highlights
To finish off my 3A Regular Season All-State offense, I had to add an “Athlete” slot as Kris Hughes Kris Hughes 6’0″ | ATH Union County | 2023 State KY has done it all for Union County this season. Hughes finished his final regular season leading his team in both rushing and receiving. As a ball carrier, he finished the regular season with 73 carries for 844 yards and 12 touchdowns. He shows a great burst out of his stance, exploding through the running lane in a hurry. Once he hits the open field, he has shown the ability to make defenders miss and break tackles. Hughes has also shown the speed to get to the outside and run away from the defense. As a receiver, Kris finished the regular season with 36 catches for 733 yards and nine touchdowns. In the deep passing game, Hughes is able to use his speed to run right by defensive backs. He also shows solid route running skills and the ability to make catches in traffic. After the catch, Hughes uses his elusiveness and speed to turn short passes into big gains. He has also shown that he is a dangerous threat as a returner on special teams, returning one kickoff and one punt for a touchdown this year. Surprisingly, Kris doesn’t currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and I believe he truly deserves some offers as he has the talent to be a big time difference maker at the next level.
Honorable Mention:
Quarterback: Jacob Wease (Trigg County, 2023); Ethan Willoughby (Casey County, 2023)
Running Back: Kelsey Parham (Trigg County, 2023); Trey Durbin Trey Durbin 6'1" | 205 lbs | ATH Elizabethtown | 2024 State KY (Elizabethtown, 2024); TJ Greenwell TJ Greenwell RB Bardstown | 2023 State KY (Bardstown, 2023); Austin Trent (Fleming County, 2024)
Wide Receiver: Carson Patrick Carson Patrick 6'4" | 195 lbs | WR Russell | 2023 State KY (Russell, 2023); Landon Johnson (Fleming County, 2024); Brandon Houston Brandon Houston 6'2" | 180 lbs | WR Ashland Blazer | 2024 State KY (Ashland Blazer, 2024)
Offensive Lineman: Brayden Spears Brayden Spears 6'2" | 245 lbs | DL Belfry | 2023 State KY (Belfry, 2023); Max Dotson (Belfry, 2025)