2023 Class of the Commonwealth: Kentucky’s top high school football seniors

Jared Peck
·10 min read

The Lexington Herald-Leader is proud to present its 32nd 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

TAYVION BOYKINS, PIKEVILLE, 5-11, 155-pound wide receiver/defensive back. Boykins has been integral to the last two of the Panthers’ three straight Class A state championship runs with 605 yards and four TDs rushing and 304 yards and two TDs receiving to go with a punt return TD and 22 tackles in 2023. As a junior, he rushed for 475 yards and seven TDs and had 475 yards and seven TDs receiving.

Owensboro Catholic’s “Tutt” Carrico celebrates scoring against Mayfield during the Class 2A state finals.
Owensboro Catholic’s “Tutt” Carrico celebrates scoring against Mayfield during the Class 2A state finals.

WILLIAM “TUTT” CARRICO, OWENSBORO CATHOLIC, 6-0, 195-pound wide receiver. Carrico set the single-season touchdown catch state record with 30 in 2023 in helping the Aces reach the Class 2A finals. He had 335 yards receiving and three TDs in the finals loss to Mayfield. His 1,922 receiving yards rank second on the all-time single season list. He’s committed to Hillsdale College (Michigan).

ZANE CARTWRIGHT, MAYFIELD, 5-11, 180-pound quarterback. Cartwright was among nine finalists for the KFCA’s Mr. Football award after a senior season in which he threw for 2,628 yards and 34 TDs, including 322 yards and two TDs in the Cardinals’ 53-48 win over Owensboro Catholic in the Class 2A state championship game. He totaled 7,884 yards, 93 TDs passing; 136 yards, 2 TDs rushing for his career.

Boyle County’s Sage Dawson runs the ball against Covington Catholic during the Class 4A state finals.
Boyle County’s Sage Dawson runs the ball against Covington Catholic during the Class 4A state finals.

SAGE DAWSON, BOYLE COUNTY, 6-0, 160-pound quarterback. Dawson has been key to three of the Rebels’ four straight Class 4A state titles and has been Boyle’s signal-caller for the last two. Named Class 4A player of the year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association, he threw for 2,509 yards and 29 TDs and rushed for 385 yards and four scores. He’s committed to Air Force.

JORDAN GREEN, BOWLING GREEN, 5-10, 210-pound defensive lineman. Green has been the sacks leader for each of the last two seasons for the Purples and notched 7 1/2 sacks in 2023, including 1 1/2 sacks in the Class 5A state championship game win over Cooper. He had 68 tackles, 16 1/2 for a loss and forced two fumbles his senior year.

Bryan Station wide receiver JT Haskins Jr. was off to the races for a 65-yard touchdown in a 24-21 win against Ballard in the Class 6A state semifinals.
Bryan Station wide receiver JT Haskins Jr. was off to the races for a 65-yard touchdown in a 24-21 win against Ballard in the Class 6A state semifinals.

J.T. HASKINS JR., BRYAN STATION, 6-1, 175-pound wide receiver/defensive back. Haskins helped lead the Defenders to the Class 6A state finals as a two-way standout with a team-high 878 yards and 10 TDs receiving to go along with 50 tackles and seven interceptions as a DB. He recently committed to Ohio University.

Christian Academy-Louisville’s Cole Hodge (2) throws a second-half touchdown pass against Bell County during the Class 3A state finals.
Christian Academy-Louisville’s Cole Hodge (2) throws a second-half touchdown pass against Bell County during the Class 3A state finals.

COLE HODGE, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY-LOUISVILLE, 6-2, 193-pound quarterback. Hodge led the Centurions to back-to-back Class 3A state championships and was named KFCA Class 2A player of the year. The East Carolina signee threw for 4,104 yards and 57 TDs to go with 625 yards and 10 TDs rushing.

JACK LONAKER, COOPER, 6-0, 225-pound linebacker. Lonaker helped the Jaguars reach the Class 5A state championship game with a team-high 166 tackles, more than double that of anyone else on the team. He also had four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 2023. He had 10 tackles and an interception in the state finals.

WILLIE RODRIQUEZ, COVINGTON CATHOLIC, 6-4, 240-pound tight end/linebacker. Rodriguez, rated as a three-star recruit committed to Kentucky, had 488 yards and 12 TDs receiving along with 48 tackles and three sacks in helping the Colonels reach the Class 4A state championship game.

Trinity’s Brady McEnaney celebrates his interception late in the second half against Frederick Douglass in the Class 6A state finals.
Trinity’s Brady McEnaney celebrates his interception late in the second half against Frederick Douglass in the Class 6A state finals.

BRADY MCENANEY, TRINITY, 6-2, 210-pound linebacker. McEnaney led the Shamrocks with 10 sacks and 13 1/2 tackles for a loss among his 71 tackles in 2023 and was among the team leaders in all those categories as a junior. He had seven tackles and an interception against Frederick Douglass in the Class 6A semifinals and five tackles and a sack against Bryan Station in the Rocks’ 41-20 win over the Defenders in the state championship game.

Bell County’s Daniel Thomas (4) runs for a 36-yard touchdown against Christian Academy-Louisville during the Class 3A state finals.
Bell County’s Daniel Thomas (4) runs for a 36-yard touchdown against Christian Academy-Louisville during the Class 3A state finals.

DANIEL THOMAS, BELL COUNTY, 5-9, 175-pound running back/linebacker. Thomas won the KFCA’s Mr. Football award as the state’s most outstanding senior player after a season in which he broke Kentucky’s single-season records for rushing yards with a best-in-the-nation 3,817, rushing TDs with 54, and total points with 373. He did all that as a two-way player who had 94 tackles and a sack on defense. For his career, he rushed for 7,143 yards and 95 TDs. The career rushing mark ranks him eighth all-time.

NOAH WALLACE, RACELAND, 6-1, 190-pound running back/defensive back. Wallace rushed for 1,198 yards and 15 TDs and had 82 tackles, a sack and two interceptions for the state runner-up Rams in 2023. He was named KFCA Class A player of the year and was a Mr. Football finalist. For his career, he rushed for 3,523 yards and 44 TDs and had 298 tackles.

Highlands quarterback Brody Benke (8) drops back to pass against Lexington Catholic during a game on Aug. 18.
Highlands quarterback Brody Benke (8) drops back to pass against Lexington Catholic during a game on Aug. 18.

AT-LARGE HONOREES

BRODY BENKE, HIGHLANDS, 6-4, 230-pound quarterback/tight end. Benke served as the Bluebirds’ Swiss Army knife in 2023 by leading the team in passing with 1,849 yards and 26 TDs and serving as a top rushing and receiving threat with 1,176 yards and 23 TDs rushing and 208 yards and six TDs receiving. He recently committed to Middle Tennessee.

Boyle County’s Avery Bodner (10) runs the ball downfield past Bryan Station’s Jason Hocker (25) during a game in Danville.
Boyle County’s Avery Bodner (10) runs the ball downfield past Bryan Station’s Jason Hocker (25) during a game in Danville.

AVERY BODNER, BOYLE COUNTY, 6-0, 175-pound running back/defensive back. A Mr. Football finalist and part of all of the Rebels’ four straight Class 4A state titles, Bodner led Boyle with 87 tackles and seven sacks while also serving as its top running back with 1,274 yards and 22 TDs rushing. He also notched 378 yards and four TDs receiving. He topped 1,100 yards rushing each of the last three years.

Lexington Christian’s Cutter Boley (7) throws a pass against Boyle County during a game on Aug. 26.
Lexington Christian’s Cutter Boley (7) throws a pass against Boyle County during a game on Aug. 26.

CUTTER BOLEY, LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN, 6-5, 203-pound quarterback. Boley, a Kentucky signee rated as a four-star recruit by multiple scouting services, threw for 2,187 yards and 22 TDs and rushed for 374 yards and four scores as a senior. A Mr. Football finalist, the Louisville Quarterback Club selected Boley as its Paul Hornung Award winner. He had 8,241 yards and 82 yards passing in his career, nearly half of that during his breakout junior season at LCA.

SHAUN BOYKINS, NORTH HARDIN, 6-2, 185-pound wide receiver. Boykins, a three-star Louisville signee, ranked No. 1 in the state in receiving average with 143 yards per game. He totaled 1,291 yards and 16 TDs receiving amid a 1-10 season for the Trojans that was marred by forfeits as the result of a self-reported ineligible player. He also had three rushing TDs.

MAX GAINEY, MALE, 5-9, 150-pound wide receiver. Gainey, rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com, led the Bulldogs with 1,019 yards and 20 TDs receiving and added a pair of rushing TDs in helping Male reach the Class 6A semis and earn recognition as a KFCA Mr. Football finalist. Gainey also helped Male win the 7th Region basketball crown last season.

JOHNATHAN GRIFFIN, FRANKLIN COUNTY, 6-3, 210-pound defensive end. Griffin led the state with 23 sacks in helping the Flyers go unbeaten in the regular season and win a region title before falling to eventual Class 4A champion Boyle County in the state semis. He also had 37 tackles for a loss among his 86 total takedowns. He led the team in sacks (8 1/2) and tackles for a loss (22 1/2) as a junior as well.

BRADY HENSLEY, LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN, 6-0, 202-pound running back. Hensley had the best rushing season of an already outstanding career as a senior with 2,408 yards and 43 TDs for the Eagles, helping him earn recognition as a Mr. Football finalist. The Eastern Kentucky signee, who began his career at Madison Central, totaled 5,682 yards and 90 TDs rushing over three varsity seasons and had 454 yards and eight TDs receiving.

JEREMIAH LOWE, FREDERICK DOUGLASS, 5-11, 170-pound defensive back. Lowe, a three-star Michigan commit, has patrolled the Broncos defensive backfield for three seasons, notching 32 tackles, a sack and four interceptions as a sophomore to establish himself as one of the best corners in the state. He had 25 tackles and a pick this season for the Class 6A semifinalists.

ZURI MADISON, FREDERICK DOUGLASS, 6-5, 315-pound offensive lineman. Madison, a three-star recruit committed to Arkansas ahead of the season and, along with fellow lineman Demeco Kennedy, helped continue the Broncos’ tradition of producing big-time offensive line prospects. An integral part of Douglass’ Class 5A state championship a season ago, he helped the Broncos earn their fifth straight region title this year.

Corbin’s Jerod Smith (99) and Jacob Smith (0) pose for a photo after a game against Lexington Catholic on Sept. 1.
Corbin’s Jerod Smith (99) and Jacob Smith (0) pose for a photo after a game against Lexington Catholic on Sept. 1.

JACOB SMITH, CORBIN, 6-4 1/2, 230-pound linebacker. Jacob Smith, a four-star Kentucky commit like his twin brother Jerod, led the Redhounds with 103 tackles and notched four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions as a senior. As freshmen for Somerset in 2019, both Smiths played in the Class 2A state championship win over Mayfield.

JEROD SMITH, CORBIN, 6-3, 265-pound defensive lineman. After the Redhounds’ home opener against Frederick Douglass this season, both Smiths flipped their commitment from Michigan to Kentucky, a coup for the Wildcats. Also a four-star recruit, Jerod Smith led Corbin with nine sacks and had 90 tackles for the state’s No. 1 defense. Corbin allowed only 5.9 points per game.

Mayfield’s “Juju” Starks (24) runs the ball against Lexington Christian on Nov. 17.
Mayfield’s “Juju” Starks (24) runs the ball against Lexington Christian on Nov. 17.

JUTORIAUS “JUJU” STARKS, MAYFIELD, 5-10, 195-pound running back. Starks rushed for 196 yards and four TDs in earning Class 2A state championship game MVP honors against Owensboro Catholic. For the season, he rushed for 1,729 yards and 33 TDs to bring his career totals to 3,674 yards and 69 TDs. He signed with Murray State.

HONORABLE MENTION

Trenton Cutwright, Bryan Station, quarterback: Helped lead the Defenders to back-to-back region titles and the Class 6A finals in 2023.

Isaiah Hare, Bullitt East, offensive line: Part of 2022 Class 6A champions; signed with Eastern Illinois.

Terrion Hicks, Frederick Douglass, defensive back: Part of 2022 Class 5A champions; signed with Northwestern.

Kam Hughes, Somerset, running back: Topped 2,000 yards rushing and helped Briar Jumpers to a district and region title.

Hayes Johnson, Taylor County, offensive line: Three-star recruit and Kentucky signee.

Demeco Kennedy, Frederick Douglass, defensive line. A three-star recruit signed with Purdue.

Russ Osborne, Shelby Valley, quarterback: Passed for 9,923 yards and 96 TDs and rushed for 2,478 and 40 TDs as four-year starter.

Brach Rice, Dixie Heights, linebacker: Miami (Ohio) signee recorded 181 tackles in 2023, second most in the state.

Justin Ruffin, Christian Academy-Louisville, wide receiver: Had 1,379 receiving yards and 18 TDs for back-to-back Class 3A champions.

Abe Selm, Simon Kenton, offensive line: Three-star recruit committed to Kentucky.

Jackson Wasik, Lexington Catholic, quarterback: Threw for 2,785 yards and 31 TDs and helped lead Knights to first region title since 2015.

Tyleeq Williams, Bardstown, running back/defensive back: Topped 1,800 yards rushing each of the last two seasons.

Journey Wyche, Ballard, running back: Chattanooga signee rushed for 1,431 yards and 22 TDs to help Bruins earn a Class 6A region title.