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See the C-J's list here. I find it odd that Elijah Bell isn't on it.
The list below is comprised of the 2014, 2015, and 2016 recruiting classes. Only the 2014 class has been rated and ranked by Rivals. According to Rivals, there are six players rated above 2 stars. Rivals only ranked five players in their state rankings as shown below. Of those, Matt Elam is the only one who hasn't committed.
2014:
#1 Drew Barker QB - (Hebron) Connor HS - Rivals (5.9) 4 star - Kentucky
#2 Matt Elam DL - (Elizabethtown) John Hardin HS - Rivals (5.8) 4 star - Uncommitted
#3 Reggie Bonnafon QB - (Louisville) Trinity - (5.6) 3 star - Louisville
#4 Llyod Tubman DE - (Louisville) Seneca - (5.5) 3 star - Vanderbilt
#5 Adrian Middleton DT - (Bowling Green ) South Warren - (5.5) 3 star - Kentucky
Unranked, but rated:
Sean Nuernberger K - (Buckner) Oldham County - (5.5) 3 star - Ohio State
DeAndre Farris WR - (Shelbyville) Collins - (5.4) 2 star - Western Kentucky
Robert Jones QB - (Louisville) Valley - (5.4) 2 star - Uncommitted
Marcelis Logan RB - Lexington Catholic - (5.4) 2 star - Uncommitted
Chris Porter-Bunton WR - (Bowling Green) Warren Central - (5.4) 2 star - Uncommitted
Lenny Broyles DT - (Louisville) St. Xavier - (5.3) 2 star - Uncommitted
Ryan Duvall DE - (Owensboro) Apollo - (5.3) 2 star - Western Kentucky
Joel Iyiegbuniwe LB - (Bowling Green) South Warren - (5.3) 2 star - Uncommitted
John Kurtz OL - (Louisville) St. Xavier - (5.3) 2 star - Uncommitted
Derik Overstreet DE - (Paducah) Tilghman - (5.3) 2 star - Western Kentucky
Nick True TE - (Ft. Thomas) Highlands - (5.3) 2 star - Western Kentucky
Masai Whyte LB - (Shelbyville) Collins - (5.3) 2 star - Western Kentucky
Seth Hope DE - (Ft. Thomas) Highlands - (5.2) 2 star - Cornell
Treyveon Percell RB - (Louisville) St. Xavier - (5.2) 2 star - Uncommitted
Evan Sayner DE - (Paducah) McCracken County - (5.2) 2 star - Western Kentucky
Kendall Sowards OL - (Union) Ryle - (5.2) 2 star - Indiana State
Not Rated/Not Ranked:
Joe Brown APB - (Louisville) Butler - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Sam Burchell LB - Covington Catholic - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Will Bush WR - (Louisville) Ballard - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Scott Daniel WR - (Georgetown) Scott County - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Austin Dais RB/ATH - (Louisville) St. Xavier - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Nacarius Fant WR - Bowling Green - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Marianno Fletcher DT - (Louisville) Seneca - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Phillip Francis LB - (Louisville) Central - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Devin Hayes QB - Bowling Green - (NR)NR - Uncommitted
Dekota Jones RB - (Louisville) St. Xavier - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Derquoine Mobley LB - (Louisville) Central - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
B.J. Nagle QB - (Louisville) St. Xavier - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Cole Ousley QB - (Paducah) Lone Oak - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Lincoln Quick LB - Bowling Green - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Darrius Spivey-Nunn DB - (Paducah) Tilghman - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Donald Styles LB - (Louisville) Central - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Cody Swabek WR - (Louisville) Trinity - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
R.J. Taylor DB - (Lexington) Tates Creek - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Charles Walker WR - (Louisville) St. Xavier - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
2015:
Damien Harris RB - (Berea) Madison Southern - (NR) NR - Michigan
Cody McPeek OL - (Ashland) Fairview - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Reece Ryan QB - Lexington Catholic - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Elijah Sindelar QB - (Princeton) Caldwell County - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Emmitt Smith LB - (Bowling Green) Warren Central - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
2016:
Zyaire Hughes ATH - (Paducah) McCracken County - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Keion Wakefield WR - (Louisville) Male - (NR) NR - Uncommitted
Landon Young (OL) - (Lexington) Lafayette - (NR) NR - Kentucky
I decided to take a look at the Maxpreps Kentucky preseason all-state team and it matches up with the Courier-Journal pretty well. You can see that here.
There should be a couple of things that jump out for you. First, Louisville has the preponderance of talent. That’s followed by Elizabethtown west to Paducah. Northern Kentucky follows and then there are little pockets of talent south and east of Lexington.
What’s going on with Lexington, Danville, Harrodsburg, Corbin, Mt. Sterling, Somerset, London, Middlesboro, Hazard and Harlan? These towns all used to produce some talent. I would like to know what happened to Corbin especially. There is a book that was recently published called the Boys from Corbin which chronicles the extraordinary amount of athletic talent, especially football talent, that this small town has produced.
Sports Hall of Fames are dotted with Corbin stars, according to the book:
Frank Selvy
Rodger Bird
Calvin Bird
Billy Bird
Jerry Bird
Steve Bird
Roy Kidd
Nick Denes
David Selvy
Fred Radar
Mel Chandler
Princess McBurney
Jesse Grant
Marvin Selvy
Bobby Terrell
Curly Selvy
Edd Selvy
Ted Meadors
Jerry Smith
Bob Barton
Tommy Adkins
Bob Coleman
Marion Cluggish
Curt Selvy
There are others who were prep All-Americans, college All-Americans, NBA and NFL all-stars. The Boys from Corbin—America's Greatest Little Sports Town is not just a story . . . it's a phenomenon.
The best of all of them was Calvin Bird, according to Corbin historian, Bill Crook, in this Kingsport (TN) Times story. One of Kentucky's greats passed away on June 19th. You can read about one of my UK heroes from my youth here. It is well worth reading.
R.I.P. # 21, R.I.P.
Is high school football dying a slow death in Kentucky? What do you think?