It’s we, not me” - some guy who's never read the watchlist

BGP’s weekly journal of individual excellence is all about “me”.

And that's okay.

This is a sport of individuals working together toward a common goal, one that's realized on the field in early December.

Inside the walls of the watchlist, we celebrate the individuals who make the team success possible.

This year's crop of contenders features the latest entry from a seemingly bottomless well in ‘Title Town', a highly decorated quarterback climbing to heights never before seen, and a multi-sport star with a legitimate shot at Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball.

The Frontrunners

Pic taken from Hayes Fawcett’s X account.

Seneca Driver (Boyle County)
Position: TE/LB
Measurables: 6’6”/240
Jr. Season: 49 receptions for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns | 3 rushing touchdowns | 67 tackles | 10 TFL | 3 sacks | 5 interceptions | 2 pick-sixes
🗞️ | Stretching from one end of the field to the other, he casts a long, broad shadow. Driver is easy to throw to as a receiver and hard to throw over or around as a defender. The Oklahoma commit has the look of a future pro and is the most physically imposing two-way force we've seen since Michael Mayer. He punctuated his junior season with three touchdowns and two sacks in the state finals as Boyle ran away with another title.

Photo credit to Sean Williams for 247Sports.

Ja’Hyde Brown (Christian Academy of Louisville)
Position: WR
Measurables: 5’10”/185
Jr. Season: 98 receptions for 1,566 yards and 24 touchdowns | 2 kick return touchdowns
🗞️ | Moves as if he's found a tear in the fabric of time and space. Peerless as a receiver a year ago, Brown won the pass catching triple crown as the statewide leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, all while playing what amounted to roughly two-thirds of the season as CAL had most opponents put away by halftime. He'll be staying home to play his college ball at UofL.

Photo credit to Matt Stone for the Courier Journal.

Zane Johnson (Trinity)
Position: QB
Measurables: 6’1”/215
Jr. Season: 176/258 (68%) for 2,925 yards with 52 touchdowns and 3 ints.
🗞️ | He's come a long way since his baby faced frosh debut. Johnson is now a gray beard in search of an unprecedented fourth consecutive state championship as a starting quarterback. No one has ever breathed that air, including Trinity’s goat, Brian Brohm. Johnson's touchdown passes last year are a single season school record and place him 20 behind Brohm for the career mark. Committed to Buffalo.

Photo credit to Katie Stratman for the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Tyler Fryman (Beechwood)
Position: WR/DB
Measurables: 6’1”/180
Jr. Season: 62 receptions for 1,320 yards and 23 touchdowns | 283 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns | 1 touchdown pass | 3 punt return touchdowns | 35 tackles | 2 interceptions
🗞️ | Another former freshman phenom, Fryman has expanded his legend from Fort Mitchell in all directions. He's arguably the state's premier multi-sport athlete, also excelling in baseball (he was once a UofL commit before committing to UK football) and track, where he won multiple state titles on the indoor circuit. Already Beechwood's all-time leader in career receptions, yards, and touchdowns with a full season still to go.

Photo credit to Alan Warren for the Messenger-Inquirer.

Dre'Mail Carothers (Owensboro Catholic)
Position: QB
Measurables: 6’4”/200
Jr. Season: 287/427 (67%) for 4,022 yards with 49 touchdowns and 8 interceptions
🗞️ | The latest in a long line of O-Cath gunslingers, and quite possibly the one with the highest ceiling of all. Carothers was the state's most prolific passer last year, leading the commonwealth in yards, completions, and attempts, all by comfortable margins. He dissected a great Beechwood defense for 372 yards in the semifinals before falling just short of delivering the Aces their first state championship. Committed to UofL.


Eight More In The Hunt

Timmy Emongo (Scott County)
Position: RB/CB
Measurables: 5’9”/180
Jr. Season: 110 carries for 1,052 yards and 18 touchdowns | 21 receptions for 660 yards and 10 touchdowns| 3 interceptions | 1 scoop and score
🗞️ | The perfect all-purpose back for the wing-t: low center of gravity, quick cuts, and great hands. Committed to Ball State.


Kade Goodin (Collins)
Position: QB
Measurables: 6’3”/200
Jr. Season: for 2,357 with 22 touchdowns and 3 interceptions | 770 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns
🗞️ | The state's premier dual-threat quarterback. Totaled over 3,000 yards of offense and 43 touchdowns despite missing three games. Committed to Ball State


Kasen Brock (Pulaski County)
Position: RB/S
Measurables: 6’0”/210
Jr. Season: 267 carries for 1,808 yards and 22 touchdowns | 28 receptions for 454 and 4 touchdowns | 1 kick return touchdown | 1 scoop and score | 29 tackles | 1 interception
🗞️ | Pulaski's workhorse racked up 2,262 yards from scrimmage on nearly 300 touches during their run to the state finals a year ago.


Dakari Talbert (Frederick Douglass)
Position: RB
Measurables: 5’9”/185
Jr. Season: 205 carries for 1,423 yards and 19 touchdowns | 153 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns
🗞️ | Carried the mail for a sub-par Broncos offense. Ended last year on a personal high note, rushing 33 times for 219 yards and four scores in defeat to Ryle. Offers from Marshall, Southern Miss, and Missouri State.


Emmett Queen (Beechwood)
Position: QB
Measurables: 6’3”/215
Jr. Season: 150/210 (71%) for 2,710 yards with 39 touchdowns and 2 interceptions | 6 rushing touchdowns
🗞️ | More than just a distributor for Fryman. A big arm that pushes the ball down the field as well as anyone. Committed to Wake Forest.


Garyon Hobbs (CAL)
Position: RB/WR/S/LB
Measurables: 6’0”/200
Jr. Season: 35 receptions for 583 yards and 7 touchdowns | 25 carries for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns | 71 tackles | 11 TFL | 3 sacks | 5 interceptions | 3 pick-sixes | 2 kick return touchdowns
🗞️ | CAL’s swiss army knife does a little of everything, excelling in all three phases of the game. Committed to defending national champion Indiana.


Tayden Lorenzen (Highlands)
Position: ATH
Measurables: 6’3”/235
Jr. Season: 123 carries for 541 yards and 18 touchdowns | 26 receptions for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns | 2 touchdown passes | 1 interception
🗞️ | An ultra-versatile competitor that can excel at a number of positions on either side of the ball. If the Birds are going to fly this year, Lorenzen will be the wind beneath their wings. Committed to Miami (OH).


Darrian Tomlin (Woodford County)
Position: RB/LB
Measurables: 6’2”/220
Jr. Season: 199 carries for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns | 238 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns | 19 tackles | 4.5 TFL
🗞️ | Wofo has multiple guys that could slide into the conversation, but Tomlin wins out for now with his two-way impact. The commitment to UofL further bolsters his profile.

Driver is pretty easily the best player I’ve seen since Mayer. I would be shocked if he is not playing on Sundays with how big and fast he is.

Fryman is also a special athlete with a chance to play on Sundays if he chooses football.

I'm pretty confident the winner will come from the group of front-runners. Playing late into November/December always gives players a boost, and that group should provide at least a few that make it to Kroger.

Fryman, Driver and Brown - top 3

Who from the "Eight more" group could move up as the season progresses?

I think Emongo, Goodin, and possibly Lorenzen could all make significant strides. Lorenzen, in particular, needs an uptick in production.

Seneca Driver is going to win Mr. Football based on his name alone, regardless of what kind of season he has. With that being said, he is by far the best player in this state.

I would like to see Barger from Lloyd get on this watch list. I know he is a different position this year but he is going to have so many more touches this year and he is scary good when he gets the ball. Not taken anything from the front runners but if you compare touches. He is in there somewhere. 47 catches for 1078 yards 15 TD's.

From Owensboro Catholic Football:

MR. FOOTBALL WATCH 👀🏈

Dre’Mail Carothers had himself a night against Boyle County.

25/41 | 395 YDS | 3 TD

1 RUSH | 11 YDS

A big-time performance against one of Kentucky’s top programs.

The work continues. ♠️