Peyton Ledford will play in a Kentucky regional championship game Friday with his future already decided.
Ledford, who has played inside linebacker, defensive end, tight end and fullback for Franklin County, committed to Army as a defensive line recruit earlier this month. He is the third Kentucky commit of Army’s 2023 class.
“The reason I committed to Army was the opportunity it provides to me after football,” Ledford said. “At some point, football will come to an end. What better way to have a West Point degree afterwards.”
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior visited West Point twice – in April during spring practice and the Georgia State game last month – before making his decision. Ledford forged strong relationships with Army defensive line coach Sean Cronin and his recruiting coach Blake Powers.
“What impressed me on the visits to West Point was how historic and unique the campus was,” Ledford said. “The football facilities were amazing, as good as any Power Five school. The whole entire Army staff was impressive. Coach Powers and coach Cronin have built a very unique connection with me and it made me feel at home.”
Ledford, whose grandfather served in the Army, received interest from Navy, Marshall and Miami (Ohio). He said he picked Army over Navy because, “Army just made me feel like at home and had a better culture.”
A two-way player, Ledford had 10 tackles and scored a touchdown as a fullback in Franklin County’s state Class 4A second-round win over Spencer County. He has 82 tackles, 16.5 for a loss and four sacks this season.
2023 commits (54)
LB-S Ali Abdul-Hakeem, 6-foot, 205, Riverdale (Ga.) HS: First offer – Army
RB Chad Alexander, 5-10, 170, Archer HS, Lawrenceville, Ga.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Rice, Western Kentucky
DB Phineas Allen, 5-10, 180, Rockledge (Fla.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan, UMass
QB Kendell Anderson, 6-3, 181, Montgomery Blair HS, Silver Spring, Md.: Other offers – Navy. Threw for 2,277 yards and 21 touchdowns as junior. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
WR-CB Malcolm Anderson, 5-10, 185, Andress HS, El Paso, Texas: Other offers – Navy, Texas State, New Mexico State
RB Myles Arterberry, 5-9, 185, Klein (Texas) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Texas State. Army visit – April 16. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
T Jacob Benjamin, 6-5, 265, Cherokee Bluff HS, Flowery Branch, Ga.: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force
CB Isaiah Birl, 6-1, 185, Walnut Hills HS, Cincinnati, Ohio: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Toledo
TE-DE Brayden Bockler, 6-4, 240, San Juan Hills HS, Ladera Ranch, Calif.: Other offers – San Jose State
RB Ty Brown-Stauffer, 5-10, 200, Danville (Pa.): Army visit – June 23
DE Nick Buchys, 6-3, 240, Neshaminy HS, Langhorne, Pa.: First offer – Army. Army visit – April 14
WR-DB Jackson Burnett, 5-11, 180, Bishop Kenny HS, Jacksonville, Fla.: First offer – Navy. Army visit – April 12
TE Aidan Casuccio, 6-4, 225, The Hun School, Princeton, N.J.
LB Ray Coney, 6-3, 210, Fairfield (Ohio) HS, Ohio: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Bowling Green
RB Travion Dickens, 5-10, 180, Prescott (Ark.) HS: First offer – Army. Defensive MVP at Army All-Academic camp in June.
DE Sean Donovan, 6-2, 230, Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Conn.: First offer – Army
TE Brian Dyer, 6-5, 210, Plano (Texas) East HS: Other offers – Arkansas State
OL Cole Evans, 6-2, 300, Archbishop Wood HS, Warminster, Pa.: Other offers – Temple. Army visit – April 22.
RB Brennan Fisher, 5-11, 190, Pennridge HS, Perkasie, Pa.: Army visit – April 9. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
DL Eric Gardner, 6-2, 240, Archbishop Wood HS, Warminster, Pa.: Other offers – Penn State, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Boston College, West Virginia, Maryland, Syracuse, Temple, Liberty, Bowling Green, Charlotte, UMass. Army visit – April 22.
DL Matt Gemma, 6-3, 280, Delbarton School, Morristown, N.J.: Other offers – Navy, Temple, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Kent State, Rice. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
DL Caleb Graham, 6-2, 255, Maryville (Tenn.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers –Navy.
DB Justin Green, 6-1, 175, Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, Ohio: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force, Bowling Green. Army visit – April 15.
CB LJ Hall, 5-10, 170, Ware County HS, Waycross, Ga.
CB Jaxon Hammond, 5-11, 160, Christian Brothers HS, Memphis, Tenn.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Memphis, Marshall, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Arkansas State, UConn. Army visit – April 14
OL Andrew Hardwick, 6-3, 260, Boyle County HS, Danville, Ky.: Other offers – Navy. Army visit – April 2
QB Justin Johnson, 6-foot, 185, Archer HS, Lawrenceville, Ga.: Army visit – July 29
DB Matt Joines, 6-2, 170, East Forsyth, Kernersville, N.C.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force
DE Aiden Jones, 6-3, 225, Covington Catholic HS, Park Hills, Ky.: Army visit – March 26
FB Greigh Joseph, 6-1, 200, Starr’s Mill HS, Fayetteville, Ga.: First offer – Army
DL Patrick Kendall, 6-5, 270, Cathedral HS, Indianapolis, Ind.: Other offers – Navy. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
WR Job Kralik, 6-foot, 165, Eatonville (Wash.) HS
DE Peyton Ledford, 6-3, 240, Franklin County HS, Frankfort (Ky.): First offer – Army. Army visit – April 16, Oct. 1 (Georgia State game)
S Jake Lindsey, 5-11, 190, Camden County HS, Kingsland, Ga.: First offer – Army. Second offer – Air Force. Third offer – Navy
OL Christopher Luna, 6-3, 275, Tampa (Fla.) Catholic HS: First offer – Army. Army visit – April 22
DB Logan Mackey, 6-foot, 198, C.E. King HS, Houston, Texas
LB Javeon Miller, 6-1, 215, Creekside HS, Fairburn, Ga.: Other offers – Marshall, Toledo, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Middle Tennessee State
LB Ben Morrow, 6-2, 225, Satellite HS, Satellite Beach, Fla.: Army visit – April 9
LB-S Kharles Ngansi, 6-3, 200, Oakland Mills HS, Columbia, Md.: Other offers – Akron. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova) (COMMITTED, July 1)
LB Sam Oppenheimer, 6-1, 215, Johns Creek (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Air Force, Eastern Michigan
QB Hayden Oviatt, 6-1, 200, Wamego (Kansas) HS: Other offers – Kansas, Colorado State, New Mexico State
FB Jordan Owens, East Coast Prep, Great Barrington, Mass.: Scored 10 touchdowns in two and half games his senior season at Maine-Endwell (N.Y.) before season-ending injury.
S Anton Pierce, 6-3, 202, Mills University HS, Little Rock, Ark.: Army visit – April 16
DE-LB Zane Poulter, 6-3, 215, Chico Hills (Calif.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force
LS Drew Prieto, 6-foot, 210, Marist School, Atlanta, Ga.: Army visit – April 22
RB-LB Kyon Simonson, 6-1, 200, Hillside (N.J.) HS: Other offers – UMass. Army visit – April 9
QB Will Smiley, 6-foot, 167, Bay HS, Panama City, Fla.
RB Carson Smith, 6-1, 220, Middletown (Md.) HS
OL Broden Sobolewski, 6-2, 260, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: Army visit – April 22.
TE Nollenn Tabaska, 6-7, 230, Brookfield (Wisc.) East HS: Other offers – Central Michigan
CB Ish Taylor, 5-10, 175, Frisco (Texas) HS
LB Khaled Waliagha, 5-11, 205, Franklinton (La.) HS: 2021 stats – 123 tackles
QB Ethan Washington, 6-3, 190, North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee, Ga.: Other offers – Air Force, Georgia State, Miami (Ohio), Charlotte, UMass. Threw for 1,573 yards and 12 TDs, rushed for four TDs as junior. Has missed senior year with knee injury.
RB Bill Young, 5-10, 180, St. Andrew’s School, Boca Raton, Fla.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Central Michigan, UMass. Army visit – April 22
