“Hayes is an unique young man-excelling as a high achiever on and off the field. I’ve watched him knock opponents down with ferocity and extend a humble/helpful hand after the play. He possesses a unique maturity to compete, dominate, and lead with a smile.”
Buddy Curry, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Falcons linebacker (80-87).
We have long believed Hayes Preston from LCA to be among the very best the ’25 class has to offer any college program Kentucky-wide. We love his frame (6’2, 220), we love his length (77-inch wingspan), we love his intelligence (4.0 GPA).
This doesn’t even account for his incredible versatility (3-sport athlete, can play DT/OT/MLB/TE).
Preston is a future big-time prospect who has the frame and ability to factor into even a FBS, Power 5 type program. The proof is in the pudding so to speak.
Last year, Hayes Preston got 14-games of run on the varsity roster as only a freshman. Now there are freshman who play plenty on Class 2A rosters, but LCA is hardly “just” a Class 2A roster.
LCA put 10-players from off last year’s lineup into the college game. These former LCA ballers have matriculated from Division 1, FBS Power-5 programs to even NAIA and NCAA D3. LCA alumnae go to service academies, the ACC, the SEC, the Ivy League, the “Near Ivies” or Ivy-Index, pretty much anywhere they wish to play.
Preston will be quick to join his former brethren headed to the next level. He, too, will fit into a variety of levels and get to play wherever he should choose.
As a freshman a year ago, primarily playing upfront along the offensive tenches, Preston still got enough defensive run to log 9-tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and a QB-sack. There are plenty of freshman who would be pleased with that production playing on rosters not even close to as laden with talent as LCAs.
Where Preston figures to play going forward will have everything to do with how his frame finishes. His 77-inch wingspan tells us he isn’t done growing taller and will likely end up in the 6-4 plus range.
At that height Preston can play either inside or outside along the offensive front. What makes him even more coveted is his having the athleticism to make him potentially one of Kentucky’s more pursued up-front candidates in the ’25 graduating class.
Of course, there is TE. At the height we expect him to reach, we have no problem seeing him using his hands, speed, and length to put 2nd level defenders on his back and catching the football with his length and frame shielding defenders away from the ball.
If he stays at 6-2, he can easily broaden into a lengthy DT or even a long and tall MLB. There is just so much this prospect’s skill set and frame bring into focus.
Now Hayes has been playing TE this spring with P2P. P2P stands for “Perform to Perfection” and they run an elite sports academy whose goal is to build stronger, faster, and smarter student athletes, on and off the field.
Hayes is working with the 15U unit. The men at P2P are developing quite a prospect in Preston.
P2P tells KPGFootball it believes Preston fits in well, next level, as a TE. This is particularly true for programs which like to work the middle of the field to exploit what amounts to an offensive mismatch in the mid-range, over the middle passing game.
Regardless of where Preston gets deployed, this prospect is coming into his own. We are confident his sophomore season will see an explosion of production and will launch him into the commonwealth-wide spotlight.
This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for KPGFootball, and we’re JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!
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