Twenty-five players gone. Fewer than 10 starters back. And the best player in program history now suits up for the defending national champions.

That's the reality facing Ryle head coach Mike Engler as the Raiders prepare for a 2026 season that opens against Covington Catholic.

"A lot of really good players are gone, but I really like our team," Engler told LINK nky on Wednesday, July 29. "We were in nine playoff games the last two years, which is like playing a whole extra regular season. Because we put 13 running clocks on opponents the last two seasons, a lot of underclassmen got a lot of varsity experience."

The Class 6A Raiders finished 10-4 last season, reaching the state semifinals before falling to South Warren 36-20. The year before that, they played for the state championship. But the graduation toll is steep: 10 area all-stars departed, including two-way standout Jacob Savage, who is now at Indiana University.

Savage left Union as Ryle's all-time leading rusher (2,835 yards, 54 touchdowns) and all-time leading tackler (511 career tackles). He won the Paul Hornung Award as Kentucky's top high school football player and was named MaxPreps Player of the Year. Indiana won the College Football Playoff national championship in January, defeating Miami (Fla.) 27-21.

New QB, new era

Sophomore Brody Smith takes over at quarterback, replacing Nate Verax, who moved on to Georgetown College. The last time a Verax brother wasn't starting at QB for Ryle was 2020.

Smith stands 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. His older brother Dillon, a 2025 Ryle graduate who played on the state championship game team, is now a defensive lineman at the University of Louisville. In limited varsity action last season, Brody completed all three of his pass attempts for 23 yards and a touchdown.

Engler said Smith has a strong arm and a nice touch, adding that the sophomore "has a chance to be one of the best ever at Ryle, but a lot has to happen."

Offensive line anchors the rebuild

The Raiders lost their top four pass catchers to graduation or transfer, leaving a receiving corps that combined for just 22 receptions and 386 yards last season. Senior Evan Kincaid (seven catches, 148 yards, 21.1-yard average) leads the group alongside seniors Cruze Sauley and Andrew Smith.

But Engler pointed to the offensive line as the team's foundation. Junior left tackle Max Parsons holds six Division I scholarship offers. Right guard Max Neumann is a three-year starter, and left guard Eliott Lageman has starting experience. Center and right tackle remain unsettled.

Defense reloads around ball-hawks

Ryle's 4-2-5 defense ranked second in Kentucky with 22 interceptions last season. Kincaid, who led the team with seven picks, returns at safety. Senior cornerback Xavier Collins locks down the other side. Linebackers Andrew Smith and Grant Foley, who combined for five interceptions and can also drop into coverage, add versatility to the back end.

Senior defensive end Jesse Nunn is the leading returning pass rusher. Joel Mazala, a transfer from Boone County High School, joins as a hybrid receiver to help offset the departure of Shouncey Wynn to Cincinnati Princeton.

What's ahead

Engler, named the Cincinnati Enquirer's Northern Kentucky/Indiana big school coach of the year after the 2025 season, said his 20 new seniors need to assert themselves from the jump. Ryle plays its home games at Borland Stadium in Union. The Raiders open against Covington Catholic, with a game date still to come.