2026 Lexington Christian Academy Football Preview: Can the Eagles Repeat as 2A Champions?

The defending Class 2A champions return a roster loaded with Division I talent, led by junior quarterback Nash Whelan and three senior FBS commits.

Lexington Christian appears loaded for a repeat run at the Kentucky Class 2A football state championship. | LCA football

Defending Class 2A state champion Lexington Christian Academy returns one of Kentucky's most talented high school football rosters in 2026, featuring three senior FBS commits, one of the state's top two-way quarterbacks and a culture that coach Oakley Watkins believes is the foundation of the Eagles' continued success.

Lexington Christian Academy (2A)
Head Coach: Oakley Watkins
2025: 12-3 state champions

The Lexington Christian Academy football outlook for 2026 is selflessness.

It’s the outlook, forecast and expected outcome.

“I think the thing that we try and preach from a program standpoint, and our kids really living it out on a daily basis, is just being selfless,” LCA coach Oakley Watkins told High School on Sports Illustrated.

Sure, championships and rosters loaded with college talent are cool. Eight players from the Eagles’ 2026 unit are suiting up on college teams this season. And this year, the LCA number of next-level guys is in the double digits. But character permeates the roster top to bottom.

“At the end of the day, doing what's best for the team in season is what our guys have really bought into,” Watkins said. “And I think that's going to be something this year that people are going to continue to see when they see our team play.”

Watkins doesn’t really talk to his players about state championships or rings as an end goal. He said that endgame might be verbalized in other programs, but for the LCA coach, the daily process and habits are what move him.

“One phrase we use is December habits. If you have the one goal of winning a state championship and it doesn't happen, then the year's looked at as a failure,” Watkins said. “That's not what I want football to be. I want it to be about building better young people to where we're able to grow together. And when they leave our program, these habits that they're building of keeping the locker room clean, being respectful to teachers and classmates and people in the community and doing service events.”

Players

The Eagles return three stellar seniors, all who will be playing DI ball in 2027.

Two of them catch the ball.

Tight end Conrad Hart should be a force on the gridiron for LCA. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Hart has committed to Kentucky and will enroll early. 

“He’s pretty special,” Watkins said. “He’s a guy that when he got to us, started out as a corner. So it's pretty cool to see his body grow into what it's grown into.”

Receiver Sam Pearson grabbed 25 passes for nearly 500 yards and scored seven times. He has committed to Ohio.

And running back Daven Hood, who gained close to 600 yards last year and scored 13 touchdowns, has committed to Marshall.

“When you have three FBS commits in a class, I think that's pretty special. And all of them, they make our offense go,” Watkins said.

Junior quarterback Nash Whelan might be the best player on the LCA roster. He tallied 2,526 passing yards in 2025 and threw 28 TDs against six picks, while rushing for more than 1,00 yards. On defense, Whelan logged 41 tackles, six tackles for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery.

“He's arguably our best player on defense, too,” the LCA coach said. “I think he's the best pure football player in the state of Kentucky. He's not the highest ranked or anything of the sort. But the fact that he plays every snap of offense for us and he comes over and plays every meaningful down on defense and impacts both, on a high level, I think says how special he is.”

Speaking of defense, the Eagles are led by senior linebacker Aiden Lyons and junior linebacker Thomas Sizemore. The duo led LCA in tackles last season with 89 and 74, respectively.

“Both those guys are two of our leaders on defense. So having them back as leading tacklers is pretty awesome.”

Junior Bode Darling, an all-state player as a sophomore, anchors the D-line.

“He's extremely special. Just all kinds of havoc is created when he's on the field.”

And junior corner Jeremiah Burbage, who has an offer from Middle Tennessee State, bolsters the secondary with his length.  

Key Games

@Boyle County-8/29

vs. Christian Academy-Louisville-9/4

vs. Franklin County-9/11

@ Lexington Catholic-9/18.