From Ryle to the NCAA: Eight Former Raiders Carry Union, Kentucky, Into College Football

Ryle High School has established itself as one of Northern Kentucky’s most consistent producers of college football talent, and the 2026 season provides another example of just how far the Raiders’ reach has grown.

As the new college football season gets underway, at least eight former Ryle players are listed on NCAA football rosters, representing programs from the highest level of the Football Bowl Subdivision all the way through Division III.

The group includes Jacob Savage at Indiana, Dillon Smith at Louisville, JR Hays at Western Michigan, Dylan Lee at Colgate, Drew Dickerson at Morehead State, Logan Verax at Thomas More, Max Karwath at Denison and Tyler Barth at Wilmington College. Their positions cover virtually every area of a football team: linebacker, defensive line, running back, wide receiver, offensive line, quarterback, tight end, fullback and special teams.

It is an impressive snapshot of a Ryle program that reached the Kentucky Class 6A state championship game in 2024 and returned to the state semifinals in 2025.

Jacob Savage — Indiana

Perhaps no player better represents the latest generation of Ryle football than Jacob Savage, now a freshman linebacker at Indiana.

The Hoosiers list Savage at 6-foot, 225 pounds and wearing No. 21 — the same number associated with his memorable Ryle career. He arrived in Bloomington as a consensus three-star recruit and one of Kentucky’s top prospects.

Savage’s high school résumé was extraordinary.

He finished his Ryle career with a school-record 511 tackles, including 39 tackles for loss, while producing 3,584 all-purpose yards and 65 total touchdowns. He rushed for 2,835 yards and added 749 receiving yards, illustrating why he was such a rare two-way weapon for coach Mike Engler.

As a senior, Savage was named the Paul Hornung Award winner as Kentucky’s top high school football player as well as the KHSAA Class 6A District 6 Player of the Year. Indiana’s biography also notes that he was rated the No. 5 prospect in Kentucky by the major recruiting services.

Savage now has the opportunity to take the physicality, instincts and versatility that made him a Ryle star into Big Ten football.

Dillon Smith — Louisville

Another Raider competing on one of college football’s biggest stages is Dillon Smith, a sophomore defensive lineman at Louisville.

Smith is listed at an imposing 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds for the Cardinals. After not seeing game action during the 2025 season, he enters his sophomore year continuing his development along Louisville’s defensive front.

Like Savage, Smith was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of Ryle. Louisville’s biography notes that Rivals ranked him No. 8 among Kentucky prospects and 247Sports placed him No. 13.

Smith helped Ryle reach the 2024 Kentucky state championship game. During his junior season, he totaled 56 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions, even returning one of those interceptions for a touchdown.

Having both Smith at Louisville and Savage at Indiana gives Ryle alumni representation inside two major-conference programs.

JR Hays — Western Michigan

JR Hays gives the Raiders another player at the FBS level.

The Western Michigan redshirt sophomore is listed at 5-foot-9, 187 pounds and enters 2026 as a running back. Hays originally arrived in Kalamazoo as a wide receiver before redshirting during the 2024 season and subsequently moving into the Broncos’ running back room.

Western Michigan describes the 2024 Ryle graduate as a player who was dangerous both running and receiving in high school — versatility that made the position transition a natural one.

There is also a Ryle connection already established at Western Michigan. Hays’ official biography specifically points out that he attended the same high school as former Broncos center Jacob Gideon, another Raider who became a first-team All-MAC performer and Sporting News second-team All-American at Western Michigan.

Dylan Lee — Colgate

One of Ryle’s newest college players is Dylan Lee, a first-year wide receiver at Colgate.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Lee was an exceptional two-way player for the Raiders, contributing at receiver and defensive back before joining the Division I FCS program.

His Ryle résumé demonstrates just how versatile he was.

According to Colgate, Lee finished first in Ryle history in career interceptions while ranking second in career receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns. He was rated a three-star athlete by 247Sports and earned Class 6A second-team recognition on both offense and defense in 2025.

Lee was also a team captain and an Academic All-State selection throughout his high school career.

Colgate officially lists him as a wide receiver, but his ability to contribute on both sides of the football at Ryle speaks to the athleticism he brings to the Raiders’ program in Hamilton, New York.

Drew Dickerson — Morehead State

While several former Raiders are just beginning their college careers, Drew Dickerson has worked his way into his redshirt junior season at Morehead State.

The offensive lineman is listed at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, making him one of the biggest members of this group of former Ryle players.

Morehead State competes at the Division I FCS level in the Pioneer Football League, giving Dickerson the opportunity to continue representing Northern Kentucky against Division I competition. The Eagles’ 2026 season is their third under head coach Jason Woodman.

For Ryle, Dickerson’s progression from high school football in Union to the later stages of a Division I career is another example of the program producing players capable of staying and developing at the collegiate level.

Logan Verax — Thomas More

Former Ryle quarterback Logan Verax has remained close to home while continuing his career at Thomas More University.

Verax enters 2026 as a 6-foot-3, 215-pound redshirt sophomore quarterback for the Saints.

During his Ryle career, Verax earned All-District honors three times, Second Team All-State recognition and served as a team captain. He has played a reserve role during his first two seasons at Thomas More and now moves into another year of development within the Saints’ quarterback room.

Thomas More competes at the NCAA Division II level in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, meaning Verax is continuing his career just a short drive from the community where he starred in high school.

Max Karwath — Denison

Max Karwath is another member of Ryle’s 2025 senior class who has moved directly into college football.

Denison’s 2026 roster lists Karwath as a 6-foot-1, 205-pound first-year tight end wearing No. 80.

Karwath was part of an especially productive Ryle senior class. On National Signing Day, he joined Savage and Lee as three Raiders who announced college football destinations — Karwath to Denison, Savage to Indiana and Lee to Colgate.

That trio was instrumental in Ryle’s run of postseason success and now begins the next chapter at three very different NCAA programs.

Tyler Barth — Wilmington College

The most experienced college player among the current group is Tyler Barth, now a senior at Wilmington College.

The 5-foot-10, 230-pound Barth is listed as a fullback and long snapper, two roles that often require players willing to handle the physical and less-publicized jobs necessary to help a team.

Barth appeared in all 10 Wilmington games during both the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In 2025, he recorded a reception for a one-yard touchdown in addition to his special-teams and fullback responsibilities.

His path illustrates another important part of Ryle’s NCAA pipeline: it is not only about highly rated recruits. College football careers are also built by players who find roles, develop and stay with a program over multiple seasons.

Ryle’s College Football Pipeline Continues to Grow

What makes the current collection of former Raiders particularly impressive is its diversity.

Savage is a linebacker at Indiana. Smith plays defensive line at Louisville. Hays is a running back at Western Michigan. Lee is a receiver at Colgate. Dickerson is a 310-pound offensive lineman at Morehead State. Verax plays quarterback at Thomas More. Karwath is a tight end at Denison. Barth handles fullback and long-snapping duties for Wilmington.

They also represent different stages of the college experience, from first-year players Savage, Lee and Karwath to senior Barth.

Ryle’s recent team success has helped strengthen that pipeline. The Raiders were Class 6A state finalists in 2024, state semifinalists in 2025 and district champions in three consecutive seasons from 2023 through 2025.

For current Ryle players, the eight Raiders now on NCAA rosters provide tangible examples of where high school football can lead.

Some made their way to major-conference programs. Others found opportunities at FCS, Division II or Division III schools. Some were nationally rated prospects, while others built their opportunity through development, versatility and finding the right college fit.

The common denominator is Ryle.

From Friday nights at Clifford R. Borland Sr. Stadium in Union to college football Saturdays around the country, the Raiders’ influence is becoming increasingly visible.

And with Savage, Lee and Karwath only beginning their college careers in 2026, the next chapter of the Ryle-to-NCAA pipeline is just getting started.

Roster information verified against 2026 college rosters and current as of August 31, 2026.