UNION, Ky. — Ryle High School linebacker/running back Jacob Savage has a clear focus on what he wants from his senior season.
“At the end of the day, I want a state championship,” Savage said. “That’s my big goal. And then ... personal wise, I definitely want to get Mr. Football. That would be a huge accomplishment. Definitely a great way to end my high school career for sure.”
Savage, who is 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, is certainly a Mr. Football candidate for one of Kentucky’s best high school football teams.
“You don’t get too many players like Jacob Savage,” Ryle football coach Mike Engler said. “He’s a great academic student. He is yes sir, no sir. He comes from a great family. He is relentless in the weight room, on the football field.”
WATCH: How Ryle is preparing for the 2025 football season
Savage, an Indiana University verbal commit, rushed for 1,085 yards and 22 touchdowns for the Raiders (12-3), who were a Class 6A state runner-up in 2024. The four-year starter also had 29 receptions for 313 yards and four touchdowns as a junior.
“He is probably one of the best running backs I’ve ever seen,” Engler said. “You don’t find a 225-pound running back that runs like he does. That can take it the distance on any play.”
Defensively, Savage had 141 tackles (75 solo), including 9.5 tackles for loss last season. He also had three sacks and an interception.
“If you ever watch him tackle, he doesn’t just tackle — he runs through people,” Engler said. “You just don’t teach that stuff.”
Regardless of offense or defense, Savage just wants to win. The Raiders have nine starters returning on offense and six starters on defense.
“In the previous years, we didn’t know what it really took to kind of get to that next level,” Savage said. “We talked about it. But, we really didn’t know. And now I think as a team and as a school in general — coaches, players — we really know what it takes now. We’ve seen it.”
There is no doubt the Raiders are hungry for another opportunity at the program’s first state championship. No high school football team in Northern Kentucky has ever won a Class 6A state championship.
“We feel like we got some unfinished business,” Engler said. “But our No. 1 goal is just to get better. Just to continue to get better. It’s hard not to look ahead because we got a team we think can make it back and can win it.”
Several other Ryle returning starters are expected to make a significant impact, including senior quarterback Nate Verax, senior wide receivers Dylan Lee (Colgate commit) and Gavin Lyons, along with senior defensive end/wide receiver Bo Gay.
“All we’re thinking about is state,” Lee said. “Every guy on this team, pretty much other than the freshmen, have felt what that felt like. No one wants to feel that again. Our expectation is state.”
When the Raiders open the season at Covington Catholic Aug. 22, Ryle will start a new journey with several experienced players.
“As long as we stay healthy, it should be a pretty exciting year,” said Engler.
