Scouting The State: Class 1A Top Prospects
In this article:
The long offseason is here, so we have tons of time to go in-depth with the prospects in this state for the upcoming 2022 Fall football season and shine a spotlight on each and every classification, region here in Tennessee.
We start things off by looking at the top prospects from the Class 1A level with a little scouting report on each player listed below.
2023 Prospects
(QB) Sam Driggers Sam Driggers 6'0" | 200 lbs | QB Peabody | 2023 State TN (6’0 190) – Peabody
(QB/Ath) Jackson Cassidy Jackson Cassidy 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB McKenzie | 2023 State TN (6’2 ½ 195) – McKenzie
(QB) Landon Ramsey Landon Ramsey 6'2" | 225 lbs | QB Unaka | 2023 TN (6’2 210) – Unaka
(QB/S) Matthew Albritton (5’11 175) – Gordonsville
(TE/DE) Bailey Serignet Bailey Serignet 6'3" | 220 lbs | DL Jo Byrns | 2023 TN (6’3 220) – Jo Byrns
– Driggers is a multi talented signal caller that is the ultimate leader. He can spin it deep or tuck it and run; Driggers is one of the best quarterback prospects from the West Tennessee region; His competition for that spot comes from Cassidy, who is the reigning Class 1A state champion quarterback. The Rebels signal caller is big & athletic with a strong right arm and upside for the next level; Ramsey is the top returning passer in Class 1A by yards; He is a big dude that can spin it & he is banking on a big offseason ahead to put him on the college radar; Everything starts & finishes on the Gordonsville team with Albritton; He is their most talented player & leader that runs the show behind center but can do a variety of things on the football field; Serignet is an intriguing prospect based off his size, length & potential; He is a two way player right now that could establish himself on either side of the ball during the upcoming year.
(DE) Braxton Wilson (6’3 245) – Fayetteville
(DE/LB) Thomas Wills (6’2 225) – McEwen
(LB) Isaiah Thomison Isaiah Thomison 6'3" | 230 lbs | LB Fayetteville | 2023 State TN (6’3 225) – Fayetteville
(LB) Tatum Oliver Tatum Oliver 6'0" | 225 lbs | LB Dresden | 2023 TN (6’0 215) – Dresden
(LB) Seth Edwards Seth Edwards 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB West Carroll | 2023 TN (6’0 190) – West Carroll
– The Tigers of Fayetteville might have the best defense in Class 1A and they are led by two big guys up front in Wilson on the defensive line and Thomison making tackles from his linebacker spot; Both guys are talented players who might be two of the better college prospects from the Class 1A level; Many may not know much about Wills but he put together a monster junior year on both sides of the ball & he is looking to double that up during his senior season; Dresden put together one of their best season’s in 2021 & a lot of that is due to the play of Oliver; The two way talent fits best in college at linebacker but he is Mr. Do Everything for his Tigers team; Part of a nice tandem at West Carroll, Edwards is the senior linebacker & leader on defense that is looking to lead the Class 1A ranks in tackles this Fall; Edwards is a very active & determined tackler that has range & a nose for the ball.
(DB) Malachi Clay Malachi Clay 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Lake Co. | 2023 State TN (6’2 175) – Lake Co.
(Ath) Marquez Taylor Marquez Taylor 5'11" | 170 lbs | RB McKenzie | 2023 State TN (6’0 190) – McKenzie
(Ath) Jayden Mount (5’9 175) – South Pittsburg
(Ath) Zay Webber Zay Webber 5'11" | 185 lbs | ATH McKenzie | 2023 TN (6’0 180) – McKenzie
– Clay has been a prospect on the college radar for a few seasons now but this senior offseason will be huge for him in reaching the next level; The Falcons Def. Back has the length, height & athleticism that collegiate coaches look for; Taylor is the number one college prospect from the Class 1A level & an elite athlete that can compete with anybody else in this state; Taylor is a prime candidate to win Class 1A Mr. Football for the 2022 season; His teammate in Webber is another athletic, versatile guy that was a key component in the Rebels state title run last year. Look for his role to expand this year & work himself onto the college radar; The Pirates of South Pitt is losing a good bit of talent from their 2021 team but one guy to lean on will be Mount; The two way talent will be expected to take on a bigger role this year & provide game breaking plays from both sides of the field.
Top 5 College Prospects
1. (Ath) Marquez Taylor Marquez Taylor 5'11" | 170 lbs | RB McKenzie | 2023 State TN – McKenzie
2. (QB) Jackson Cassidy Jackson Cassidy 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB McKenzie | 2023 State TN – McKenzie
3. (QB) Sam Driggers Sam Driggers 6'0" | 200 lbs | QB Peabody | 2023 State TN – Peabody
4. (LB) Isaiah Thomison Isaiah Thomison 6'3" | 230 lbs | LB Fayetteville | 2023 State TN – Fayetteville
5. (DB) Malachi Clay Malachi Clay 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Lake Co. | 2023 State TN – Lake Co.
2024 Prospects
(RB) K.J. Jackson K.J. Jackson 5'10" | 165 lbs | RB Fayetteville | 2024 TN (5’9 165) – Fayetteville
(OT/G) Ace Meadows Ace Meadows 6'7" | 300 lbs | OL Peabody | 2024 State TN (6’6 275) – Peabody
(OL) Cash Herron (6’3 265) – Greenback
(LB) Jamarion Farrior Jamarion Farrior 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB South Pittsburg | 2024 State TN (5’11 195) – South Pittsburg
– Competing with Taylor from McKenzie for Mr. Football this season could be Jackson as this running back is one of the more talented prospects from this Class 1A level; Jackson has been on the scene since his freshman year & is now in the position as an upperclassmen to lead his team back to the 1A title game; The next top level O-lineman from Peabody comes in the mold of Meadows, who is the younger brother of a current UT commit & a guy that may have bigger upside; Herron is a little known O-lineman from Greenback who could burst on the scene this year as one of the better trench monsters from the Class 1A level; Watch out this coming season for Farrior! This is a head hunting, fierce tackler that could position himself in 1A as one of the better underclassmen college prospects.
(LB) Nathan Wykoff (6’3 215) – West Carroll
(Ath) Dawson White (5’10 170) – Moore Co.
(Ath) Brandon Mitchell Brandon Mitchell 6'3" | 180 lbs | WR Middle College | 2024 TN (6’3 170) – Middle College
(Ath) Matthew Keller (6’1 165) – Middle College
– We mentioned the West Carroll linebacker tandem above with Edwards but here is his partner in Wykoff & this guy could be the best of the two; This War Eagle linebacker is big, physical & smart; He is positioned for a big junior upcoming season! One of the top returning statistical prospects from Class 1A is White & this guy is the clear cut leader & playmaker for his Moore Co. squad, who the Raiders coaching staff will be leaning upon heavily this year; Middle College is coming off one of the best seasons in the school’s history last year but they are replacing several key seniors & must find playmakers to take the lead; Two of those to know about going forward is Mitchell & Keller as these two appear to be two prospects the Bulldogs will be leaning on over the next two years.
Others to Know
– (RB/LB) Jamol Blamo – Unaka, (OL) Brayden Burgess, (Ath) Rommel Conlon – Coalfield, (OL) Tony Yates Tony Yates 6'2" | 305 lbs | OL William Blount | 2023 TN – Greenback, (DL) Collin Cagle Collin Cagle 6'0" | 240 lbs | DL Harriman | 2023 TN , (APB) Nasir Stokes Nasir Stokes 5'7" | 145 lbs | RB Harriman | 2023 TN – Harriman, (Ath) Nick Hall – Sale Creek, (LB) Bryson Greer – Gordonsville, (Ath) Keaton Arms – Clay Co., (OL) Andre Allen, (RB/LB) Aljarea Johnson, (WR/DB) Austin Whitson – Wayne Co.
(RB) DeAngelo Lambert – Dresden, (OL/DT) Hunter Johnson – Gleason, (WR/S) Zach Chandler Zach Chandler 6'1" | 175 lbs | ATH McKenzie | 2023 TN – McKenzie, (RB) Isaiah Agnew, (LB) DJ Sangster – Humboldt, (Ath) Jeremiah Williams, (OL) Jay Lebo Jay Lebo 6'6" | 315 lbs | OL Lake Co. | 2023 TN – Lake Co., (OL) Isaac Dehaan, (DL/OL) David Whitten – Peabody, (RB/S) London James – MASE