#CSS/#PRZTN Recruiting Insider

It’s a new year, so it’s time to get back on the trail and start breaking down some new talent while still finishing up the 2022 recruiting class as several talented prospects remain. This is our 1st recruiting insider of the 2022 year and today we look at some talented senior prospects still available and a few updates on guy’s from the 2023 class. - One of the best available talents from the 2022 class is Knox. West (TN) athlete [player_tooltip player_id="102027" first="Shannon" last="Blair"] and as of now, this East Tennessee product is wide open with his recruitment and available to everybody. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-262571" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/sblair2-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> At one time in this recruitment, Blair was committed to Michigan St. but he backed off that decision this Winter and is now looking for a home. According to this East Tennessee athlete, Blair has been actively talking with Baylor, Charlotte, Houston, Kansas, Chattanooga, Hampton, Grambling St. and UT-Martin with a few others sniffing around. Blair is an ultra talented prospect who has big upside on defense at cornerback, so his skill set and size should be appealing to a big group of collegiate coaches looking for someone with this guy’s potential. This next few weeks will be interesting to see where Blair’s recruitment goes as he could add new offers or fall into the void of high school recruits that get lost due to the transfer portal. - Mt. Juliet (TN) LB [player_tooltip player_id="102205" first="Ethan" last="Crisp"] is one recruit from the 2023 class that is looking to end his recruitment sooner than later as he wants to focus on his senior year and learn as much as he can about his future college home, before he arrives there. Crisp announced on Instagram recently that he plans to name his top schools at the end of the month or beginning of February. Look for Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech to be three of those schools with a few others named alongside them. Two new schools to keep an eye on are Cincinnati and Michigan. The Bearcats and Wolverines have been actively talking with Crisp for a little while now after recent offers and could have positioned themselves as strong contenders. Look for Crisp to make his decision prior to the start of his senior season and eventually sign with a Power Five program. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Had a great time in Detroit 4/5 during 1 on 1s !! <a href="https://twitter.com/shaeeflatt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shaeeflatt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Lea?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Lea</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MJGOLDENBEARFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MJGOLDENBEARFB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NCEC_Recruiting?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCEC_Recruiting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachclink?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachclink</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachWhiteFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachWhiteFB</a> <a href="https://t.co/0COcASwdop">pic.twitter.com/0COcASwdop</a> — [player_tooltip player_id="102205" first="Ethan" last="Crisp"] - SS/LB (@EthanCrisp12) <a href="https://twitter.com/EthanCrisp12/status/1476264363585585152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> - At this point in the 2021 cycle, Davidson Academy (TN) DE [player_tooltip player_id="102030" first="Kendyle" last="Ball"] is a surprise to still be sitting on the open market but yet he is. Ball is the leading active leader in sacks for the state of TN but yet his production has not landed interest from the D1 level or let alone much of the FCS either. This has not phased the Bears edge rusher as he has continued to train and develop while waiting to see what comes his way. According to this Middle Tennessee pass rusher, Ball has been actively talking to Austin Peay and UT-Martin the most and he could be close to making his decision. As things sit right now, Ball with be choosing between the Governors and Skyhawks and set to play his college ball on the FCS level. William & Mary is one new program that has come in to show interest but look for Ball to stay local. - 2023 Briarcrest Chrst. (TN) OL [player_tooltip player_id="102179" first="Nate" last="Bledsoe"] landed his 1st college offer on Tuesday from Dartmouth and it won’t be his last as I expect many, many others to offer this West Tennessee product very soon. The Saints physical offensive lineman has been building steam towards this offer for a few months now and with the Big Green knocking the door, look for others to follow suit. Along with this offer from Dartmouth, Bledsoe has been receiving interest from the likes of Arkansas St., Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Miami OH, Penn, Tennessee, Tulane, Va Tech and Yale along with lite interest from several others. Bledsoe is an intriguing prospect for collegiate coaches as he not only presents the size and talent for the next level but also the grades and character that all college staffs want in their programs. He also has strong upside and potential as he still has room to grow into his body along with being one of the more explosive interior linemen in this class. I fully expect to see Bledsoe’s recruitment to take a large spike over the coming months. - Memp. Central (TN) RB [player_tooltip player_id="198576" first="Jamarious" last="Brooks"] broke through with a monster senior season where he finished in the Top 5 for rushing yards for the entire state but this production and talent on the field has yet to earn him college offers. Sitting with a month to go before the 2nd signing day, Brooks is wide open and listening to all comers. According to this Memphis area running back, UT-Martin and the University of Indianapolis are the two schools actively talking to him right now and the Skyhawks did offer late last year but I’m not sure at this point if that is an official offer or preferred walk-on. Either way, Brooks doesn’t have the options right now that his talent warrants and whoever decides to get on board with this guy, could be landing a steal and a future bell cow back. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-262575" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/jbrooks2-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" /> - The quarterback position for the in-state 2023 class is quite deep, deeper than it has been in years. One of the guy’s who is quickly rising up the charts is Blackman (TN) signal caller [player_tooltip player_id="150308" first="Jack" last="Risner"] and this 6’5 gunslinger could be on the verge of adding his 1st college offer. Risner is a big guy that can make all the throws and college coaches can see that. He has yet to receive his 1st college offer but is thus far he has talked or visited in person with Arkansas St., Austin Peay, Charlotte, Eastern Ky, Ga Tech, Duke, Memphis, Miami, Miami OH, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Penn, UAB, UT-Martin, Vanderbilt and Western Ky. Risner has several programs hot on his trail but nobody has pulled the trigger yet. Being that this Blaze prospect is a quarterback means collegiate coaches will be taking a deeper dive into Risner here soon and begin placing him on their recruiting board. We should know pretty soon where his recruitment will go and what the next year will look like for one of the best pure passers in this class. - While others from the 2023 class are working towards offers, Christian Brothers (TN) DB [player_tooltip player_id="151286" first="Jaxon" last="Hammond"] already has some and is looking to build towards more. This Purple Wave defensive back has already picked up offers from Arkansas St., Austin Peay, Buffalo, Memphis, Mississippi St. and Tennessee along with interest from several others, especially Harvard and UConn who could be close to offering. Hammond is an athletic and versatile defensive back that could stay on the outside at cover corner in college but at worst slide back into nickel back or safety if needed. What helps Hammond in this recruiting process is the fact that he can play cornerback and guys like him are hard to find across the football landscape. Expect to see this Memphis area defender continue to pick up steam in the recruiting cycle over the coming months and establish himself as one of the best defensive back prospects within the in-state 2023 class. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-262577" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/jhammond-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />