#PRZTN Feature: Inside the #TN2023 Rankings
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The long journey for the #TN2023 recruiting class has come to an end, meaning it’s time for our final Prep Redzone Tennessee prospect rankings and while things at the top may look the same, plenty of changes have been made…
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Continue ReadingThe long journey for the #TN2023 recruiting class has come to an end, meaning it’s time for our final Prep Redzone Tennessee prospect rankings and while things at the top may look the same, plenty of changes have been made throughout our new Top 300.
Here we provide you some of the biggest stories coming out of our new senior rankings along with some key notes regarding high schools from all across the state.
Four QB’s Sit Within Top 20
– The first position that every coach, fan and scout looks at within football is the quarterback and the state of Tennessee has some good ones! Some states are rare to have multiple signal callers that are headed to the Power Five ranks but Tennessee has that with four guys and all four quarterbacks are ranked within the Top 20 prospects.
Everything starts with Lausanne senior Brock Glenn Brock Glenn 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Lausanne | 2023 State TN . The future Florida State Seminole places as the top quarterback from the senior class and the 6th ranked prospect overall. Sitting directly behind him ranked 7th is Kenny Minchey Kenny Minchey 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Pope Prep | 2023 State TN from Pope Prep, who is headed to Notre Dame. Coming in at 8th overall is future Texas A&M Aggie Marcel Reed Marcel Reed 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB MBA | 2023 State TN , who earned Mr. Football this year at MBA after leading his team to the D2-Class AAA championship.
Our fourth quarterback within the Top 20 is Ravenwood’s senior athletic passer Chris Parson Chris Parson 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Ravenwood | 2023 State TN . The Raptors dual threat quarterback has a final ranking of 14th overall and you will be seeing him sling the ball all over the field, starting next Fall at Mississippi State.
Those four passers are the four best in the state this year but not the only guys to know about going forward. Other quarterbacks ranked inside the #TN2023 Top 100 include Braylen Ragland Braylen Ragland 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Bartlett | 2023 State TN from Bartlett (#56 overall), J.D. Sherrod from Briarcrest Christian (#61st overall), Hank Brown Hank Brown 6'4" | 200 lbs | QB Lipscomb Acad. | 2023 State TN from Lipscomb Academy (#63rd overall), Coby Walton Coby Walton 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Nolensville | 2023 State TN from Nolensville (#64th overall), Jordyn Potts Jordyn Potts 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Powell | 2023 State TN from Powell (#85th overall) and Knox Webb’s Charles Robinson Charles Robinson 6'1" | 165 lbs | QB Webb | 2023 TN , Jr, who is headed to Navy in the Fall.
The guy who made the biggest move up the rankings was Walton. Signing with Georgia Southern, Walton had a sensational senior year where he boosted his stock as a recruit but also developed to the point that he became a D1 prospect. Powell’s senior signal caller Potts also made a strong jump up the rankings, moving from the 100’s up to 85th overall. Look for him in Cookeville this Fall, beginning his career with Tennessee Tech.
Strong Top 100 Receiver Presence
– One of the deepest positions throughout the entire recruiting process has been the receivers and within our final #TN2023 senior rankings, they finished with a strong representation inside our Top 100 along with a few other talented pass catchers sitting just outside. Leading the way as the 4th overall prospect is McGavock wideout Demitrius Bell Demitrius Bell 6'1" | 170 lbs | WR McGavock | 2023 State TN . The Raiders athletic receiver is the most dynamic prospect of anyone from the in-state 2023 class and you will be seeing his talents on the field next Fall at Nebraska.
Coming in right behind Bell in our final senior rankings sits future Kentucky Wildcat Shamar Porter Shamar Porter 6'3" | 200 lbs | WR Ensworth | 2023 State TN (5th overall), who might have a chance to see the field early this season due to his size, speed and catching radius.
Bell and Porter place within the top five overall prospects but they aren’t the only receivers to rank high inside our latest senior rankings.
Two seniors who broke out this past Fall in Chance Fitzgerald Chance Fitzgerald 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Nolensville | 2023 State TN (12th overall) and Junior Sherrill Junior Sherrill 6'0" | 175 lbs | WR Lipscomb Academy | 2023 State TN (#13th ranked), saw the biggest rise in the rankings as both these Power Five future wideouts (Va Tech/Vanderbilt) took their games to another level to become not only go-to guys but possible standout players on the collegiate level.
For the entire receiver position, 15 total wideouts made the #TN2023 Top 100 with 37 total prospects cracking the Top 300. This was an ultra talented position with depth that has plenty of guys headed to the college ranks next season and there are several under the radar guys that people need to keep an eye on going forward.
Those guys to watch out for include Jamari Person Jamari Person 6'2" | 185 lbs | WR Haywood | 2023 State TN (#38th overall/Signed w/ Colorado St.), Kaleb Carver Kaleb Carver 5'9" | 165 lbs | WR Green Hill | 2023 State TN (#96th overall/Signed w/ Indianapolis), Adjatay Dabbs Adjatay Dabbs 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Greeneville | 2023 State TN (#97th overall/Signed w/ Mercer), Anthony Crowell Anthony Crowell 5'9" | 165 lbs | WR Lebanon | 2023 State TN (99th overall/Signed w/ Army), Reed Linder Reed Linder 5'10" | 180 lbs | WR Briarcrest Christian | 2023 State TN (#132nd overall/Signed a PWO w/ Arkansas St.) and Pope Prep’s Colin Cook Colin Cook 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Pope John Paul | 2023 State TN (#173rd overall), who signed with Columbia.
Best O-line Class In Years Loads Up the Top 300
– From the very start of the 2023 recruiting cycle, our in-state Offensive Line class was the deepest and most talented position group of all throughout the entire state and it stayed that way until the very end. It became deeper as the process went along as other O-line prospects developed and took their games to another level with future Vanderbilt Commodore Barrett Maddox Barrett Maddox 6'6" | 285 lbs | OL Clinton | 2023 State TN making the biggest jump.
The Clinton senior offensive tackle had a stellar senior year that saw his recruitment blow up until he eventually signed with Vanderbilt. At one time, Maddox was ranked as the 21st best offensive lineman but saw his stock rise up tremendously where he finished as the 9th overall prospect at his position and 31st overall.
The top of list remained the same for the O-lineman with Baylor senior and future Ole Miss Rebel Brycen Sanders Brycen Sanders 6'6" | 285 lbs | OL Baylor School | 2023 State TN as the #1 guy at his position and 3rd overall. Right behind is Alcoa offensive guard Lance Williams Lance Williams 6'4" | 300 lbs | OL Alcoa | 2023 State TN , who is as steady as they come and someone that could start sooner than later during his time at Virginia Tech.
Rounding at the top five O-linemen are three guys that have stayed at 3rd, 4th and 5th overall for some time now within the O-line rankings and all three are headed to Power Five schools. Henry Co. senior Luke Brown Luke Brown 6'6" | 305 lbs | OL Henry Co. | 2023 State TN (Ranked 10th overall/Signed w/ Arkansas) comes in at 3rd with future Louisville Cardinals tackle Joe Crocker Joe Crocker 6'6" | 310 lbs | OL FRA | 2023 State TN (#19th overall) at 4th and Lipscomb Academy big man Brandon Solis Brandon Solis 6'8" | 275 lbs | OL Lipscomb Acad. | 2023 State TN (Ranked 22nd overall/Signed w/ Missouri) rounding out the top five.
Those six names listed above aren’t the only talented guys to make mention of as the #TN2023 senior rankings saw 22 O-linemen rank within the Top 100 and 50 total overall, sitting inside the final Tennessee Top 300.
Some of the top names inside our new “Top 300” include Cal Grubbs Cal Grubbs 6'4" | 290 lbs | OL Maryville | 2023 State TN (Maryville/29th overall), Tyler Bell Tyler Bell 6'3" | 295 lbs | OL Lausanne | 2023 State TN (Lausanne/39th overall), Eli Freeman Eli Freeman 6'5" | 285 lbs | OL Lebanon | 2023 State TN (Lebanon/41st overall), Luke Needham Luke Needham 6'5" | 300 lbs | OL Houston | 2023 State TN (Houston/44th overall), Elijah Prather Elijah Prather 6'4" | 285 lbs | OL LaVergne | 2023 State TN (LaVergne/51st overall), Ty Williams Ty Williams 6'4" | 285 lbs | OL Greeneville | 2023 State TN (Greeneville/77th overall), Ethan Hatton Ethan Hatton 6'3" | 295 lbs | OL Lausanne | 2023 State TN (Lausanne/93rd overall), Leo Gonzalez Leo Gonzalez 6'4" | 300 lbs | OL Lenoir City | 2023 State TN (Lenoir City/101st overall), Asher Skyles Asher Skyles 6'4" | 265 lbs | OL Baylor | 2023 State TN (Baylor/121st overall), Devin Lively Devin Lively 6'3" | 275 lbs | OL Friendship Chrst. | 2023 State TN (FCS/127th overall), Zach Turk Zach Turk 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Oakland | 2023 State TN (Oakland/191st overall), David Lyles David Lyles 6'5" | 275 lbs | OL DCA | 2023 State TN (DCA/202nd overall), Maxwell Hull Maxwell Hull 6'4" | 280 lbs | OL South Doyle | 2023 State TN (South Doyle/207th overall), Hayden Edge Hayden Edge 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Bartlett | 2023 State TN (Bartlett/219th overall), Ashton Kershner Ashton Kershner 6'6" | 315 lbs | OL Westview | 2023 State TN (Westview/229th overall), Myles Houston Myles Houston 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Howard | 2023 State TN (Howard/258th overall), Jimmy Enoch Jimmy Enoch 6'6" | 295 lbs | OL Smith Co. | 2023 State TN (Smith Co./270th overall), Jacob Woodward Jacob Woodward 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Independence | 2023 State TN (Indy/282nd overall), Jamison Johnson Jamison Johnson 6'2" | 285 lbs | OL Chatt. Central | 2023 State TN (Chatt. Central/283rd overall) and Nehemiah Storey Nehemiah Storey 6'1" | 285 lbs | OL Rockwood | 2023 State TN from Rockwood, who ranks 294th overall.
Rankings Show A Strong D-line Class
– Not only did the defensive line class here in the 2023 cycle become deeper and stronger as the summer and football season went along but by the end of this process, these trench monsters proved to be one of the best position groups within our #TN2023 class. We also have a new prospect sitting at the #1 spot in future Oklahoma Sooner and Nolensville Knight, Taylor Wein Taylor Wein 6'5" | 245 lbs | DL Nolensville | 2023 State TN , so this D-line has certainly been interesting to follow and scout over the past few months.
This group is top heavy with the top five ranked D-linemen all headed to the Power Five ranks with Wein going to Oklahoma, Trevor Duncan Trevor Duncan 6'5" | 270 lbs | DL Knox. Catholic | 2023 State TN (21st overall) headed to Tennessee, Drake Carlson Drake Carlson 6'4" | 275 lbs | DL Father Ryan | 2023 State TN (25th overall) taking his talents to Purdue, Anthony Boggs Anthony Boggs 6'5" | 265 lbs | DL Baylor | 2023 State TN (34th overall) going to Duke and Nathan Robinson Nathan Robinson 6'5" | 245 lbs | DL Greenbrier | 2023 State TN (37th overall) traveling East to play his college football with Tennessee.
Beyond the top five, our 2023 D-line class proved to be better than originally thought as several guys took their games to another level and developed enough to earn a spot on the college gridiron.
Two guys who really took a big step in their development this past season and saw a major boost in their PRZTN rankings was Jayden Marable Jayden Marable 6'2" | 280 lbs | DL Smyrna | 2023 State TN (Smyrna/66th overall), who is headed to Memphis in the Fall and Fayetteville senior Braxton Wilson Braxton Wilson 6'4" | 275 lbs | DL Fayetteville | 2023 State TN (75th overall), who will be taking his talents to ETSU. Both Marable and Wilson were fringe prospects prior to the start of the 2022 season but quickly turned their games around to become legit college prospects.
Other notable D-linemen to mention that are ranked inside the new Top 300 are Marceo Collins, Jr Marceo Collins, Jr 6'3" | 250 lbs | DL Baylor School | 2023 State TN (76th overall/Signed w/ Austin Peay), Caleb Graham Caleb Graham 6'2" | 260 lbs | DL Maryville | 2023 State TN (103rd overall/Signed w/ Army), Ethan Jones Ethan Jones 6'2" | 275 lbs | DL Lausanne | 2023 State TN (114th overall/Signed w/ Tennessee St.), Chris Hunter Chris Hunter 6'6" | 285 lbs | DL Karns | 2023 State TN (119th overall/Signed w/ UT-Martin), Luke Scott Luke Scott 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Daniel Boone | 2023 State TN (170th overall/Signed w/ VMI), Riley Long Riley Long 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Alcoa | 2023 State TN (223rd overall/Signed w/ GTown Ky) and Jaelon Strong Jaelon Strong 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Germantown | 2023 State TN (232nd overall/Signed w/ Miss. Valley St.).
#TN2023 Rankings By the Numbers
1. 50 – No position had a better representation than the O-line as they placed 50 total prospects within our final Tennessee Top 300 with Brycen Sanders Brycen Sanders 6'6" | 285 lbs | OL Baylor School | 2023 State TN (Signed w/ Ole Miss) taking the top spot.
2. 44 – Behind the O-line, the next position group with the most players ranked inside the Top 300 are the defensive backs with 44 total. This wasn’t the best DB class that the state of Tennessee has seen but it’s solid with plenty of depth.
3. 27 – The Volunteer State isn’t normally known for having top level quarterbacks but this cycle we did as we had four guys sign with P5 programs and 27 total signal callers ranked inside the #TN2023 Top 300.
4. 41 – That’s how many prospects from the in-state ‘23 class that signed with Power Five schools. Tennessee had the most signees with seven.
5. 69 – Out of every prospect within our new rankings, we still have 69 prospects available that are ranked within our final Top 300. The top ranked prospect still available is Powell receiver Adarius Redmond Adarius Redmond 6'2" | 185 lbs | WR Powell | 2023 State TN .