PRZTN Spring Showcase: Top Performers (Offense)
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The offensive side of the ball saw a big group of prospects come to Murfreesboro to put on a show & these guys below did just that, becoming top performers at the combine & boosting their stocks to another level!…
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Continue ReadingThe offensive side of the ball saw a big group of prospects come to Murfreesboro to put on a show & these guys below did just that, becoming top performers at the combine & boosting their stocks to another level!
Collins has been one of the hottest quarterback names from our TN2024 class for the last few months and he continued his strong work at Sunday’s Spring Showcase where he displayed the strongest arm of anybody at camp and someone that continues to lay under the radar. The Knights senior passer looked near flawless throughout the day, showing off excellent arm strength, ball placement and the ability to be accurate while on the move. Collins has gotten bigger too with his height and weight, so stepping onto the field at Oakland High School, this Mid-Tennessee talent definitely looked the part of a future college ball player. This camp stop was a success for Collins and just the first of many strong performances during camp season for this talented strong armed passer.
Highlights
Earning praise from coaches and scouts as one of the top passers at camp, Nieves continued his offseason progression at Sunday’s Showcase by putting together another consistent performance and showing why he is one of the more underrated quarterback prospects from the greater Middle Tennessee area. The biggest thing that stood out the most about Nieves on Sunday was his accuracy and poise while having a lot of peers and adults watching. The Cougars senior quarterback has great size, so he can see down field but he is also a good athlete that handles the pocket very well. Continued progression must be made but Nieves has definitely improved this offseason and you could see his improvements throughout the duration of the combine.
Highlights
Coming into the PRZTN Showcase holding multiple D1 offers, Kilburg lived up to hype not only sporting college size but a strong arm that will continue to develop over the coming months. A high character young man with a bright future, Kilburg threw the ball well throughout the camp, displaying nice accuracy and good ball placement along with the upside to drive the ball down the field. The biggest thing I wanted to see from Kilburg was his footwork and ability to move in the pocket and he showed enough to me in that area to prove that he can handle the rush on the next level. Kilburg has a long road to go before he becomes the best he can be but the potential is definitely there to become the starter at Lipscomb Academy and watch his recruitment explode over the next year.
Highlights
Strong and well balanced with the body to compete on the college level right now, Belville had an impressive day showing off a variety of talents but it was his attention to detail that stood out the most to me. Every drill this Mid-Tennessee talent went through, he did so with precision and made everything he did look smooth and to the point of what was required. Belville is a physically well built young man that can run up the middle, busting through tacklers or use his speed and quick feet to run around defenders. He displayed those skills and then some on Sunday as one of the best running back performers at camp and someone that I need to pay much more attention to moving forward. Belville definitely boosted his stock yesterday and proved to me and others he is legit and ready to hear from more collegiate coaches.
Highlights
Featherstone is a product that I have been watching closely throughout these offseason months and yesterday at the PRZTN Showcase, the Chattanooga area prospect continued to show me why he is a name to watch for our junior recruiting class. Shifty with good feet and a well balanced running style, Featherstone took to positional drills well, showing clean work and listening to directions precisely. He also tested well as one of the best at his position, especially for the L-Drill. The Lions junior running back then did great work in 1 on 1 competitions, eventually landing inside the Top 3 players for his position at the end of the combine. Featherstone is still developing and growing but is definitely someone that can compliment the Lions backfield this season alongside a current Top 20 in-state prospect for the TN2025 class.
Get to know this rising sophomore as Bender has the size, arm length, speed and competitive nature to develop into one of the best at the receiver position for the #TN2026 recruiting class. This Mid-Tennessee talent showed up all the physical abilities that translate well to the next level and if it wasn’t for a 2023 wideout who earned MVP honors, Bender would have been the camps best at the receiver position. He tested well with room for improvement but performed beyond expectations during positional work and 1 on 1 competition. Anytime the ball was thrown his way, Bender caught it, especially when he had to go up high for it, showing off a strong vert along with excellent concentration. This coming Fall could be a bit of a breakout year for Bender as he will be expected to take on a bigger role for his Knights offense and if he performs like I think he will, this Mid-Tennessee could establish himself as a legit college recruit from the sophomore class.
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Earning top honors as the O-line MVP, Clifford had one of his best showings yet this offseason by displaying excellent versatility and the ability to pass block at multiple O-line positions. The Red Raiders senior O-lineman did very well during testing then proceeded to become one of the best during 1 on 1 competitions. Clifford showed off good lower base explosion and mobility during both portions of the camp while also displaying a nice body where you can tell this East Tennessee product has done a nice job of adding more weight to take on football physicality. What I like the most about Clifford is his O-line versatility. He fits best inside at guard or center but he did well working at tackle on Sunday, proving his athletic abilities. Look for more coaches to look deeper into Clifford as the next few weeks go by as he brings tons of value to not just the O-line but the football team and locker room as well.
Highlights
Coming off earning a recent offer from Austin Peay, Tankersley came to the PRZTN Showcase to live up to the hype and he did just that by not just looking the part but dominating his opponents during 1 on 1 competition. Standing 6’5 305 pounds, Tankersley is built like a truck but he is also a deceptive athlete that ran and moved well during testing then looked quite mobile when we jumped into full contact blocking. This guy is rock solid and consistent, meaning you can depend on him to do his job and perform to the best of his abilities each time he steps on the field. The Rockets senior O-lineman has shown recently the ability to play some tackle on the collegiate level but his best fit might be inside at guard where he can block guys down field while also using his mobility to pull or pass block when needed. Look for Tankersley to continue adding interest and offers over the coming months as he works through the upcoming summer camp season.
Highlights
Earning a place among the top five O-line performers on the day, Smith was rock solid throughout the duration of the camp, taking on several roles and performing at a consistent level that turned some coaches heads. The Hilltoppers senior prospect is a powerful young man with deceptive athleticism that displayed nice footwork along with strong hands and the ability to wall off his opponent. Smith shined brightest during 1 on 1 competition where he was rarely beaten due to his technique sound, efficient play and ability to play guard or tackle. His upside fits best inside at guard or center where he can use his physicality to bull over defenders while continuing to develop his pass blocking. Smith is a Top 30 ranked O-lineman by PRZTN for a reason and on Sunday, he showed why and then some!
Highlights
After yesterday’s Spring Showcase at Oakland High School, I now place this Mid-Tennessee talent as one of the best interior O-line prospects for the #TN2025 class as Smith simply dominated throughout the day and could really be called another Co-MVP for his position. Smith was one of the best testers for the O-line, especially with his shuttle time and was easily one the most coachable prospects to deal with throughout the camp. After testing and positional work, the Lions rising junior went into 1 on 1 competition and looked perfect. I mean Smith did everything precisely how it was taught and was viewed by the opposition and his peers as someone that was tough to go up against. The only thing holding Smith back is his height as he stands at 6’2 but he more than makes up for it with his mobile lower base, technique and competitive nature. Smith holds a D1 offer from UNLV and I expect several others to get on board after working with him this summer and watching his progression this Fall football season.
Highlights
The PRZTN Showcase was a breakout party for Green as he earned Co-MVP honors for the O-line while being one of the top testers during the early part of the combine. Out of all the prospects at camp, Green was one of the biggest surprises as he immediately stood out early on as someone ready to compete then proceeded to more than handle himself against older competition during the 1 on 1 session of the combine. The Eagles sophomore O-lineman has excellent feet with the ability to move laterally and stay in front of his defender. He is also quite strong up top for his age along with having some feistiness about himself that I like very much in the trenches. Green still has a ways to go with his body and development but his upside shined brightly on Sunday, establishing himself as someone to watch as a Top O-line prospect for our #TN2026 recruiting class.
Highlights
Five Others to Know ……
(QB) Leo Glover – Florence (AL): Athletic with good size, Glover showed why he holds a UNA offer yesterday as he brings a lot of strong traits to the field that work well on the next level. Upside is there to be developed nicely by a collegiate coaching staff.
(RB) Sean Heath Sean Heath 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Lebanon | 2024 TN – Lebanon: One of the top testers at his position, Heath displayed nice speed and change of direction during positional work and 1 on 1 competitions. Look for his workload to double up this season as the Blue Devils look for him to be one of their top playmakers.
‘25 (WR) D.J. Perry – Paducah-Tilghman (Ky): Coming in as an unknown, Perry made a name for himself in my eyes as this guy not only looks the part but he plays like it too. He has great size (physique) along with long arms & the ability to develop into a game changer on the next level.
‘25 (G/C) Hayden Warwick Hayden Warwick 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Carter | 2025 TN – Carter: Warwick had a stellar camp performance as one of the better interior O-line prospects who showed off his strength, lower body movements and ability to move his feet into the proper angles. I like this kid and how he plays, so keep an ear out moving forward about this East TN lineman.
‘25 (QB/Ath) Locke Kennedy – BGA: Coming in as a QB, Kennedy left as an athlete in my eyes as this dude can run and he has the size to develop into a nice receiver or safety on the college gridiron. Kennedy is still raw but strong potential is there to develop into a playmaker for his Wildcats team.
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Other Top Performers: (QB) Brennan Mayhew Brennan Mayhew 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Rockvale | 2024 TN – Rockvale, (QB) Bryton Usrey – Moody (AL), (QB) Griffin Hanson – Mars Hill (AL), (QB) Baylor Hayes Baylor Hayes 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Brentwood | 2024 State TN – Brentwood, ‘25 (QB) Kam Alexander Kam Alexander 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Bartlett | 2025 TN – Bartlett, ‘25 (QB) Hays Wright Hays Wright 6'5" | 170 lbs | QB Memphis Central | 2025 TN – Memp. Central, ‘26 (QB) Femi Babalola Femi Babalola 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Ravenwood | 2026 State TN – Ravenwood, ‘26 (QB) Tristan Colenberg Tristan Colenberg 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Cordova Highschool | 2026 TN – Germantown, ‘26 (QB) Luke Finch Luke Finch 6'2" | 160 lbs | QB Hixson | 2026 TN – Hixson
(RB) Malik Grizzard Malik Grizzard 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Tullahoma | 2024 TN – Tullahoma, (RB) Eli Phillips Eli Phillips 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Whitehaven | 2024 TN – Whitehaven, ‘26 (RB) Robert Bailey Robert Bailey 5'11" | 200 lbs | RB Shelbyville Central | 2026 TN – Shelbyville, (WR) Blake Wolfard Blake Wolfard 6'4" | 195 lbs | TE Signal Mountain | 2024 State TN – Signal Mnt., ‘25 (WR) Josh Campbell, ‘26 (WR) Brendan Brown – Paducah Tilghman (Ky), ‘26 (WR) John Binion John Binion 5'11" | 165 lbs | WR Lebanon | 2026 TN – Lebanon, Wes Haynes Wes Haynes 6'3" | 195 lbs | TE Houston | 2024 TN – Houston, ‘25 (TE) Drew Ross Drew Ross 6'3" | 215 lbs | TE Knox. Halls | 2025 TN – Knox. Halls, (OT/G) Toney Hensley Toney Hensley 6'5" | 275 lbs | OL Chuckey Doak | 2024 TN – Chuckey-Doak, ‘25 (Ath) Ronald Davis-Suttles – Hixson