#TN2024 Under The Radar (Chattanooga Area Prospects)
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The Scenic City is ever growing with talent and our senior class from the Chattanooga area looks to be the deepest it has been in quite some time but at this point in the recruiting process, some prospects remain underrated,…
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Continue ReadingThe Scenic City is ever growing with talent and our senior class from the Chattanooga area looks to be the deepest it has been in quite some time but at this point in the recruiting process, some prospects remain underrated, including these top guys below!
If this Chattanooga area running back wasn’t coming off an injury that took him out of commision early last season, you would be hearing more about Wilson as this guy has the size, speed and balance that can be developed well on the collegiate level. The Bears would love for Wilson to be at 100% by the time the season starts as he looks to be the go-to guy on offense and someone the staff may lean on as others catch up. Wilson is a big dude that runs downhill and once he gets into the open field, he is hard to stop. He is also a deceptive athlete with excellent feet that will only get better the more he develops and grows. Keep an eye Wilson moving forward as he could bust out this summer at camps, then take it into the season where he could break out into an All-State performer.
Standing 6 ‘4 with a physical build, Wolfard is a mismatch nightmare for the opposition who uses his balance, body and hands to dominate his position but for his recruitment, this Hawks senior pass catcher remains offerless and still under the radar. This is a big dude that moves way better than his film might show and Wolfard has been after it hard this offseason trying to develop more agility and speed. What he brings to the field right now is a power forward style receiver that can body up a defender, using his size to box him out and come down with the catch. Wolfard might be developed into a tight end on the next level but he has enough athleticism and ball skills to possibly remain at receiver moving forward.
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Many around the scouting circle may not know too much about this East Tennessee offensive lineman but they should look further into Patton as on film, he looks like one of the more athletic and versatile prospects from his position for the #TN2024 class. Naturally powerful with a strong lower base, Patton anchors very well from the interior of the O-line, showing the ability to stack his opponent or drive them back into the second level. Patton also shows explosive blocking, meaning he gets out his stance quickly, gets to his spot then drives back his opponent as fast as he can. He is interior versatile with the upside to lock down the center position on the next level and excel. The Cherokees senior O-lineman may continue to sit under the radar for a while due to his 6 ‘2 size but trust me, this dude can play and would bring strong value to anyone’s locker room.
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Making the move from Knox. Catholic to Baylor for his senior season, Clifford is another interior versatile O-lineman that has the “underrated” status attached to him at the moment but hopefully after a strong summer camp season, his stock may finally rise. Well balanced with good lower base mobility, Clifford has the look and feel of a college center but sports the versatility to handle all three interior O-line positions if needed. He does need to continue adding more girth and size to withstand the physicality on the next level but I think that will happen. Playing on the Red Raiders O-line this Fall will help Clifford too as he will be coached up by a great staff as well as have other talented guys around him in the trenches that should enhance his game.
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This native Canadian and Chattanooga based defender is one of the more underrated defensive prospects from the entire #TN2024 class and it may be due to his 6 ‘2 size but Marie-Dogui is a well built young man that brings a variety of strong traits to the football field. The first thing that stands out about the McCallie defender is his physicality and ability to stop the run. Marie-Dogui does a good job of using his strong hands to push back blockers then string out the running back to either make a play on the ball or allow his teammates to come clean things up. He does show pass rush upside on film as Marie-Dogui has good athleticism along with a solid bend that tells you he can develop further here on the collegiate gridiron. I can easily see this Blue Tornado defensive prospect pick up recruiting steam this summer as college coaches work with him in person and see the potential he brings down the road.
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One of the more violent competitors at linebacker from the #TN2024 class, Feggins landed his 1st college offer recently from UVA-Wise but trust me, this is a FCS prospect with D1 upside who shouldn’t be under the radar for too much longer. Feggins is an aggressive, fast and instinctive linebacker that plays a smart, consistent brand of football that translates very well to the next level and he is a very good athlete as well. Feggins shows good burst, explosion and speed on film along with the range to track the ball down from anywhere on the field. His position group is quite deep for the #TN2024 class and maybe Feggins is simply being lost in the mix but at some point, I expect this Cherokees senior defender to break out in a big way and watch his stock and ranking rise tremendously over the next few months.
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Athletic with good size, arm length and a wide radius, Williams is an intriguing talent that brings a lot of strong physical traits to the field that translate well to the next level but he is under the radar momentarily due to him missing most of the last season due to injury. As things sit right now, it’s unclear as to where Williams is with his progression on his injury but when fully healthy, this is one of the more athletic middle backers we have from the #TN2024 class. The Bears linebacker shows nice burst when attacking the ball but also the range to chase it down from sideline to sideline. Williams has the athleticism to even work the edge if asked as he shows some pass rush traits that can be developed further with more coaching and development. His skill set is exciting to me as someone that is far from a finished product but sports the potential to turn into a heat seeking missile that can make plays both against the run and the pass.
A natural athlete with fluid body movements, Whaley comes from a top notch football program that will certainly continue to develop his skill set but currently, this Red Raider defender sits under the radar, waiting for his first college offer. Whaley is a two sport guy who has put a lot of focus on basketball and that may be where his future lies but on film, he shows excellent upside as a versatile defensive back that could play on the outside at cover corner. The Red Raiders senior prospect has active, quick feet along with nice hip movements that allow him to stay on track with the receiver. He also shows ball hawk tendencies as well, so Whaley could line up at free safety or nickelback due to his instincts and natural athletic abilities. More work must be done with his body and overall game but Whaley shows strong upside for the college game, if he fully embraces his football potential.
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Lokombe had to miss the back end of his junior season last year due to injury and if he didn’t, you would be hearing more about this native Canadian currently as he has a versatile skill set that works very well on the collegiate level. Aggressive with a quick first step, Lokombe is an athletic guy that has good lower body movements along with strong instincts that could be developed well at either cover corner or maybe his biggest upside position, nickelback. The Blue Tornado senior defensive back plays strong versus the run, so he fits well at the nickel but Lokombe has enough athleticism, speed and fluid body movements to play outside if needed. He brings strong versatility to the secondary that could be utilized in multiple ways, including on special teams. If Lokombe is fully back healthy from his injury, look for more schools to get involved with him over the coming months, taking him from underrated to clearly on the radar.
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Moving over to Walker Valley for his senior year, Forte is one of the more underrated safety prospects not only from his Chattanooga area but the state as well. His production last year as a junior put him on the map as he led the City and general area in tackles and proving to be one of the better instinctive secondary defenders from our #TN2024 class. Forte simply has a nose for the ball as he shows on film consistency and the knack for knowing where the play is going before the opposition moves that direction. The Mustangs senior prospect may be under the radar based on his speed and overall athletic abilities but he is better in those areas than some may think and someone that I think will camp well this summer, proving his skills and watching his stock rise with plenty of college interest.
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Other Underrated Chatt-Area Talent To Watch
(QB) Evan Schwarzl Evan Schwarzl 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Walker Valley | 2024 TN – Walker Valley
(RB) Ethan Davis Ethan Davis 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Rhea County | 2024 TN – Rhea Co.
(WR) Jacob Bivens Jacob Bivens 6'2" | 180 lbs | ATH South Pittsburg | 2024 TN – South Pitt
(OL) Carson Coffman Carson Coffman 6'3" | 260 lbs | OL McCallie | 2024 State TN – McCallie, Will Brantley Will Brantley 6'4" | 290 lbs | OL Cleveland | 2024 TN – Cleveland
(DL) Olivier Camerlain Olivier Camerlain 6'6" | 260 lbs | DL McCallie | 2024 State TN – McCallie, Domani White Domani White 6'0" | 245 lbs | DL Baylor | 2024 TN – Baylor
(LB) Malik Rizer Malik Rizer 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Red Bank | 2024 State TN – Red Bank, Quincy White Quincy White 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Baylor | 2024 TN – Baylor, Jamarion Farrior Jamarion Farrior 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB South Pittsburg | 2024 State TN – South Pitt
(DB) Terrance Lee Terrance Lee 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB Brainerd | 2024 TN – Brainerd, Tay Carter Tay Carter 6'3" | 195 lbs | LB Notre Dame | 2024 State TN – Notre Dame
(Ath) Damian McWilliams Damian McWilliams 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Polk Co. | 2024 State TN – Polk Co., Justin Baker Justin Baker 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH Notre Dame | 2024 TN – Notre Dame