#TN2024 Under The Radar (Mid-TN Area Prospects)
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Evaluation mode is going strong across the country right now with coaches on the road visiting high schools & extending offers but these prospects have yet to see their recruitment’s take off but trust me they are legit! Knox Roberts…
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Continue ReadingEvaluation mode is going strong across the country right now with coaches on the road visiting high schools & extending offers but these prospects have yet to see their recruitment’s take off but trust me they are legit!
A multi year starter with a cannon for a right arm, Roberts currently sits under the radar without any offers but sports the arm talent and size to spin it on the collegiate level. Many collegiate coaches have been sniffing around Roberts for some time now but have yet to pull the trigger on an offer. What those coaches could be waiting to see this summer in camps and this Fall is improvement with his mobility as well as his continued development with his mechanics. He does have a powerful right arm and the ability to fit the ball into tight windows, anywhere on the field and coaches love that with the quarterbacks. Roberts isn’t far off from being the full package. He just needs to continue working and developing his craft and those offers will arrive as this is one of the better pure passers from the Middle Tennessee region.
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This Middle Tennessee ball carrier may be on the verge of breaking out into a highly sought after running back due to his good size and quick feet but especially because of his speed and ability to hit the big play. Just this week, Otey landed his first two offers from Ball St. and Eastern Ky and they won’t be the last. What collegiate coaches will start to notice when looking deeper into the RedHawks running back is that Otey is a speedster that can make one cut and be gone! He shows nice change of direction speed along with upside in catching the ball out of the backfield. Otey is a track guy too, so you can bet this guy brings speed to the offensive side of the ball that can be utilized in multiple ways. Look for this Mid-TN talent to continue picking up steam on the recruiting trail as he performs in camps this summer on college campuses.
One of the fastest wideouts not just in the Middle Tennessee area but also the entire state, Brown remains under the radar at the moment but certainly has the talents and upside to eventually see those elusive offers come his way. Playing for a run based offense, Brown isn’t the number one focus on offense for his Panthers team but he is definitely not far off and hopefully this coming season will be a major breakout year for this senior pass catcher. What Brown brings to the field is something that comes natural to only a select few and that’s being extra fast! This dude can pick em up and run, providing his Panthers offense and whoever signs him for the future, a deep threat that can also take a short gain and turn it into a big play. More route running work and added weight needs to be done but the potential is definitely there to become a home run hitting wideout on the collegiate level.
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For one reason or another, this Mid-Tennessee tight end has yet to see his recruitment take off and I’m not too sure as to why. Ragsdale does stand about 6’3 225 pounds, so he isn’t the ideal 6’5 240 plus pound tight end that is found everywhere on the next level but trust me, this guy can play and I feel his best football is still ahead of him. The immediate thing that stands out about Ragsdale is his willingness to block and get physical in the line of scrimmage. Ragsdale could be the best blocking tight end from our #TN2024 class. This Nashville area tight end isn’t just a blocker, Ragsdale is an athletic pass catcher as well who shows upside to develop even further in this area. He provides a nice target for his quarterback then runs well after the catch, which tells me Ragsdale could flex out wide if needed. There is a lot of strong value here with this MBA offensive talent and someone that will make your team better both on and off the field.
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Coming from a lower level school and a small town, Tankersley may not get the looks as some other O-linemen in his class but this burly mauler is worthy of more looks as he brings that one trait to the football field that is needed in the game of football and that’s physicality. Tankersley is brute, a bulldozer, a versatile O-lineman that enjoys putting defenders on their backs and continuing to do so until the final whistle. This 6’5 senior blocker shows the ability to get low on film and drive his man down field. He also has enough athleticism to handle the rush and swing out to right tackle if needed but his game fits best inside at guard where he physically manhandles the opposition. Plenty of interest has been floating around Tankersley but those offers have yet to arrive. That should change over the next couple of months after he camps this summer and shows off his improvements this Fall during his senior year.
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The RedHawks had a strong defense last year with Peter being at the forefront of those efforts and he returns for his final season as one of the top interior D-linemen from the greater Middle Tennessee area but currently sits under the radar with not much recruiting action happening at the moment. Part of the lack of offers at the moment may be due to his size as Peter stands about 6’0, almost 6′ 1 but the trait that allows him a great shot at excelling on the next level is his get-off and ability to rush the backfield. Looking over his film, Peter shows some of the best explosion and pure pass rush abilities in the state from the interior of the defensive line. He is also quite strong too but more work with technique will allow his power to shine even more. Peter’s work on the camp scene this summer in front of college coaches will go a long way in his pursuit of collegiate offers.
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Making the move to Riverdale for his senior season, Guzman is a true underrated talent that sports the physique and athletic abilities that translate very well to the collegiate level but has yet to break through with offers. What this senior defender does the best is playing the edge and rushing after the quarterback. Guzman shows on film tremendous burst off the edge and the ability to bend around the blocker and close fast on the quarterback. He also does a good against the run, setting the edge with his long arms and upper body strength then releasing, showing off his range as he chases down the ball. The Warriors linebacker is still developing his body and learning the game but he has the potential and upside to turn into a feared pass rusher on the college gridiron. Look for this Mid-Tennessee talent to build serious recruiting steam this summer as coaches get a chance to see him and work with him in person.
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Aggressive, consistent and productive. Those are three traits that immediately stand out when researching this Nashville area linebacker but one reason or another, Moore has yet to see a spike with his recruitment but I believe that will change sooner than later. Last year as a junior, Moore had a breakout year as one of the Big Red’s top producing defenders, providing strong play on the edge against both the pass and the run. Another strong trait that Moore brings to the field is his high football intelligence and ability to play multiple linebacker roles. The Big Red backer is big and long enough to play on the edge or slide over into the middle and dominate against the run. Moore is just too talented with too many strong physical traits to remain under the radar for too much longer.
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One of the more underrated talents in the entire state, Williams is a hard hitting, violent competitor that brings a physical brand of football to the field that should be warranting more offers at the moment but so far, nothing has arrived. That will change over the next few months as Williams is too talented to be looked past much longer as he brings a lot of value to the secondary as not just as a hitter but as an athletic playmaker with ball hawk tendencies. Williams shows nice range and closing speed on film along with quick instincts that tends to put himself around the ball on a consistent basis. Lacking the offers, Williams may be a tad undersized at 5’10 but he is plenty big enough to get the job done and eventually develop into a starting college safety down the road. You should be hearing more recruiting news about this Nashville area defender very soon!
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It’s been an active offseason thus far for this Middle Tennessee two-way talent where Kyne has been involved with camps, 7v7 and more, working to develop and gain interest from collegiate coaches. Well that process is working as coaches have taken notice of this 6’4 225 pound product but Kyne has yet to see those offers arrive. That should change soon as the Lions senior talent has too much raw abilities to look past much longer and someone who’s best football is ahead of them. Kyne has some of the best pass rush bend in this class along with the long arms to develop into an outstanding college edge rusher down the road but he could also play offense as a flex tight end and the potential to block in-line. There are a lot of strong traits and upside about Kyne that screams college potential, so it’s only a matter of time before those offers start arriving.
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Other Underrated Mid-TN Talent To Watch
(QB) Ty Collins Ty Collins 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Nolensville | 2024 State TN – Nolensville, Silas Teat Silas Teat 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Marshall Co. | 2024 State TN – Marshall Co.
(RB) Donovan Holloway Donovan Holloway 5'9" | 190 lbs | RB Blackman | 2024 TN – Blackman
(WR) Matthew Manning Matthew Manning 6'2" | 180 lbs | WR Brentwood | 2024 TN – Brentwood
(OL) Owen Borba Owen Borba 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Wilson Central | 2024 State TN – Wilson Cent., Amare Smith Amare Smith 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Giles Co. | 2024 State TN – Giles Co.
(DL) Keegen Scruggs Keegen Scruggs 6'1" | 250 lbs | DL Centennial | 2024 State TN – Centennial, Rocco Abbagnaro Rocco Abbagnaro 6'4" | 280 lbs | DL CPA | 2024 State TN – CPA
(LB) D.J. Curll D.J. Curll 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Centennial | 2024 State TN – Centennial
(DB) Jayden George Jayden George 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Centennial | 2024 State TN – Centennial, Jayden Hines Jayden Hines 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB West Creek | 2024 State TN – West Creek