Class 4A Pre-season Mr. Football Candidates

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Winning top individual honors in Class 4A this season will be tough as you have several top contenders on state championship caliber teams competing against each other. Picking a winner here is hard but we provide you below w/ our best choices to win Mr. Football by season's end. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leaders in the Clubhouse - Pre-season</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(QB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='258845' first='Keshawn' last='Tarleton'] </strong>- Pearl Cohn</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Coming off an appearance in the Class 4A title game but on the losing end of things, Tarleton is poised to erase that loss and lead his Firebirds back to the 4A championship this season but also place himself in top contention for Mr. Football. A multi year starter and leader of the Pearl Cohn offense, Tarleton is a calm, cool customer behind center that might have as much firepower around him as he's had in his career thus far, which makes him a prime contender for the top individual honors in the 4A ranks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tarleton has also improved his abilities a ton this off-season by showing better accuracy and timing along with enhancing his arm strength. This coming Fall season could be the best this Nashville area quarterback has looked so far due to his body growth and increased knowledge. If the Firebirds roll together another strong regular season with big numbers from Tarleton, expect to see this 6'1 passer at the Titans Stadium in December as a finalist for Mr. Football.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>---------</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(QB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='207322' first='Carter' last='Smith'] </strong>- Hardin Co.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Smith is the lone quarterback on this list that holds a D1 offer, so the talent is definitely there for this West Tennessee signal caller to be considered a top contender for Mr. Football by the end of the regular season and a leader that can take his Tigers team all the way to the 4A title game. A strong armed thrower with great mechanics, Smith is one of the best pure passers from our #TN2024 class, so he knows how to get the job done through the air. If he receives help from defense, the Tigers won't only be in contention for the 4A title but Smith will be in the mix for Mr. Football too.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It won't be an easy path to win top honors for Smith as he will have stiff competition but he is a seasoned vet that has been starting since his sophomore season, so the Tigers signal caller should be ready for a big senior year ahead. If all goes according to plan, I'd expect to see Smith in Nashville at the Titans Stadium in December as not only a finalist for Mr. Football but a strong contender to win it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":358893,"width":466,"height":698,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/123-Carter-Smith-1-scaled.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-358893" width="466" height="698" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>---------</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(QB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='149844' first='Cordero' last='Walker'] </strong>- Haywood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- One of the more athletic quarterbacks from our #TN2024 class, Walker is dynamic playmaker that has improved his passing this off-season to combine with his running talents to become a clear cut candidate for Mr. Football this season. The Tomcats senior product put together a strong junior campaign last year but his team fell one game short of making it to Chattanooga, so Walker probably has championship aspirations at the top of his mind, rather than winning individual honors. That's the sign of a leader and Walker sports those abilities and then some!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense's have a hard time stopping Walker due to his running abilities but it will his passing that will set him apart this year, putting him squarely in the mix to contend for Mr. Football. I fully expect this West Tennessee talent to put up huge numbers this Fall as Walker is the top playmaker for his Tomcats squad and the engine that runs everything. If he remains healthy and Haywood puts forth a winning year, Walker should be a finalist for Mr. Football. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":497822,"width":453,"height":477,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/corwalker.jpeg?w=971" alt="" class="wp-image-497822" width="453" height="477" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>--------</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(QB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='398083' first='Silas' last='Teat'] </strong>- Marshall Co.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Efficiency is the key word when talking about Teat and heading into his senior year, this Mid-Tennessee product has a great shot at putting himself in contention for Mr. Football due to an explosive offense around him and a team that should fight for a region championship. An accurate, timely passer with a great feel for the game, Teat is one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the #TN2024 class and a guy who has the poise and leadership qualities to push the Tigers to another winning season and hopefully beyond in the postseason.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers schedule won't be easy but it will present strong challenges for Teat and his offense to not only place themselves on the map as a formidable team but place himself in the mix for Mr. Football. What Teat doesn't do is turn the ball over and the passing offense should expand further this year with tremendous athleticism and speed on the outside, so I expect some stout numbers from the Tigers signal caller. Teat may be a sleeper for Mr. Football but he has the tools to find himself in Nashville as a finalist by the end of the year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>---------</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(RB/LB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='433125' first='Nick' last='Moog'] </strong>- Anderson Co.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- One of the top two-way players from the Class 4A ranks, Moog steps into the senior role this year as the team leader and top main contributor from both sides of the ball, which makes this East Tennessee product a prime contender for Mr. Football. Moog was a major player on last year's Class 4A championship team while having a breakout party during that game and now is expected to take that momentum into the Fall and help lead the Mavs back into title contention.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moog returns as the team's top linebacker and should put forth a big year of tackles but it will be his work on offense at running back that could land him in the mix for Mr. Football. A power back that is hard to bring down, Moog is a hard nosed ball carrier that runs with grit and passion, so he presents a lot of challenges to the opposition. If he remains healthy and the Mavs put together another winning season, Moog should be in consideration for the top individual honor in the Class 4A ranks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":614387,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/sq2C6jsk_400x400.jpeg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-614387" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>---------</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(RB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239250' first='Malachi' last='Cromwell'] </strong>- Pearl Cohn</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- The Firebirds of Pearl Cohn could have one of the more explosive, high scoring offenses in the state this season and a key catalyst in those efforts will be Cromwell, an athletic and fast ball carrier that has the abilities to play his way into contention for Mr. Football as well as boost his recruiting stock. An undersized back who has a great feel for finding open holes, Cromwell is tough to compete against as he runs low to the ground with nice balance and vision along with the speed to create big plays. He has the kind of skill set that can put up big numbers on the ground, which in turn should make him a prime candidate for Mr. Football.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another factor that could help Cromwell with Mr. Football is the fact that Pearl Cohn is a top contender to win the Class 4A state title this year. The Firebirds are loaded with talent, sporting a roster that could go undefeated throughout the regular season and with Cromwell sitting in a lead position at running back, he is a strong choice to be considered for top individual honors.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>---------</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>‘25 (RB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='616519' first='Rhyan' last='Brown'] </strong>- Melrose</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- If you don't know about this West Tennessee running back, you better start learning about Mr. Brown as he is a name to watch over the next two years as someone that could leave his career at Melrose with tons of accolades, including winning Mr Football. Coming off a sophomore season where Brown ran for over 1,500 yards, this Memphis area ball carrier returns this Fall as a marked man, meaning the opposition will be gunning to slow him, so if the Golden Wildcats junior puts together another strong year among stiff competition, I see no doubt that he will be a finalist for Mr. Football.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown will certainly need some help on offense this year, if he plans to have another monster season. Opposing defenses will be keying on Brown as much as possible, looking to slow him down and keep him from beating them. It won't be an easy path this year for Brown as he is now a known dude but I believe he will be up for the challenge and by season's end, he should be in prime contention as a possible finalist for Mr. Football.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Contenders: </strong>(LB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='306578' first='Amanuel' last='Dickson'] </strong>- Greeneville, (QB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150269' first='Izaiah' last='Hall'] </strong>- Anderson Co., (LB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='237054' first='Kobe' last='Smith'] </strong>- Red Bank, (RB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='277791' first='Jaxson' last='Rollins'] </strong>- Upperman, (QB) <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='306693' first='Briz' last='Trapp']</strong> - DeKalb Co.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":854743,"width":579,"height":387,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/rhybrown.jpg?w=808" alt="" class="wp-image-854743" width="579" height="387" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->