Mr. Football Finalists: #MidTN Talent Leads The Way
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On Tuesday evening, our 2023 Mr. Football finalists were announced and we have some familiar names listed below with the Middle TN region holding the most selections. The biggest individual honor in the state for high school football players is…
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Continue ReadingOn Tuesday evening, our 2023 Mr. Football finalists were announced and we have some familiar names listed below with the Middle TN region holding the most selections.
The biggest individual honor in the state for high school football players is “Mr. Football” and on Tuesday evening, our finalists for the 2023 season were announced.
Several top names were omitted from the finalists list but the ones who were nominated, certainly earned their placements as they were top players across their classification this season. The winner for each classification will be announced at the Titans Stadium on December 8th.
This year’s crop is as talented as ever when it comes to Mr. Football finalists with the Middle Tennessee region leading the way in selections with seventeen players.
Class 4A is the only region with all the finalists coming from the Mid-TN region with the selections being Gabe Borders from Macon Co. and Pearl Cohn teammates, defensive end Zeion Simpson-Smith Zeion Simpson-Smith 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Pearl Cohn | 2024 State TN and multi-year starting quarterback Keshawn Tarleton Keshawn Tarleton 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Pearl Cohn | 2024 State TN .
The one classification that did not have a Mid-Tennessee representative was Class 3A where two of the nominees ( Radarious Jackson Radarious Jackson 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Sheffield | 2025 State TN / Skylan Smith Skylan Smith 5'8" | 185 lbs | RB Covington | 2025 TN ) come from the West part of the state while the other finalist is South Florida commit and Alcoa wideout Brandon Winton, Jr Brandon Winton, Jr 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Alcoa | 2024 State TN .
Fourteen others from the Middle Tennessee area are spread out among the other classifications with those players being Ben Franklin (Cornersville), Dawson White Dawson White 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Moore Co. | 2024 TN (Moore Co.), Isaiah Groves Isaiah Groves 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB East Robertson | 2025 State TN (East Robertson), Darien Meza Darien Meza 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Mt. Pleasant | 2024 TN (Mt. Pleasant), Eric Hazzard Eric Hazzard 6'3" | 255 lbs | DL Page | 2025 State TN (Page), Dominic Reed Dominic Reed 6'0" | 195 lbs | ATH Centennial | 2024 State TN (Centennial), Braden Graham Braden Graham 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Riverdale | 2024 State TN (Riverdale), Daune Morris Daune Morris 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Oakland | 2025 State TN (Oakland), Tyson Wolcott Tyson Wolcott 5'7" | 165 lbs | RB Friendship Christian | 2024 TN (FCS), Ty Clark III Ty Clark III 6'1" | 200 lbs | RB FRA | 2024 State TN (FRA), Crews Law Crews Law 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB CPA | 2024 State TN (CPA), Kaleb Beasley Kaleb Beasley 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB Lipscomb Academy | 2024 State TN (Lipscomb Acad.), Grant Chadwick Grant Chadwick 6'4" | 195 lbs | P Tullahoma | 2024 TN (Tullahoma) and Daniel Echeverria from Mt. Juliet.
This is a large collection of players from Mid-Tennessee with several of them destined for college ball over the next few years but other parts across the state can’t be overlooked as several guys from the East and West region could be considered favorites to win Mr. Football.
A few guys to mention and watch out for as possible Mr. Football winners include Stone Wallace Stone Wallace 6'3" | 180 lbs | ATH Decatur County Riverside | 2024 TN (Riverside), Radarious Jackson Radarious Jackson 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Sheffield | 2025 State TN (Sheffield), Boo Carter Boo Carter 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Bradley Central | 2024 State TN (Bradley Cent.), Jaylen Mosley Jaylen Mosley 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH Jackson Christian | 2025 State TN (Jackson Chrst.) Brian Shields Brian Shields 5'10" | 165 lbs | ATH First Assembly | 2024 TN (FACS), Markeis Barrett Markeis Barrett 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Knox. Webb | 2024 State TN and future Alabama and current Baylor receiver Amari Jefferson Amari Jefferson 6'2" | 195 lbs | ATH Baylor | 2024 State TN .
Keep an eye on Wallace, Mosley and Shields as those three guys to me look like favorites to win Mr. Football for their classifications as all three put together stellar 2023 season’s that certainly deserve top individual honors.
We won’t know who the official winners are for several weeks but for those selected as finalists, it’s a big accomplishment that helps each and every player with their recruiting stocks as well as something every player can be proud to talk about for the rest of their lives.
Mr. Football Finalists
Class 1A
(RB/DE) Ben Franklin – Cornersville
(QB) Cameron Schlicht – Dresden
(RB/S) Dawson White Dawson White 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Moore Co. | 2024 TN – Moore Co.
– – – – –
Class 2A
(RB) Isaiah Groves Isaiah Groves 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB East Robertson | 2025 State TN – East Robertson ‘25
(WR) Darien Meza Darien Meza 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Mt. Pleasant | 2024 TN – Mt. Pleasant
(QB/S) Stone Wallace Stone Wallace 6'3" | 180 lbs | ATH Decatur County Riverside | 2024 TN – Riverside
– – – – –
Class 3A
(WR) Radarious Jackson Radarious Jackson 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Sheffield | 2025 State TN – Sheffield ‘25
(RB) Skylan Smith Skylan Smith 5'8" | 185 lbs | RB Covington | 2025 TN – Covington ‘25
(WR) Brandon Winton, Jr Brandon Winton, Jr 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Alcoa | 2024 State TN – Alcoa
– – – – –
Class 4A
(Ath) Gabe Borders – Macon Co.
(DE) Zeion Simpson-Smith Zeion Simpson-Smith 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Pearl Cohn | 2024 State TN – Pearl Cohn
(QB) Keshawn Tarleton Keshawn Tarleton 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Pearl Cohn | 2024 State TN – Pearl Cohn
– – – – –
Class 5A
(LB) Eric Hazzard Eric Hazzard 6'3" | 255 lbs | DL Page | 2025 State TN – Page ‘25
(QB) Kelvin Perkins Kelvin Perkins 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Southwind | 2026 TN – Southwind ‘26
(RB/S) Dominic Reed Dominic Reed 6'0" | 195 lbs | ATH Centennial | 2024 State TN – Centennial
– – – – –
Class 6A
(Ath) Boo Carter Boo Carter 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Bradley Central | 2024 State TN – Bradley Central
(QB) Braden Graham Braden Graham 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Riverdale | 2024 State TN – Riverdale
(RB) Daune Morris Daune Morris 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Oakland | 2025 State TN – Oakland ‘25
– – – – –
D2-Class A
(WR/S) Jaylen Mosley Jaylen Mosley 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH Jackson Christian | 2025 State TN – Jackson Chrst. ‘25
(RB) Brian Shields Brian Shields 5'10" | 165 lbs | ATH First Assembly | 2024 TN – First Assembly
(RB) Tyson Wolcott Tyson Wolcott 5'7" | 165 lbs | RB Friendship Christian | 2024 TN – Friendship Chrst.
– – – – –
D2-Class AA
(WR) Markeis Barrett Markeis Barrett 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Knox. Webb | 2024 State TN – Knox. Webb
(RB) Ty Clark III Ty Clark III 6'1" | 200 lbs | RB FRA | 2024 State TN – FRA
(LB) Crews Law Crews Law 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB CPA | 2024 State TN – CPA
– – – – –
D2-Class AAA
(DB) Kaleb Beasley Kaleb Beasley 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB Lipscomb Academy | 2024 State TN – Lipscomb Acad.
(DE/LB) Carson Gentle – McCallie
(WR) Amari Jefferson Amari Jefferson 6'2" | 195 lbs | ATH Baylor | 2024 State TN – Baylor
– – – – –
Kicker of the Year
Grant Chadwick Grant Chadwick 6'4" | 195 lbs | P Tullahoma | 2024 TN – Tullahoma
Daniel Echeverria – Mt. Juliet
Owen Taylor – Knox. Halls