Tennessee Future Stars: 2029 Offensive Standouts

The 7th Grade (class of 2029) Tennessee Future Stars lost a heart-breaker to Kentucky this past weekend, on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University. It was an unbelievable game that showcased a lot of future talent. Below are the Tennessee class of 2029 prospects that stood out to me on the offensive side of the ball.    The Wide Receiver made a couple of nice grabs in Tennessee's heart-breaking loss to Kentucky in the seventh-grade Future Stars Game. In the first quarter he got open a sharply-ran slant route and was delivered a laser by Quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='424644' first='Kam' last='Morton']. Pack got busy again late in the nail-biter of a game, with a  huge catch at the 2:51 mark of the fourth quarter. His catch kept the assumed game-winning drive alive, allowing Tennessee to take the lead late. However, as everyone would quickly find out, the win was ripped away by Kentucky scored on the final play of the game.     Speaking of the aforementioned [player_tooltip player_id='424644' first='Kam' last='Morton'], the Quarterback was nothing short of sensational the entire ball game. He made play after play, big throw after big throw and back-breaking run after back-breaking run for the Volunteer State. The unanimous, unquestioned Tennessee Offensive MVP of the game, he nearly willed the team to the victory by himself. After scoring on a beautifully designed and executed QB Keeper in the first quarter, he found the end zone again late in the fourth quarter. On one of the most jaw-dropping QB scrambles I've seen in recent memory, he took off, diving to hit the front right pylon with a minute and change left in the fourth quarter for what the entire stadium thought would be the game-winning touchdown. One of those endings you'd have to see to believe.     In my opinion, Gibbs was the best Offensive Lineman on the 2024 7th Grade Tennessee Future Stars team. The starter at Left Guard, he was a force from the opening whistle to the last drive for the guys in grey. Kentucky is always big across the front and Gibbs matched them pound-for-pound in terms of size, strength and aggression. He did more than his fair share of pushing and shoving in the heat of the action, even drawing a personal foul on Kentucky after some extracurriculars in the first quarter. He's the type of kid you can build an Offensive Line around.     Starting Running Back [player_tooltip player_id='1305175' first='Maurice' last='Smith Jr.'] had a very good game for Tennessee. Blessed with size, speed and the willingness to block out of the backfield, he ran hard all day long. It didn't matter if it was between the tackles or stretch plays to the outside, Smith Jr. picked up a bunch of yards. In my notes I jotted down that he appears to be a very complete RB only being a 2029 prospect. On top of what he contributed out of the backfield, he also set the tone early with a big return on the opening kickoff.     Likely won't show up in the stat book (no official states were kept to my knowledge) other than a questionable holding call, but [player_tooltip player_id='1305177' first='Jimmy' last='Payne'] looks a future star (pun intended) at Tight End. Primarily lined up as an H-Back in Tennessee's offensive attack, he made a number of good blocks and also look fluid running routes when he got the opportunity. With his size and athletic ability, he's one to watch with further development.     While he wasn't the starter at Running Back, Buntyn got a bunch of touches throughout the game and handled some of the return duties. A shorter, more compact back with shorter strides (than [player_tooltip player_id='1305175' first='Maurice' last='Smith Jr.']) to go with it, he was a nice compliment in terms of running style. Without watching any previous film on him, I'd assume he has enough speed to beat most kids at this level to the edge. In this game he was a step slower and couldn't get to that edge at times, but he dipped a shoulder and showed off his power.     As mentioned above, Tennessee's offense became ground-heavy as the game wore on. However, when the Volunteer State did throw it up, Moulden was the guy they were looking for. A quicker, smaller kid on the outside, he made two receptions that opened some eyes. Moulden has some wiggle and can make guys miss in quick passes, but then has some track speed to get open over the top. A reclassed prospect, I look forward to seeing what another year of physical development will look like.     Miller was the first offensive linemen I noticed on the field for Tennessee because he's built like a refrigerator. The starter at Right Tackle, he's a broad, compact kid who generates a boat load of power in his first few steps. As big as he is, he did fatigue quickly and the Tennessee offense had several wrinkles that allowed him to come out for a few to catch his wind. There's a lot of work to do in terms of becoming athletic enough to stay out at Offensive Tackle. Truth be told, he's probably one heck of an interior lineman. That said, he's a wide load that backs must feel confident running behind.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Tennessee 7th Grade (Class of 2029) Future Stars That Stood Out</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1305201' first='Riley' last='Miller'] | Wide Receiver - Looked the part during warmups and turned out to be a starter in the game for Tennessee. He made a catch early in the game but was fairly quiet after that. Tennessee relied heavily on the running game for much of its offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1305211' first='Cullen' last='Hayden'] | Quarterback - Hayden made the most of his opportunities, playing behind Tennessee's Offensive MVP of the game. Consistently threw a nice ball and made several nice throws between the hashes, when Kentucky would cheat up, expecting run.   [player_tooltip player_id='1305217' first='David' last='Knowles'] | Running Back - With Morton, Buntyn and Smith Jr. all needing to be fed, Knowles didn't get the amount of touches he probably hoped for. However, I liked what I saw out of him in terms of toughness and production when he did get the rock.   [player_tooltip player_id='1305219' first='Coell' last='Doggett'] | Offensive Line - The starter at Right Guard for Tennessee, he did a solid job of opening up some holes throughout the day for his Running Backs and Quarterback. Has a good build for an Offensive Linemen at this level and was able to climb the ladder and block on the next level.   Mason McNally | Offensive Line - The starter at Left Tackle for Tennessee, he played with a lot of power until, an injury forced him from the game. Crashed down well and rode Kentucky Defensive End's out. Has a thick lower half, specifically in his calves. Looking forward to seeing more here.   [player_tooltip player_id='1305226' first='Haddon' last='Thornburg'] | Offensive Line - While he wasn't a starter, when McNally (listed above) went down with an injury, Thornburg stepped in and made some nice blocks. He's a big kid, perhaps the tallest lineman on the team, and is clearly still figuring out how to move all the mass. Did flash a bit of a mean streak at times.

The 7th Grade (class of 2029) Tennessee Future Stars lost a heart-breaker to Kentucky this past weekend, on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University. It was an unbelievable game that showcased a lot of future talent. Below are the Tennessee class of 2029 prospects that stood out to me on the offensive side of the ball.