Rankings Rundown (#TN2026 Class)
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Our new prospect rankings for the 2026 recruiting class dropped yesterday and it’s a deep class full of future college players along with several ranked guys sporting upside for growth. Here we provide a overview on some of the top…
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Continue ReadingOur new prospect rankings for the 2026 recruiting class dropped yesterday and it’s a deep class full of future college players along with several ranked guys sporting upside for growth. Here we provide a overview on some of the top stories and top prospects from the #TN2026 rankings.
Talented Top Ten
– The entire process for ranking the #TN2026 class was tough but getting the Top Ten in line was even tougher and that’s due to a top loaded group of Power Four future prospects that we had to sift through. Even picking the top prospect overall in Nash. Christian quarterback Jared Curtis Jared Curtis 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Nash. Christian | 2026 State TN was hard but the Eagles signal caller has all the tools you want in a big stage guy.
Curtis is a big dude with a physical body and a cannon right arm that is set to be showcased at the University of Georgia in a couple of years. He will need to continue developing his skill set to keep that #1 spot as several others behind him are legit and coming after him.
Ranking 2nd overall is possibly one of the better cover corner prospects in the country in McCallie rising junior Chaston Smith Chaston Smith 6'1" | 165 lbs | DB McCallie | 2026 State TN . Recently moving down to Chattanooga for his final two years of high school ball, Smith is an athlete and technician that has just about every power program in the country after him.
East Robertson defensive end Zach Groves Zach Groves 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL East Robertson | 2026 State TN comes in ranked 3rd and the top line prospect from the #TN2026 class. Standing 6 ‘4 230 pounds, the Indians junior pass rusher shows outstanding potential on film along with the size to compete on the highest stage of college football. Maryville offensive tackle Brody Smith Brody Smith 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Maryville | 2026 State TN comes in next, ranked 4th overall. The Rebels blind side blocker has everything you want in a left tackle as Smith sports great size, athleticism and bend. He still has room to grow too, so the future is bright for this East Tennessee product.
Staying out East, Knox. Webb two-way talent Shavar Young, Jr Shavar Young, Jr 6'0" | 170 lbs | ATH Knox. Webb | 2026 State TN places next, ranked 5th and a prospect that can possibly move up in Top 3 status by the time he leaves the high school ranks. The Spartans junior is a very talented young man with upside to excel at either receiver or defensive back in college.
New to the state of Tennessee, Baylor offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda Gabriel Osenda 6'8" | 310 lbs | OL Baylor | 2026 State TN comes in 6th overall and the 2nd ranked OL from the #TN2026 class. A massive young man at 6’8 310 pounds, Osenda more than looks the part while providing versatility to play either tackle or guard on the collegiate level. The first wideout ranked in our new rankings is Knox. Catholic junior Tyreek King Tyreek King 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Knox. Catholic | 2026 State TN . The Fighting Irish playmaker is a clean prospect that does just about everything well along with tons of room for growth.
Coming in next, ranked 8th overall is McCallie receiver Keeyshawn Schneider Keeyshawn Schneider 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR McCallie | 2026 State TN . An electric playmaker with breakaway speed, Schneider is the top slot receiver prospect from our junior class that brings a lot of versatility to the field as he can work outside but also become a problem in the return game on special teams.
Finishing out the top ten is Haywood defensive back Caden Harris Caden Harris 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB Haywood | 2026 State TN (ranked 9th) and DCA tight end Carson Sneed Carson Sneed 6'6" | 245 lbs | TE DCA | 2026 State TN (ranked 10th). Both of these guys are Power Four level prospects and possible top players at their positions nationally. Harris is an athletic, technique sound defender that could excel at either cover corner or free safety in college. Sneed is a massive pass catcher that moves very well for his size. While he does a great job of stretching the field, Sneed has the size to become an excellent run blocker as well.
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Strong Crop of Junior Quarterbacks
– Our rising junior quarterback class may be the best we have ever had in the state of Tennessee and that’s saying something with all the good signal callers that have come out of here within the past several years. This crop of passers has something others in the past didn’t have and that’s true depth. Eleven quarterbacks are ranked within our new Top 100 with several others behind, sporting the upside to be ranked somewhere down the road.
Curtis is the top guy among the junior quarterbacks but he must continue to work because others behind him are talented with the upside to take the top spot, especially MBA junior Hugh Price Hugh Price 6'5" | 210 lbs | QB MBA | 2026 State TN . This 6’6 gunslinger has smooth mechanics and outstanding arm strength along with nice mobility in and out of the pocket. Price (11th overall) certainly has the chops to contend with Curtis as the top quarterback in this state.
Baylor junior Briggs Cherry Briggs Cherry 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Baylor | 2026 State TN (20th overall) is built almost in the same manner as Curtis and Price. He is a big boy (6’4 205) with a big arm that shows on film the ability to make all the throws needed. He is a true pocket passer that demonstrates excellent poise with pressure in the face.
Ranked 4th within the quarterbacks and 26th overall, Kelvin Perkins Kelvin Perkins 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Southwind | 2026 State TN is a pass first dual threat quarterback that is coming off a sensational sophomore season that saw him earn Class 5A Mr. Football. The Jags quarterback has excellent mechanics along with high football intelligence and the arm to push it down field. Another guy with a big arm that can spin it well is Ravenwood junior Femi Babalola Femi Babalola 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Ravenwood | 2026 State TN . The Raptors junior not only looks the part of a college guy but plays like it too and he is still far from a finished product, so the future is bright for Babalola.
Keep an eye on Briarcrest Christian quarterback Hudson Tucker Hudson Tucker 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Briarcrest Christian School | 2026 State TN (66th overall) throughout the Fall football year as he has been on a heater all off-season, boosting his stock and he could work his way into the Top 5 at his position with a breakout junior season.
Ranked 7th among the quarterbacks, Upperman junior Bronzden Chaffin Bronzden Chaffin 6'4" | 225 lbs | QB Upperman | 2026 State TN (68th overall) may have as much raw upside as anybody. Standing 6’4 220 pounds, the Bees quarterback has great size but also provides a powerful right arm and athleticism to evade pass rushers. His development this Fall and into the off-season will be critical towards where he lands on the college level.
The final four quarterbacks ranked inside our New Tennessee Top 100 are talented passers with nice physical traits but may be a tick behind others placed ahead of them. Coming in ranked 74th overall, Green Hill junior Kannon Burroughs Kannon Burroughs 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Green Hill | 2026 State TN has the size and arm talent you want in a future college quarterback. He is still growing into his body and developing but the upside is definitely there.
BGA signal caller Kaedyn Marable Kaedyn Marable 6'3" | 170 lbs | QB BGA | 2026 State TN comes in next, placed 77th overall and someone that can move up the charts with a strong junior season. The Wildcats junior has the height and developing arm talent to watch FCS, possible D1 programs get involved with him, if Marable continues to get bigger and stronger. Powell quarterback Deuce Rodgers Deuce Rodgers 6'3" | 220 lbs | QB Powell | 2026 State TN (82nd overall) is a big dude behind center, standing 6’3 220 pounds with excellent poise and the threat to beat defenses in several ways.
Gallatin junior Jackson Stroup Jackson Stroup 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Gallatin | 2026 State TN is our last ranked quarterback, coming in at 90th overall but he can move up in our rankings with a breakout campaign this Fall, where he shows off enhanced mobility and improved arm strength and ball placement.
Potential is certainly there for this quarterback crop to go down as the best class of all time but tons of work must continue to happen. This crop will grow too as we have several others behind the Top 11 that can make their way into our next updated rankings and become potential college guys. It will be fun to watch this group and how they progress over the next two years to see if this class will go down as the best ever.
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Deep & Talented 2026 O-line Class
– Year after year, we tend to grow good offensive linemen in this state and the 2026 class looks to be no different. Looking over our new junior rankings, 16 trench blockers are placed within our Tennessee Top 100 and it will grow even deeper as we move into the Fall football season with new names jumping in the mix.
Maryville junior Brody Smith Brody Smith 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Maryville | 2026 State TN and Baylor big man Gabriel Osenda Gabriel Osenda 6'8" | 310 lbs | OL Baylor | 2026 State TN lead the way, ranked 4th and 6th overall but they are followed by several high quality big men that are destined for the college ranks. One of the guy’s is MASE junior Charles Humphrey Jr. Charles Humphrey Jr. 6'7" | 270 lbs | OL MASE | 2026 State TN This 6 ‘7 offensive tackle (14th overall) burst onto the scene this summer in a big way, landing multiple Power Four, D1 offers and putting himself on the map as a legit blind side blocker.
Cookeville junior Austin Hoane Austin Hoane 6'4" | 285 lbs | OL Cookeville | 2026 State TN (21st overall) and McMinn Co. interior O-lineman Camden Goforth Camden Goforth 6'4" | 290 lbs | OL McMinn Co. | 2026 State TN (24th overall) come in next and are two brawlers that have had strong summer camp season’s. Hoane is a versatile guy who can play tackle in college while Goforth is a powerful beast that will handle guard or center. Neither of these guys have seen their recruiting take off just yet but trust me, it will happen!
Coming in next, ranked 30th overall is Page interior O-lineman Jacob Rathbone Jacob Rathbone 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Page | 2026 State TN . The Patriots junior has been a starter since his freshman season and has continued to get better each year. He now heads into the Fall season as one of the top center prospects in the state and someone that could move up in the rankings with a strong junior year.
Fighting Rathbone for the top center prospect from our junior class is Collierville O-lineman Cooper Sherrod Cooper Sherrod 6'2" | 285 lbs | OL Collierville | 2026 State TN . Standing about 6’2 285 pounds, Sherrod (36th overall) is a strong and stout blocker with balance that moves his feet well, consistently putting himself in the right position to succeed.
Kirkwood junior Kamari Blair Kamari Blair 6'6" | 255 lbs | OL Kirkwood | 2026 State TN may have as much upside as anybody within our #TN2026 O-line class. Ranked 32nd overall, the Cobras big man has the size needed to compete on the big stage of college ball along with the athleticism and length to handle the blind side. If Blair can continue getting bigger and developing much further, you may have a Power Four blocker on your hands.
Baylor O-lineman Charlie Edgeworth Charlie Edgeworth 6'8" | 320 lbs | OL Baylor | 2026 State TN (40th overall), Germantown junior Andre Amos, Jr Andre Amos, Jr 6'4" | 305 lbs | OL Germantown | 2026 State TN (47th overall) and Columbia Academy big man Daniel Cepicky Daniel Cepicky 6'5" | 290 lbs | OL Columbia Academy | 2026 State TN (57th overall) come in next within our rankings and all three guys have the abilities to work their way into Power Four status with continued development. Edgeworth and Cepicky have a chance to play tackle moving forward while Amos is an interior guy that could handle both guard or center.
Baylor junior Xavier Wade Xavier Wade 6'5" | 280 lbs | OL Baylor | 2026 State TN comes in next at 58th overall with Ensworth big man Richard Thigpen Richard Thigpen 6'6" | 310 lbs | OL Ensworth | 2026 TN being right behind him at 61st overall. Both of these guys are massive young men that have a great opportunity in front of them this Fall to establish themselves as bonafide D1 guys. Wade is someone I am still learning as he is new to Tennessee while Thigpen has the size to play tackle but his upside may sit best inside at guard.
Rounding out the O-linemen inside the Tennessee Top 100 are three interior blockers in Ethan Harris Ethan Harris 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Green Hill | 2026 State TN (67th overall) out of Green Hill, Ton’Reon Brazelton Ton’Reon Brazelton 6'3" | 300 lbs | OL Bearden | 2026 State TN (83rd overall) from Bearden and Blackman two-way lineman Kennedy Jackson Kennedy Jackson 6'2" | 285 lbs | OL Blackman | 2026 State TN .
Harris is one of the more explosive blockers we have from the #TN2026 class as he shows on film the upside to play on the left side and develop into a nice pass and run blocking offensive guard. Brazelton is a pure guard prospect that fits better right now blocking in the run game compared to his pass pro. Jackson is an intriguing talent that is well built physically with the chance to play on either side of the ball but I like his upside best on offense where he can become a physical beast at guard or center.
I expect this O-line class to become deeper over the coming months as more guys grow into their bodies and gain the needed experience throughout the coming season.
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DB’s Are Deep w/ Ball Hawks
– All across the board, our junior class of defensive backs is as talented as ever and maybe one of the best units of all time, if everybody involved continues to develop at a proper rate. This year’s group is top heavy with several guys destined for the Power Four ranks with several others yet to be ranked that are talented but missing a key trait or two.
Chaston Smith Chaston Smith 6'1" | 165 lbs | DB McCallie | 2026 State TN is the top guy (2nd overall) from our junior defensive backs but is closely followed by Caden Harris Caden Harris 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB Haywood | 2026 State TN (9th overall) and several others, itching to jump in front of them.
Ranked 16th overall and the 3rd placed defensive back is Pearl Cohn junior Josh Sims Josh Sims 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB Pearl Cohn | 2026 State TN . Holding 20 plus offers in hand already, Sims is an athletic, smooth moving defender that could handle cover corner responsibilities on the collegiate level. Much of the same can be said for Ensworth defender Justin Hopkins Justin Hopkins 6'0" | 165 lbs | DB Ensworth | 2026 State TN . Placed 17th overall, the Tigers junior prospect is a natural athlete that moves very well while sporting versatility and the ability to handle multiple secondary positions.
Making a transfer over the BGA this off-season, junior defensive back T.O. Otey T.O. Otey 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB BGA | 2026 State TN (22nd overall) is another versatile defender that shows signs of potentially playing cornerback in college but at worst, he can slide over to nickel or back to safety and excel.
Oakland junior safety Craig Tutt Craig Tutt 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Oakland | 2026 State TN (25th overall) has seen an explosion with his recruitment during these summer months as several Power Four programs have jumped on board, pushing his stock further into national status. Another safety with national potential is FRA junior Jayden Rush Jayden Rush 6'0" | 180 lbs | DB FRA | 2026 State TN . Coming in ranked 44th overall, the Panthers defender is one of the more athletic safeties we have in our junior class and a prospect I can see exploding on the recruiting scene during these coming Fall months.
Two defensive backs that have a chance to play cover corner on the collegiate gridiron are Jamarcus Watkins Jamarcus Watkins 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB Clarksville | 2026 State TN (41st overall) out of Clarksville and Knox. Central junior Torin McAfee Torin McAfee 6'1" | 165 lbs | DB Knox. Central | 2026 State TN . Holding an offer from Vanderbilt, Watkins is an aggressive and athletic guy that brings tenacity and versatility to the playing field while McAfee (52nd overall) is a ball hawk that has a natural feel for finding the ball. Both guys are very talented with room to grow moving forward.
Kolby Barrett Kolby Barrett 6'2" | 190 lbs | DB Baylor | 2026 State TN (Baylor) and Omari Bledsoe Omari Bledsoe 6'4" | 180 lbs | DB Lipscomb Academy | 2026 State TN (Lipscomb Acad.) are two D2-Class AAA defenders that bring great physical traits to the field that translate well to the college game. Barrett (55th overall) is a big dude that looks the part of a strong safety within the college game that might grow into a linebacker down the road. Bledsoe (56th overall) is a tall and long young man with a wide radius that could develop nicely at cornerback but would certainly do well at safety too.
The rest of the defensive back class ranked inside our Top 100 are safety prospects, except for one in Mt. Pleasant junior Jalen Smith Jalen Smith 6'1" | 160 lbs | DB Mt. Pleasant | 2026 State TN , who shows upside to play cornerback in college. The Tigers junior defensive back (86th overall) is a tall and long young man that plays a technique sound brand of football.
Cane Ridge safety Darius McGill Darius McGill 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB Cane Ridge | 2026 State TN (73rd overall) is someone many may not know too much about at the moment but you should by the end of the coming season. Independence two-way talent Hunter Mullen Hunter Mullen 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB Independence | 2026 State TN (84th overall) is a true “ball player” that has a great feel for the game and natural ball hawk tendencies that translate well to the college game.
Returning for the Fall as one of the top pick artists in the state, First Assembly junior Charlie Goss Charlie Goss 6'4" | 185 lbs | DB First Assembly | 2026 State TN comes in ranked 89th overall and a prospect that can boost his stock with a big junior season. Standing 6 ‘3 180 plus pounds, Goss brings good to the table but if he can fill out his frame and display increased athleticism, college programs will start to get involved.
Page junior safety Knight Wilson Knight Wilson 6'0" | 175 lbs | DB Page | 2026 State TN and Cordova defensive back Marlon Hammond Marlon Hammond 6'2" | 175 lbs | DB Cordova | 2026 State TN close out our defensive rankings coming in at 98th and 99th overall. Wilson is a smart and savvy ball player that works well against both the pass and the run. Hammond is a tall and long defender that still needs work but the potential is definitely there. Both these guys need more time to develop but I can see college upside within both prospects.
By the time we get done with the 2026 recruiting class, our defensive back crop may turn out to be the best and the deepest group of all. All 17 guys mentioned here are destined for the college ranks but we have several others behind them, not listed in our rankings that will rise and become known prospects over time.
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Positional Rankings (By The Numbers)
Which position had the most players ranked inside our new junior Tennessee Top 100? Find out here!
Defensive Backs: (17)
Offensive Line: (16)
Defensive Line: (15)
Receivers: (13)
Quarterbacks: (11)
Athletes: (10)
Linebackers: (7)
Running Backs: (7)
Tight Ends: (4)
Our new prospect rankings for the 2026 recruiting class dropped yesterday and it's a deep class full of future college players along with several ranked guys sporting upside for growth. Here we provide a overview on some of the top stories and top prospects from the #TN2026 rankings.
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue Reading