Dyer County (Tenn.) 2029 and 2030 Prospects That Shined This Year

With a total population of under 40,000 total residents, Dyer County ranks 43rd in the Volunteer State. What that said, Dyer County is also one of the more populated counties in Northwest, Tennessee too. Below is a look at some of the most impressive middle school football prospects in Dyer County based off what I saw during the 2024 season.    Based off what I've been able to see on film, there's very little doubt in my mind that [player_tooltip player_id='1539843' first='CJ' last='Briggs'] is the most talented eighth-grade prospect in all of Dyer County as of October 2024. He's listed at 6-foot-1 and 186-pounds right now and looks poised for an even bigger future. Defensively he lines up as an Edge/Defensive End and is an extremely difficult player to blocker because of his initial quickness and ability to fire out of a three-point stance or standing up. Offensively he's a battering ram coming full speed ahead at the defense, as a Running Back. For as big as he is, he has impressive feet and can get them choppin' quickly while getting into the hole. It'll be interesting to see where he ultimately ends up playing, but there's a bright future here.     A right-handed Quarterback who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 165-pounds, as of October 2024. It can't be overstated how special of an athlete Ross is. A year ago as a seventh-grader, he was named All-County in football, basketball and baseball. On the gridiron, he takes a balanced approach to playing the position, and proved to be able to beat teams both passing and running. While he can scamper to an extent and can keep the chains moving with his legs, I wouldn't put him in the category of "dual-threat". He looks to be more of a pro-style QB on film with the arm strength to take a shot deep, but also possesses enough touch on his passes to execute in the screen game.     When teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1539843' first='CJ' last='Briggs'] wasn't toting the rock for Dyersburg Middle School, the opposing defenses in Western Tennessee got a nice dosage of Dillard running up in their face. He's listed at 5-foot-10 and 145-pounds--which may be a little bit of a stretch on the size--but regardless of actual measurements, he was a very effective playmaking prospect. He gets the Running Back/Athlete distinction because while his contributions on offense are quantifiable, but his versatility to play both Outside Linebacker and Defensive Back on defense is super valuable. He's tough enough to fight off blocks and play amongst the front seven, but also quick enough to blanket WRs or RBs running a route.     While physically not the biggest kid on the field as of October 2024, [player_tooltip player_id='1539782' first='Landon' last='Todd'] is an eighth-grader prospect that has to be talked about when looking at the most versatile kids in Dyer County. We've categorized him as an ATH (athlete) because he plays a number of different positions and can make an impact in all three phases of the game. Primarily a Safety on defense, Wide Receiver on offense and a Returner on special teams, his speed is a difference maker. He only needs a little bit of room and he can make a play.     As of October 2024, on film he appears to be one of the fastest eighth-graders in Dyer County when it comes to game-speed. He looked best suited to play Cornerback with his quick-twitch and ability to break on the ball really shining through. On the other side of the ball, he's a nice little weapon to get in space. This season he was used as a Slot Receiver on quick passes or on End-arounds. He was also used as a nice change-of-pace Running Back a little bit, hitting defenses with lighting as oppose to thunder of teammate, [player_tooltip player_id='1539843' first='CJ' last='Briggs'].     A pretty good-looking athlete all around, Barbee was arguably the most dangerous weapon Northview had at their disposal this past season. He's listed at 5-foot-9 and 145-pounds, but looks a little bigger than that based off his film. While he has the ability and skill set to play both Running Back and Wide Receiver, he looked at home in the backfield this year. Barbee did a nice job of hitting the holes and making the most of plays behind a smaller offensive line. While there is room to improve on his over all speed and explosion, my biggest takeaway is how good of a receiving Running Back he was this year--especially in the screen game.     In a writeup focusing primarily on the skill position guys (as they are typically "closer" to "finished prospects") Offensive Tackle and Defensive End [player_tooltip player_id='1539921' first='Diezel' last='Whittle'] is an impressive two-way linemen. Standing at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds and armed with strength and a lunch pail/hard hat mentality, he's easily the best 2029 lineman I've seen in Dyer County as of October 2024. He's as fundamentally sound as they come on this level on both sides of the ball. Lining up at Left Tackle, where I personally like him most, he did a great job of dropping his pad level while playing under control and was able to make any block that was required. As a Defensive End, on film it appears like he wasn't asked to do anything too outrageous--but he was consistent. Did a great job of feeling the bocks, using the wrong arm technique and staying squad to the line of scrimmage.     Coming off a 2023 season that saw him named the JV Defensive Player of the Year as a seventh-grader, Crawford Childress leveled up in 2024. Essentially unblockable at times, the active eighth-grade Linebacker will surely rake up post-season awards when that time comes. Despite being on the smaller side for a Linebacker as of October 2024, he played like a monster from whistle to whistle. Childress was named Player of the Week countless times this year, but had his biggest statistical game in early September against friendly foe Northview. In that game, an 18-10 victory, he tallied 14 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and a fumble recovery.     If there's one thing that's evident by the part of the write up, it's that Dyersburg Middle School had no shortage of athletic and versatile kids in 2024. That couldn't describe Schultz any better, as he has been a thorn in the side of teams throughout Western Tennessee over the last two seasons. A year ago, as a seventh-grader, Schultz earned All-Northwest Middle School Athletic Association (NWMSAA) honors on the gridiron in addition to an All-County nod in soccer. I'm interested in getting more looks at him, but Schultz more than looked the part as an Outside Linebacker and Punt Returner this year. In Dyersburg's 15-0 in the opening round of the State Playoffs, it was his punt return that put the Trojans on the board first.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Names To Know</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1540083' first='Zay' last='Bowen'] | Three Oaks Middle School | 2030* - After earning Rookie of the Year for the Choctaws last year as a sixth-grader, he had another strong campaign in 2024. When his eighth-grade season comes along in August 2025, look for a monster season.   Larry White | Dyersburg Middle School | 2029 - Smaller Defensive Back/Wide Receiver that had some nice plays for the Trojans this season. On top of some ball skills, showed off some nice speed when creating after the catch or interception.   [player_tooltip player_id='1540097' first='Ryan' last='Sartin'] | Three Oaks Middle School | 2029 - The only reason I don't have more to say about Sartin is that I'm eagerly awaiting updated film on the big guy. As a seventh-grader last year, he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors for Three Oaks Middle. I look forward to seeing more of him and providing an update later.   Celso Gonzalez | Dyersburg Middle School | 2029 - Another Dyersburg Middle School product with encouraging athletic ability, but on the smaller side right now. Made some nice plays in the defensive secondary and as a Wide Receiver. The All-County Soccer player also handles kicking duties.   [player_tooltip player_id='1540100' first='Alex' last='Dye'] | Northview Middle School | 2029 - Another prospect I'm eagerly waiting to see more film of. In the few clips that I have seen, he passes the eye test in terms of length and size as an Outside Linebacker. He also played Offensive Line on a smaller line, but has more of a Tight End body type.   Brylan Hatch | Three Oaks Middle School | 2030* - The young righty got a ton of valuable playing experience and had his fair share of strong throws throughout the 2024 campaign. With another year of physical growth and maturation, he's one to watching going into next year.

With a total population of under 40,000 total residents, Dyer County ranks 43rd in the Volunteer State. What that said, Dyer County is also one of the more populated counties in Northwest, Tennessee too. Below is a look at some of the most impressive middle school football prospects in Dyer County based off what I saw during the 2024 season.