Who Will Claim the 4A Crown? (Top Title Contenders)

With the 2025 high school football season right around the corner in the Volunteer State, it's time to focus our attention on class 4A as there are a ton of outstanding programs looking to make their mark this season. Programs like Haywood, Pearl-Cohn, Marshall County, Upperman, Macon County, Alcoa, Anderson County, and Greeneville are all serious contenders for the 4A crown while Jackson North Side, Dyer County, South Gibson, Springfield, and Red Bank also have a shot this upcoming season. Without question, class 4A is going to be packed with talent and make for some top tier football action this upcoming fall.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contenders</h2>   Haywood   The Tomcats are looking to build off of their success from last year as Haywood closed out the 2024-25 campaign with an 8-4 overall record and a 3-1 mark in district competition. Haywood is looking like a strong contender for the 4A title this year as the Tomcats are bringing back an assortment of talented prospects, including Georgia defensive back commit [player_tooltip player_id='811046' first='Caden' last='Harris'].   Pearl-Cohn   The Firebirds are another top tier program in class 4A to watch out for this season as Pearl-Cohn left it all out on the field last year, recording an impressive 11-4 overall record and a 6-1 finish in district play. The Firebirds are looking to improve on last season and are bringing back a ton of talent. Some notable returners are [player_tooltip player_id='1286233' first='L.J.' last='Funk'], [player_tooltip player_id='1110713' first='Josh' last='Sims'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1432204' first='Karmelo' last='League'].   Marshall County   The Tigers are another program within class 4A to keep an eye on as Marshall County was nearly unstoppable last season, picking up a 12-2 overall record and an undefeated 7-0 mark in district games. The Tigers will be bringing back a few notable returners this season, including quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1422897' first='Tyler' last='Thompson'] and wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='492600' first='Kel' last='Hightower'].   Upperman   The Bees are another program that is looking to claim the 4A crown as Upperman had an impressive 2024-25 season, finishing out the year with an 11-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in district competition. Upperman will be bringing back an assortment of talent, including senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1254853' first='Bronzden' last='Chaffin'], who is committed to Georgia State. A few other prospects on the Bees' roster to watch are [player_tooltip player_id='1566197' first='Parker' last='Cox'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1679806' first='Colton' last='Johnson'].   Macon County   The Tigers will also be a probable class 4A title contender as Macon County closed out last year's slate of games with an impressive 15-2 overall record and a 6-2 mark in district play. Macon County should be dangerous again this year as the Tigers are bringing back some explosive weapons on both sides of the ball. It would be a mistake to sleep on the Tigers this season.   Alcoa   The Tornadoes are another storied program within class 4A that has a high chance of winning it all this year as Alcoa was highly explosive last year, going nearly undefeated on the season. Alcoa closed out the 2024-25 campaign with a 13-1 record and a 4-0 mark in district competition. The Tornadoes will be bringing back several notable returners, including Texas Tech offensive lineman commit [player_tooltip player_id='1366546' first='Jacob' last='Crow'], 2028 linebacker/edge [player_tooltip player_id='1027628' first='Jennaris' last='Henry'], and wide receiver/defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='817933' first='Jamir' last='Dean'].   Anderson County   The Mavericks are also a top title contender for class 4A as Anderson County finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 12-2-1 overall record and an undefeated 5-0 mark in district play. Anderson County should interesting to watch this year with several intriguing prospects taking the field, including freshman quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='723014' first='JD' last='Gillum'], junior athlete [player_tooltip player_id='898264' first='Zach' last='Happney'], and 2028 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1038441' first='Lane' last='LaRue'].   Greeneville   The Greene Devils should also be a top title contender as Greeneville went 12-2 overall last year and finished undefeated in district games with a 5-0 mark. Greeneville should not be slept on as they are bringing back some top tier prospects, including Tennessee wide receiver commit [player_tooltip player_id='1181026' first='Zaydyn' last='Anderson'], and defensive lineman/offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='851948' first='Zorian' last='Harris'].   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sleepers</h2>   Jackson North-Side   The Indians are a potential title contender as Jackson North-Side is looking to improve from last year. The Indians closed out the 2024-25 season with a 6-5 overall record and a 4-1 mark in district play. Jackson North-Side should be much more efficient this year as they are bringing back some talented prospects, including Tennessee athlete commit [player_tooltip player_id='1103009' first='Javonte' last='Smith'], who will likely play a huge role on the field this year.   Dyer County   The Choctaws are another sleeper team within class 4A to watch out for as Dyer County was no stranger to success last year, posting a 12-2 overall record and a 5-0 record in district play. The Choctaws will have a number of talented prospects to lead them on the field this season, including [player_tooltip player_id='1142027' first='Landon' last='Daniels'], [player_tooltip player_id='1719030' first='Brayden' last='Hinson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1187365' first='Dawson' last='Harris']. It would be a fatal mistake to underestimate Dyer County this season.   South Gibson   The Hornets will be looking to improve from last season as South Gibson was 4-7 overall and 2-3 in district play last year. The Hornets could potentially be a title contender this season with a number of important players returning to the fold. A few guys on South Gibson's roster to watch for this season are UCLA defensive lineman commit [player_tooltip player_id='889227' first='Yahya' last='Gaad'] and defensive lineman/offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='854396' first='Jack' last='Smith'].   Springfield   The Yellow Jackets could also have a shot at the title this year as Springfield had a decent 2024-25 campaign, recording an 8-6 overall record as well as a 4-3 mark in district competition. The Yellow Jackets will likely be a much better squad this year as they are bringing back some talented players in [player_tooltip player_id='1193376' first='Jermaine' last='Cobbins'], [player_tooltip player_id='1134310' first='Jaidon' last='Hurst'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1588080' first='Kason' last='Woodson'].   Red Bank   The Lions are looking to improve from last year and have a shot at the title as Red Bank went 6-4 overall and 4-2 in district play last season. Red Bank will likely win more games this season as the Lions are bringing back an assortment of talent, including [player_tooltip player_id='474873' first='Josh' last='Jackson'], [player_tooltip player_id='539997' first='Austin' last='Barnwell'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1612855' first='Eugene' last='Robinson, Jr']. Red Bank should not be slept on this season.

With the 2025 high school football season right around the corner in the Volunteer State, it's time to focus our attention on class 4A as there are a ton of outstanding programs looking to make their mark this season. Programs like Haywood, Pearl-Cohn, Marshall County, Upperman, Macon County, Alcoa, Anderson County, and Greeneville are all serious contenders for the 4A crown while Jackson North Side, Dyer County, South Gibson, Springfield, and Red Bank also have a shot this upcoming season. Without question, class 4A is going to be packed with talent and make for some top tier football action this upcoming fall.