DII Championships: Veterans That Deserve More College Interest

<p>The TSSAA football state championship games will be played in two weeks from now, but the private school classifications already know which two programs will be facing off against each other.</p>   <p>There are three exciting matchups on deck for the private school ranks with a lot of talent on every single team that has allowed them to push this far in the postseason. With all that talent in these three championship games, I take a look at the underrated upperclassman for each team that should see an increase in the interest he is receiving on the recruiting trail.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">DII-AAA: Baylor vs Brentwood Academy</h2>   <p><strong>Baylor:</strong> <em>2027 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1605749' first='Jordan' last='Darren Djila']</em></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1605749' first='Jordan' last='Darren Djila'] has yet to receive that first offer, but the ability is certainly there. He is a defensive back pushing six feet tall with an amazing wingspan at 6-foot-6. He is a very physical defensive back that can make plays on the ball in the pass and run game. He projects best as a safety long-term in my opinion, but he has been a very effective piece for one of the top programs in the state and should eventually see interest come his way.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/LemmingReport/status/1989083783878848924?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>Brentwood Academy:</strong> <em>2026 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1103026' first='Bennett' last='Spillman']</em></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1103026' first='Bennett' last='Spillman'] comes from a strong family of athletes with two older brothers that went to Tennessee, and he has taken a massive step forward in his first season at Brentwood Academy, putting the potential together to begin molding into the intriguing prospect he always could have been. He has a strong frame that allows for him to be used all over the defensive lineman and has effective hand usage. Once he learns how to properly disengage consistently and set up his great ability to use his hands, he could be a late breakout prospect. He is a prospect that mid majors should be keeping their eyes on during the state championship game as they look to fill out their classes.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Jacob_Shames/status/1989508048583352697?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">DII-AA: BGA vs FRA</h2>   <p><strong>BGA: </strong><em>2027 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='902961' first='Jayden' last='Cannon']</em></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='902961' first='Jayden' last='Cannon'] was on my radar over the summer as a breakout candidate as he would step into a larger role at BGA and he proved me correct with his play this season. He has solid size and athleticism within a strong frame that makes him a sure tackler that is able to track ball carriers down. He is still used as a versatile weapon for a team that lacks a true stand-up pass rusher, but if you look past just the simple stats, you discover that he is a very intriguing prospect that should begin to get some offers this offseason. He holds a Samford offer at the moment.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1971921674535948651?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>FRA:</strong> <em>2027 safety [player_tooltip player_id='1664092' first='Amari' last='Mitchell']</em></p>   <p>While blue-chip safety recruit [player_tooltip player_id='903033' first='Omarii' last='Sanders'] gets most of the attention at FRA, [player_tooltip player_id='1664092' first='Amari' last='Mitchell'] is built very similarly and is an intriguing strong safety prospect for the next level. He is a very long defensive back in that 6'2-6'3 range and has been a sure tackler over his career. He has been used as a receiver as well this season and has made some plays in coverage as he has improved upon his ball skills, making him an even more intriguing recruit.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/sports_bk/status/1966694027362713742?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">DII-A: USJ vs NCS</h2>   <p><strong>USJ:</strong> <em>2027 safety [player_tooltip player_id='1687518' first='Bradley' last='Stamper']</em></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1687518' first='Bradley' last='Stamper'] is another long safety prospect with great size and length that gives him a lot of natural potential on the back end to clean up plays. Listed around 6-foot-4, he has the length to be a real problem in coverage and has experience working the perimeter on both sides of the ball. He is a natural mover and will be an intriguing prospect to watch for my first time in the state championship.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BradleyStamper2/status/1969080174357381593?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>NCS:</strong> <em>2027 slot [player_tooltip player_id='933063' first='Kaden' last='Grigsby']</em></p>   <p>NCS has an offense filled with playmakers at every possible turn and then even their backup to be honest, but slot receiver Kaden Grigby continues to find ways to stand out on this team. His size will limit him to the slot, but that works fine for him as he is effective at working off his teammates and the leverage of the defensive back to create separation, making him a reliable option for quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402548' first='Jared' last='Curtis']. He will be an intriguing prospect to watch in the state championship game as the team looks to go back-to-back.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Swiftvoice24/status/1964470044655833534?s=20 </div></figure>

The TSSAA football state championship games will be played in two weeks from now, but the private school classifications already know which two programs will be facing off against each other.