Quarterbacks Primed for Breakout Seasons In 2026

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 Tennessee high school football season concluded on Saturday with the East-West All-Star Game, which means it's time to start looking into next year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a plethora of young players who got their feet wet this season, and some who took the next step.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm starting a new series discussing players at each position who are poised to enjoy breakout campaigns in 2026. The majority of the student-athletes on this list are underclassmen, with two being rising seniors who have shown immense potential.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've selected five to talk about, starting with the quarterbacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1554759} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/user-uploads/Kam-Morton-TN-29-Fire-Ice.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1554759" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Oakland QB [player_tooltip player_id='424644' first='Kam' last='Morton'] at a Prep Redzone camp.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2029 [player_tooltip player_id='424644' first='Kam' last='Morton'] – Oakland</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freshman quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='424644' first='Kam' last='Morton'] was an instant impact guy at Oakland High School, sharing the position with rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='866735' first='Donte' last='Cameron']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, Morton has the higher ceiling and is already showing signs of being a potential top signal caller in Tennessee.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In 15 games this season, he completed 63% of his passes for 936 yards and 12 total touchdowns. His numbers aren't insane, but it's the way he played that impressed people.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Morton looked like a seasoned veteran as a freshman, remaining calm and poised in the pocket while making good decisions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's not a true dual-threat quarterback, but he has the mobility to move around in the pocket and take off if necessary, while possessing a great arm.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With another offseason to develop, expect the state champion to be a breakout player next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1598177} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/20250104_181041-rotated.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1598177" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Silverdale QB [player_tooltip player_id='1535798' first='Connor' last='Jenne'] at a Prep Redzone camp.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1535798' first='Connor' last='Jenne'] – Silverdale Baptist</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1535798' first='Connor' last='Jenne'] from Silverdale Baptist Academy is no inexperienced player; he's seen the field the last two seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, the 6-foot-4 quarterback continues to improve each year and will likely be someone who takes a significant step forward in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In 12 games this year, Jenne threw for 2,218 yards with 32 total touchdowns and a 98.0 QB rating. He's more of a pocket passer, but has a solid frame, live arm, good accuracy, impressive touch on his passes and nice pocket presence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm high on this 2027 prospect, and with more quarterback training, you could see him be one of the best signal callers in the state next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1717424} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/user-uploads/JD-Gillum-new.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1717424" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Anderson County QB [player_tooltip player_id='723014' first='JD' last='Gillum'] at a 7v7 event.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2029 [player_tooltip player_id='723014' first='JD' last='Gillum'] – Anderson County</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='723014' first='JD' last='Gillum'] had an impressive freshman season with Anderson County, looking like a future elite in-state player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He was injured for part of the season, but still finished with 2,158 yards and 23 touchdowns in seven games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His best game came against the eventual 5A State Champions, Alcoa, slinging it around the gridiron for 260 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-30 victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rising sophomore has a high ceiling as a pocket passer, possessing impressive arm strength, solid accuracy, nice touch and great poise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He needs to improve his decision-making, as evidenced by his seven interceptions. However, the young player has a bright future ahead and is expected to take a significant step forward in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1703944} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/dcovington2.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1703944" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: East Nashville QB [player_tooltip player_id='1668630' first='Dallas' last='Covington']. Photo by East Nash Athletics.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1668630' first='Dallas' last='Covington'] – East Nashville Magnet</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Nashville Magnet's [player_tooltip player_id='1668630' first='Dallas' last='Covington'] is an intriguing prospect whose ceiling is extremely high thanks to his mobility mixed with nice arm talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In his first season as the Eagles' starting quarterback, he completed 76% of his passes for 2,110 yards, adding 666 yards on the ground and recorded 29 total touchdowns. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seeing him perform like that in a competitive 2A classification was encouraging.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While he certainly needs to work on his pocket awareness and decision-making at times, Covington has time to develop. He matured significantly throughout the 2025 campaign, showing flashes of being a legitimate Division I player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He can make nearly every throw on the field with his nice arm and accuracy, but I love what he can do with his legs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rising senior is dynamic with his speed and athleticism, causing trouble for any team he faces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2065487} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/jnimitz.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2065487" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: FRA QB [player_tooltip player_id='1037670' first='Jack' last='Nimitz']. Taken by Drew Toennies, Prep Redzone.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1037670' first='Jack' last='Nimitz'] – Franklin Road Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1037670' first='Jack' last='Nimitz'] had an interesting story this season, as he didn't begin the year as FRA's starting quarterback. He was just in for mop-up duty when they were destroying teams, but eventually got his shot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers were struggling significantly on offense against BGA in a midseason clash. So, they let the 2028 prospect play the second half, where he led them back to win 21-14.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He was handed the keys to that offense, finishing the year with 1,591 total yards and 18 scores to just one turnover in six games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nimitz is a dual-threat quarterback who's highly elusive and can make great plays on the ground.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While he must work on his happy feet in the pocket, Nimitz is just a sophomore. He showed me a lot this season and will be a name to watch out for the next two years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->