New P4 Offers Around the State: Analysis + Insights

<p>The year 2026 has already been fruitful to several high school football prospects in the state of Tennessee with several adding new offers from college programs despite the transfer portal taking place at the same time.</p>   <p>14 prospects inside the state have added offers from Power Four level programs since the turn to the new year reflecting the continuing rise of quantity and quality of recruits inside the state.</p>   <p>Take a look at these 14 prospects and what led to their new offers from some of the top programs across the nation.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">QUARTERBACKS</h2>   <p><strong>1.) Westview 2028 QB [player_tooltip player_id='424594' first='Graham' last='Simpson'] -- Florida State, Tennessee</strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='424594' first='Graham' last='Simpson'] has been a record-breaking quarterback in his two short years at Westview and it has led to college interest trickling down his way from programs across the nation. The in-state program, Tennessee, finally extended an offer with the production simply being too hard to ignore. Josh Heupel has brought in an quarterback from Tennessee before as has his other new offer, Florida State, under current head coach Mike Norvell.</p>   <p>Coming from a football family, it is easy to tell Simpson is a natural playmaker and he has the chance to become one of the most productive players ever in the state of Tennessee, both on the stat sheet and win column.</p>   <p><strong>2.) Lausanne 2028 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1037302' first='Thomas' last='Heffner'] -- Arizona State</strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1037302' first='Thomas' last='Heffner'] transferred to Lausanne about three weeks ago and I labeled him then as a major <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/12/scouting-west-tennessee-transfer-additions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">breakout candidate in the state for next season</a> and now a Power Four program has recognized that as well with Arizona State extending an offer.</p>   <p>He should take another large leap forward in his development this season and is an exciting dual-threat playmaker that will now have a lot of college programs watching following the offer.</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/ThomasJHeffner1/status/2012302992314130502?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">RECEIVERS</h2>   <p><strong>1.) Collierville 2027 WR Tae Walden Jr -- Georgia, Stanford</strong></p>   <p>I <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/09/four-2027-receivers-with-breakout-seasons-on-the-horizon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">wrote all season long to watch for the eventual breakthrough</a> on the recruiting trail for Collierville 2027 standout Tae Walden Jr. and it has all come together for the talented prospect. Georgia and Stanford both extended offers while visiting him on his high school campus.</p>   <p>Another prospect that comes from a very athletic family, he is one of the best prospects in the entire state and is quickly emerging in a state class that is deep with talented receiver prospects.</p>   <p>He also visited Auburn for a small junior day recently and the new coaching staff, led by head coach Alex Golesh and receivers coach Kodi Burns, have placed a priority on recruiting the Memphis product.</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/Erikwaldenjr/status/2010484325754552517?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">TIGHT ENDS</h2>   <p><strong>1.) Upperman 2027 TE [player_tooltip player_id='1679806' first='Colton' last='Johnson'] -- Arkansas, SMU</strong></p>   <p>Nothing in this industry is more beautiful to watch than a prospect develop into his potential and college programs recognize that and that was exactly the case with 2027 tight end prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1679806' first='Colton' last='Johnson'] this season at Upperman.</p>   <p>He came on to my radar at a spring scrimmage with his raw size despite not playing and I immediately watched his highlights. The blocking was there, but the receiving needed to break through and it certainly did. He was a consistent and efficient receiving weapon this season in addition to his <em>dominant</em> blocking, making him a well-rounded prospect at tight end that is just beginning to ascend.</p>   <p>He is quickly collecting a handful of Power Four offers now. How quick it went from "who is the kid in the cast?" to "just wait and see how many offers this kid will end up with!"</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/coltonFB_23/status/2011501595872125433?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>2.) Baylor 2028 TE [player_tooltip player_id='1201841' first='Braxton' last='Rein'] -- Florida, North Carolina State, Texas</strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1201841' first='Braxton' last='Rein'] flashed the receiving potential in Georgia as a freshman and took another step forward as a sophomore working for former SEC tight ends coach Erik Kimrey, blossoming into a dynamic receiving threat.</p>   <p>As is the case with any young tight end, he could become more consistent, but he showed everything one needed to see to identify him as a national level recruit for his class. The junior season for Rein should a loud breakthrough year as he rises to one of the better prospects at his position in the entire nation. Alabama offered right before the turn of year as well.</p>   <p><strong>3.) Montgomery Bell Academy 2028 TE [player_tooltip player_id='1847747' first='Bennett' last='Conyers'] -- North Carolina State</strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1847747' first='Bennett' last='Conyers'] is a tight end prospect that is currently flying under the radar, but did add his first Power Four offer a couple of months ago from Illinois, and as coaches begin to make the rounds, they are finding out about his talents too.</p>   <p>North Carolina State sent a pair of offers out to 2028 tight ends in Tennessee and Conyers benefitted from that. MBA has a long history of developing intriguing tight end prospects and he certainly seems to be the next one up.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OFFENSIVE TACKLE</h2>   <p><strong>1.) Brentwood Academy 2027 OT [player_tooltip player_id='1531280' first='Rance' last='Brown'] -- Virginia Tech, West Virginia</strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1531280' first='Rance' last='Brown'] recently transferred into Brentwood Academy from the state of Alabama and he already has colleges monitoring him very closely due to his length, size and athleticism.</p>   <p>Virginia Tech and West Virginia have extended offers his way since the transfer and more should come as coaches add new names to their watchlists during the spring.</p>   <p>Duke is a program to watch here as he did recently visit the program for a Junior Day event this month.</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/RanceBrown10/status/2010145736403681597?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">DEFENSIVE LINEMAN</h2>   <p><strong>1.) Rockvale 2027 DL [player_tooltip player_id='1675717' first='Dallas' last='Pauldo'] -- Georgia, Vanderbilt</strong></p>   <p>If you want to talk raw tools, Rockvale 2027 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1675717' first='Dallas' last='Pauldo'] has all of them and he just earned his first two Power Four offers from a pair of SEC programs that were top-10 in the entire nation this season.</p>   <p>Georgia has a long history of swinging for the upside of traitsy defensive line prospects and it is has worked out well so far. Vanderbilt is another prospect that identifies talent early and quickly inserted their hat into the race for the talented prospect.</p>   <p>At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, he has the size, athleticism and versatility to make plays all over the defensive front and even consistently as a tight end. That skillset is only going to attract more and more programs now that the secret is out of the bag.</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/DallasPauldo/status/2012214333950882249?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>2.) Riverdale 2027 IDL [player_tooltip player_id='1648682' first='James' last='Stewart'] -- Boston College</strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1648682' first='James' last='Stewart'] <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/10/scouting-2027-defensive-lind-class-stars-sleepers-and-secrets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">took as big a step forward</a> as anyone in the state this past season and those efforts have been recognized recently, capped off by a Power Four offer today from Boston College.</p>   <p>At 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds, he has the size and knockback ability to consistently generate pressure and cause havoc up front. He had entire gameplans written around him and his skillset after the first month of the season. He has all the intangibles to add a couple more Power Four offers this spring.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">EDGE RUSHERS</h2>   <p><strong>1.) White Station 2027 EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1310642' first='Antwan' last='Jackson'] -- Georgia, Kentucky</strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1310642' first='Antwan' last='Jackson'] is an exciting prospect with an impressive frame filled with length at a listed 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, making plays as both an edge rusher and outside linebacker.</p>   <p>The combination of frame, ability and versatility has all the top programs in the country interested in his skillset now and that now includes two new programs in Georgia and Kentucky.</p>   <p>Kentucky seems to be a program he has taken fondly as he plans to visit this weekend for the first Junior Day under new head coach Will Stein.</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/OvertimeTwan/status/2009439147380142557?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">CORNERBACKS</h2>   <p><strong>1.) Westview 2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1422977' first='Miles' last='Brown'] -- Kentucky</strong></p>   <p>The new coaching staff at Kentucky quickly made it a priority to offer defensive back prospects that they valued and that included a handful in the state of Tennessee. Westview star [player_tooltip player_id='1422977' first='Miles' last='Brown'] was one of the prospects to add an offer from the Wildcats as he continues to get more and more interest from programs inside the SEC especially.</p>   <p>He has a big, strong frame that can be used all over the secondary with the athleticism and ball skills to make impact plays at the cornerback spot and has programs like Tennessee, Vanderbilt and not Kentucky interested in his talents.</p>   <p><strong>2.) McCallie 2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1260316' first='Loia' last='Valade'] -- Kentucky</strong></p>   <p>McCallie 2027 cornerback [player_tooltip player_id='1260316' first='Loia' last='Valade'] might be <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/09/trio-of-2027-defensive-backs-set-to-receive-increased-power-four-interest/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">one of the most underrated prospects</a> at the position in the entire nation and the recruiting staff at Kentucky has recognized that for a while now.</p>   <p>The new coaching staff made sure to extend their own offer to the Canadian standout as he took another large step forward in his development as a playmaking defensive back.</p>   <p>He has an impressive frame already with verified testing numbers checking in around the NFL average for the position, showing his intriguing explosiveness and length at this stage in his development.</p>   <p>A college program is going to get a steal in [player_tooltip player_id='1260316' first='Loia' last='Valade'] and Kentucky is making themselves a strong option early on for the 2027 prospect.</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/loia_valade/status/1980437143601492125?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong>3.) Brentwood Academy 2027 DB Romel Koon Jr. -- Kentucky</strong></p>   <p>While Romel Koon Jr. recently announced a top schools list that did not include Kentucky, the new coaching staff in place made sure to extend an offer to the breakout star after arriving in Lexington.</p>   <p>That breakout season was filled with shutdown corner play in his first season at Brentwood Academy and he should take another step forward as he hopefully adds more weight and continues in his development. He was one of the biggest risers in the state last season and has a strong base to build upon moving forward.</p>   <p></p>   <p></p>

The year 2026 has already been fruitful to several high school football prospects in the state of Tennessee with several adding new offers from college programs despite the transfer portal taking place at the same time.