Underrated Teams with State Title Potential: Division II-AAA

We're in the deep part of the high school football offseason, where the portal has somewhat calmed down, and schools are beginning their prep for spring ball. With a lot of pieces coming in and veterans graduating, I thought it would be fun to talk about some sleeper state championship squads for every classification.   Next in this series, let's discuss five teams in the Division II-AAA state title picture who aren't getting talked about enough.   Baylor and Brentwood Academy are the clear programs to beat at the moment, but that doesn't mean there aren't teams that can stop them.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/65-Graham-Kesner-rotated-e1736532857583-crop-1950x1281-1770350865.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2121898" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Briarcrest LB [player_tooltip player_id='1093181' first='Graham' last='Kesner'] at a Prep Redzone camp.</figcaption></figure>   Briarcrest Christian School – 7-4 in 2025   Briarcrest Christian was a solid team last season, but has the potential to be even better next season with key returners and a new quarterback coming in. [player_tooltip player_id='1036114' first='Cayden' last='Dixon'] announced the day after Christmas that he would be transferring from Father Ryan, which is a significant pickup.   He's the No. 6 signal caller in Tennessee for his class, possessing a very high ceiling. While he is a big-time player, the Saints return two of their top wide receivers and 2027 tailback [player_tooltip player_id='905162' first='JD' last='Donaldson'], who averaged 7.4 YPC in 2025.   Then, when you flip to the other side of the ball, it's terrifying. Briarcrest Christian has one of the best defenses in Division II-AAA, led by an elite group of linebackers. Octavious Flynn leads the way, but there are plenty of others who are legitimate stars. This is a sneaky-good squad with high upside in 2026.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Photo-Jan-16-2026-7-19-27-PM-crop-1320x867-1768612900.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2107410" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Knox Catholic QB [player_tooltip player_id='496084' first='Mack' last='Bartholomew'].</figcaption></figure>   Knoxville Catholic High School – 6-5 in 2025   Knoxville Catholic already returned some absolute ballers to a team that was likely going to be one of the best in Tennessee. However, they've acquired several big-time transfers, including 2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1260316' first='Loia' last='Valade'], 2028 DL [player_tooltip player_id='2118712' first='Keagan' last='Covington'], and 2029 IOL Gabriel and [player_tooltip player_id='1537346' first='Brayden' last='Gonzalez'].   It's safe to say that the Fighting Irish will have a loaded roster for next season. Their secondary will be the best in the state with [player_tooltip player_id='1029798' first='Xavier' last='Bowman'], [player_tooltip player_id='1031949' first='Brooks' last='Johnston'] and Valade. Knox Catholic has plenty of young talent on the defensive front as well, creating what could be the best defense in the classification.   When you flip to the offense, they have a good group, starting with their quarterback. [player_tooltip player_id='496084' first='Mack' last='Bartholomew'] is an underrated player who's mobile and does his job well. 2029 running back [player_tooltip player_id='1305180' first='Kruise' last='Buntyn Jr.'] is back, then you have that offensive line that just added two of the best in the state with the Gonzalez brothers.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/Photo-Oct-07-2025-4-03-25-PM-crop-1079x709-1759871911.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1939293" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: RB EJ Gibson. Taken by Wittmer Jones, sh0tbywitt.</figcaption></figure>   The Ensworth School – 7-4 in 2025   Ensworth is an intriguing team to watch, as they lost several key players from their 2025 team. But they also have an abundance of talented underclassmen and one of the best running backs in Tennessee.   EJ Gibson was fantastic in 2025, rushing for 1,614 yards and 20 scores, while earning a plethora of postseason honors. He's a great player, but his offensive line helped him put up those impressive numbers. Ashton and [player_tooltip player_id='1599119' first='Eli' last='Coles'] are two future Division I players, along with a few other names who have been good.   On the other side, the Tigers will always be good with superstar defensive coordinator Dillon Sanders running the show. He's one of the best minds in Tennessee and can develop his players at an elite level. While they lost some key contributors, Ensworth will still be one of the top teams in Division II-AAA next season, potentially a state-title-type team.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/12/Photo-Dec-18-2025-12-00-52-PM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2085589" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: CPA WR [player_tooltip player_id='1586170' first='Gabriel' last='Cabell']. Photo from his Instagram @gabecabe25.</figcaption></figure>   Christ Presbyterian Academy – 4-9 in 2025   Casual Tennessee high school football fans will look at CPA's record and say it was a tough year. While it technically was for their standards, the Lions were in every game, with all nine losses coming against top-200 nationally ranked teams.   TSSAA also gave them no time to prepare before moving them up a classification, and they still made some noise in the playoffs.   They lose SEC receiver [player_tooltip player_id='824736' first='Owen' last='Cabell'] to Vanderbilt, along with a few other names. However, CPA still has an outstanding group of players who will lead them to a bounce-back campaign in 2026. Watch for this squad to prove a lot of people wrong and make a deep postseason run.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/BCMBA84-crop-1047x688-1770351091.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-2121901" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MBA TE [player_tooltip player_id='1847747' first='Bennett' last='Conyers'] during a game.</figcaption></figure>   Montgomery Bell Academy – 6-5 in 2025   Montgomery Bell Academy is another intriguing team that lost some big players, but should rebound with the level of talent and coaching staff that they have. The Big Red showed flashes of being a dangerous team last season, but can they put it all together in 2026?   I think they can and will with an impressive group returning for another year. 2028 quarterback Charlie Verner showed a lot of promise while rotating in with [player_tooltip player_id='688833' first='Hugh' last='Price'] and could become one of the best signal callers in this classification. Another talented 2028 kid they bring back is tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1847747' first='Bennett' last='Conyers'], who's seen a lot of recent recruiting interest.   He fits the bill as the next great pass-catching tight end that MBA will produce. They have good defensive players who play sound football and don't make mistakes. It may be somewhat of a “bland” team on paper, but they play very well together and are coached at an elite level. Watch for them to take that next step in 2026.

We're in the deep part of the high school football offseason, where the portal has somewhat calmed down, and schools are beginning their prep for spring ball. With a lot of pieces coming in and veterans graduating, I thought it would be fun to talk about some sleeper state championship squads for every classification.