Preseason X Factors: BGA Wildcats

<p>The Battle Ground Academy football program has quickly risen to one of the best inside the state of Tennessee since hiring head coach Bobby Bentley and the team will look to claim their second straight state championship.</p>   <p>The Wildcats boasted a strong amount of top young talent this past season and with everyone another year older, this is a team that can certainly accomplish their goal of repeating as state champions.</p>   <p>However, if they want to accomplish that, these five players will need to have major seasons this fall.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 QB [player_tooltip player_id='2161201' first='Bo' last='Bryan']</h2>   <p>The team returns a dynamic receiver core, but will have a new quarterback distributing the ball to the surrounding playmakers with rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='2161201' first='Bo' last='Bryan'] now leading the offense.</p>   <p>With the team good enough to be fairly expecting another trophy, a lot will be expected from the new starter and that is something that he is not taking lightly when preparing for the upcoming season.</p>   <p>He has the talent around him to take some pressure off his shoulders which should help him play more free as a new starter, but he will have to deliver in the clutch moments in the top games that BGA plays this season.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Bobryan27/status/2035520067484406187?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2028 ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1188608' first='Kaden' last='McNeal']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1188608' first='Kaden' last='McNeal'] transfers into the program from the DII-AAA level and instantly brings versatility and explosive playmaking the team. That versatility will come in huge for a team searching for options inside the running back and cornerback rooms, two positions that the newest Wildcat can effectively play.</p>   <p>On offense, he will likely be used all over the formation, but if he can provide a reliable set of ten carries or more each game, that gives a nice complement to the potent passing attack and keeps the offense moving forward ahead of the chains.</p>   <p>On defense, he is a talented cornerback and will instantly be a firm part of the rotation for a team that had resorted to putting receivers at the position by season end last year.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KadenMcNealATH/status/2048511003814486215?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 LB/TE [player_tooltip player_id='902961' first='Jayden' last='Cannon']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='902961' first='Jayden' last='Cannon'] has been an reliable chess piece for the coaching staff at BGA over the last couple seasons and he should be stepping into an even larger role this year in his senior season.</p>   <p>With the graduation of Elijah Fernandez, all signs point to Cannon seeing more extensive run at the inside linebacker position, where he projects best for the collegiate level. He has the size and athleticism to make plays all over the field and provide a reliable safety blanket behind the defensive line.</p>   <p>He is also the team's tight end and takes advantage of free space in the middle of the field when defenses attempt to cheat to the perimeter to put more defenders on the perimeter playmakers of BGA.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/1971740877300391985?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 DL [player_tooltip player_id='902956' first='Justice' last='Pittman']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='902956' first='Justice' last='Pittman'] is one of the most underrated prospects inside the state of Tennessee with good size, versatility and disruptive explosiveness along the defensive front.</p>   <p>At 6-foot-2 and 290 pounds, he has the frame to blow up gaps in the run game and force tailbacks to kick runs outside on the early downs. However, arguably his best trait is his third down ability with his athleticism and size being too much for offensive lineman to handle, allowing for him to win from any spot along the defensive line, including from the edge.</p>   <p>After some losses up front, his versatility and playmaking helps make him a crucial X-factor to the team's success.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithMedia/status/2029630468652494980?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2028 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1065916' first='Jeisun' last='Thompson']</h2>   <p>The shortage of reliable corners on the team at the end of the year last season has been noted and a large reason for that was talented defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1065916' first='Jeisun' last='Thompson'] missing the entire season.</p>   <p>Now that he is back, he likely figures to be the top cornerback option on the outside for the defense, giving the team a reliable playmaker on one half of the field that the coaching staff will not have to worry about.</p>   <p>Thompson could be in store for a huge breakout season as a junior with a lot of interested parties watching to see how he performs.</p>

The Battle Ground Academy football program has quickly risen to one of the best inside the state of Tennessee since hiring head coach Bobby Bentley and the team will look to claim their second straight state championship.