Preseason X Factors: FRA Football

<p>Under the guidance of arguably the best high school football coaching staff inside Tennessee, the Franklin Road Academy program has soared to the top of the ranks in the DII-AA classification and has become one of the best overall in the state.</p>   <p>Building through developing top young talent, the future continues to get brighter and brighter as more and more young players choose to attend FRA for high school, with this season holding another dangerous Panthers squad.</p>   <p>The state championship game left a sour taste in their mouth after a strong year last season, and if they want to take that next step, these five prospects will need to have huge seasons this fall.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2028 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1037670' first='Jack' last='Nimitz']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1037670' first='Jack' last='Nimitz'] was thrust into action during the regular season victory over BGA last season and never gave up the starting job after that. This year, he will have a full offseason of gaining chemistry with his targets to rely on and won't have to play with such reckless abandonment, which gives the offense a very exciting ceiling.</p>   <p>Part of that ceiling is the Panthers holding likely their most talented receiver room in terms of talent on the offensive side of the ball specifically. However, it will remain a young group outside of one senior, so it will be up to Nimitz to be the leader of the passing offense and be an effective distributor of the football.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher'] earned a lot of run as the second tailback option last season and will lead a strong rotation of tailback options this season for an offense that will look to be built around the ground game.</p>   <p>He will offer a hard, downhill rushing style that will help pull the linebackers up and give his quarterback easier throwing windows to fit passes into. He also has the ability to be a very effective red zone back with his size and athleticism.</p>   <p>He also returns as the top linebacker on the team and will be the vocal leader of the front seven from the second level of the defense. He will be flying around to clean up plays against the run from his inside linebacker spot and it will be important that he helps a young, but talented defensive front get set each snap.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2029 WR/CB [player_tooltip player_id='2118740' first='Remello' last='Armstrong']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2118740' first='Remello' last='Armstrong'] is a prime example of the top mid-state youth talent choosing to spend their high school career at FRA and after waiting a year, it will now be his turn to take over.</p>   <p>He is a versatile receiver that can play inside and out, something that the coaching staff will take advantage of to give him easy targets quick and often in the underneath game. He has the speed and size to win downfield as well and will give a strong complement to [player_tooltip player_id='903033' first='Omarii' last='Sanders'] from a natural receiver.</p>   <p>He is also going to be the best cornerback on the team, making him ultra-important this fall as he will be tasked with likely the most targets on offense and covering the opponent's top receiver each week as just a sophomore in high school. He is uber-talented and that will be on full display this season as he steps into the spotlight.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 WR/SAF/RS [player_tooltip player_id='903033' first='Omarii' last='Sanders']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='903033' first='Omarii' last='Sanders'] returns as the team's top playmaker, showing up in every facet of the game for the Panthers.</p>   <p>On offense he will be the top outside receiver and will continue to offer an explosive play threat that can win downfield and stretch the field vertically. His size and speed offer a large catch radius with legit YAC potential, which is something that was utilized heavily in clutch situations last season.</p>   <p>He also returns as the team's safety blanket on the back end as he flies around the field as someone this team can trust to clean up plays, whether putting an end to a rush or making a play on the ball in the air.</p>   <p>He was also the team's return man, where he showed some of that YAC ability as a receiver to create favorable field position for his offense.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 OT/DL [player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal'] is one of the obvious leaders on this team as he will be entering his third year as the team's top offensive tackle and defensive lineman.</p>   <p>He is one of the best lineman in the entire state and that shows up every single week, no matter the opponent. He secures the blind side of his quarterback and is someone that the staff feels confident running behind on offense.</p>   <p>He a machine up front on defense, constantly getting after the quarterback as he shoves opposing offensive linemen aside and has the athleticism to hunt down quarterbacks. He added the ability to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage last season, making him a true versatile weapon.</p>   <p>He will continue to dominate on each side of the line of scrimmage this fall and that will be something that the coaching staff at FRA takes advantage of again this season.</p>

Under the guidance of arguably the best high school football coaching staff inside Tennessee, the Franklin Road Academy program has soared to the top of the ranks in the DII-AA classification and has become one of the best overall in the state.