Top 5 Class 3A Quarterbacks in Tennessee: 2026 Scouting Report

Tennessee high school football is loaded with rising talent heading into the 2026 season, and the Class 3A group is packed with standout offensive playmakers. As spring ball wraps up across the state, several guys are emerging as top prospects to watch in Tennessee high school football recruiting.     In this scouting series breaking down the top football prospects by position and TSSAA classification, here's an in-depth look at the top five Class 3A quarterbacks in Tennessee entering the 2026 high school football season.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/05/Photo-May-25-2026-3-31-43-PM-crop-1320x867-1779741345.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2216031" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Whites Creek QB [player_tooltip player_id='1580784' first='Deon' last='Barnes'] during a game. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1580784' first='Deon' last='Barnes'] – Whites Creek High School   [player_tooltip player_id='1580784' first='Deon' last='Barnes'] is one of the more intriguing quarterback prospects in Tennessee and is coming off a breakout season where he established himself as a name to know. He's a dual-threat player with the ability to change the game in multiple ways. The rising junior goes underrated with so much high-level talent in the state, but he's a Power Four-caliber guy.     He offers solid size for his age and position, standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 175 pounds, with a lean, athletic frame that allows him to maintain his mobility. I like what he offers on the ground, as he's quick and elusive. However, Barnes keeps a pass-first mentality and does not force the run game.     The 2028 prospect has excellent arm talent with a cannon for a right arm with nice touch, good accuracy, solid velocity on his throws and the ability to fit passes into tight windows. Barnes has proven that he can make every throw on the field, including the deep ball, which is impressive. A lot of younger signal callers struggle with hitting receivers in stride down the field, but he excels at it.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/gsimpson-crop-700x460-1769637794.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2115260" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Westview QB [player_tooltip player_id='424594' first='Graham' last='Simpson']. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   2028 [player_tooltip player_id='424594' first='Graham' last='Simpson'] – Westview High School   [player_tooltip player_id='424594' first='Graham' last='Simpson'] has been nothing short of amazing in his first two seasons as the starting signal caller at Westview. Between his freshman and sophomore years, the 2028 prospect has thrown over 100 touchdown passes and captured the 2025 Class 3A Mr. Football trophy. He is the clear-cut top quarterback in his class, with the potential to be a five-star player by the time it is all said and done.     He offers solid size, standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds in a lean frame that allows him to maintain his mobility and fluidity as a passer. Simpson has impressive arm talent, starting with a strong arm. The rising junior puts nice velocity behind his throws and can make deep balls down the field look easy. He is an accurate quarterback with the ability to layer passes and place them anywhere he needs to.     Simpson isn't a dual-threat, but he has the mobility and speed to make something happen on the ground if he needs to. Finally, his mechanics are excellent for this stage of his playing career. He is a technically sound guy with good footwork, nice follow-through and good pocket awareness.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/05/87626620007-kns-20251205-gatlinburg-pittman-vs-westview-football-aa-8-crop-560x368-1779740636.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-2216027" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Gatlinburg-Pittman QB [player_tooltip player_id='2089174' first='Tyson' last='Sutton'] during the 2025 Class 3A State Championship. Taken by Angelina Alcantar of News Sentinel. </figcaption></figure>   2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2089174' first='Tyson' last='Sutton'] – Gatlinburg Pittman High School   [player_tooltip player_id='2089174' first='Tyson' last='Sutton'] had a breakout 2025 campaign with Gatlinburg-Pittman, establishing himself as one of the top players in this classification. In 15 games played, he completed 63% of his passes for 2,783 yards with 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions. After his star running back transferred to Sevier County, the rising senior will have a larger role, where he could have a huge 2026 season.     He's a compact player, standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 170 pounds, but produces at a high level even without the prototypical size of a quarterback. Sutton has good arm talent, solid touch, nice accuracy and the ability to create as a passer. He has the mechanics and pocket awareness to sit back behind his offensive line, but the 2027 prospect has also proven that he can make accurate passes off-balance and with defenders in his face.     Sutton isn't a runner, but he is mobile enough to buy time behind the line of scrimmage or take off and make something happen if it's necessary. He needs to improve on some things, but he is a sneaky-good quarterback with the potential to play at the next level.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MarcusTurner27/status/1998493074054647870?s=20 </div></figure>   2027 Marcus Turner – Tyner Academy   Marcus Turner is an interesting prospect heading into the 2026 season. He showed promise this past season, playing in 10 games and totaling over 1,000 yards with 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He certainly needs to work on things, but he has the physical tools to become one of the better players in this classification.     Turner offers nice size, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 190 pounds in a lean, athletic frame that allows him to remain mobile. He has shown improvement throughout the offseason, including a solid showing in a scrimmage against Coffee County. The 2027 prospect is highly athletic with the ability to make things happen with his legs, whether that's extending a play or just taking off.     The rising senior has decent arm talent with the ability to complete passes at each level and solid touch, but he needs to further develop in that area this summer. I do like the upside with Turner, and can see him putting it together for his senior season.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/XavierR2312/status/2001488516803330130?s=20 </div></figure>   2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2089183' first='Xavier' last='Randolph'] – Giles County High School   [player_tooltip player_id='2089183' first='Xavier' last='Randolph'] is the final player I'll discuss in this article, but he is quietly one of the best in this classification. He took the next step this past season, compiling 2, 636 total yards and 22 touchdowns to five turnovers in 12 games, while posting a 114.2 QB Rating. The rising senior has some nice tools that could translate to the collegiate level and has one final season of ball to prove himself.     He's a compact player, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 165 pounds with nice athleticism and the ability to create in a multitude of ways for his squad. Randolph is very fast and elusive, making him a threat on the ground. He also has solid arm talent with a nice arm, solid accuracy and good touch on passes down the field.

Tennessee high school football is loaded with rising talent heading into the 2026 season, and the Class 3A group is packed with standout offensive playmakers. As spring ball wraps up across the state, several guys are emerging as top prospects to watch in Tennessee high school football recruiting.