Top 5 Class 4A Linebackers in Tennessee: 2026 Scouting Report

Tennessee high school football is loaded with talent heading into the 2026 season, and the Class 4A group is packed with standout defensive playmakers. As summer approaches, several guys are emerging as top prospects to watch in Tennessee high school football recruiting.   In this scouting series breaking down the top football players by position and classification, here's an in-depth look at the top five Class 4A linebackers 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/3/2025/12/IMG_20251206_145114.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2076241" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Alcoa OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1027628' first='Jennaris' last='Henry'] during the 2025 state championship. Taken by Shayne Pickering, Prep Redzone TN </figcaption></figure>   2028 OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1027628' first='Jennaris' last='Henry'] – Alcoa High School   [player_tooltip player_id='1027628' first='Jennaris' last='Henry'] was named the starter heading into his freshman season at Alcoa, where he was impressive. The '28 recruit followed that up with another good campaign in 2025, totaling 56 tackles, 14 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and three pass deflections. He's picked up a plethora of high-level offers and looks to be a Power Four lock by the time he graduates.   He offers good size for his age and position, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 210 pounds with an athletic frame that's well built. Henry is excellent at rushing the passer with his speed, quick first step and deep bag of pass-rush moves. However, he is a good coverage linebacker and plays well at the second level, so you cannot label him as just a designated pass rusher.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/manman_henry28/status/2061926169071468911?s=20 </div></figure>   Henry is a good tackler with high football IQ and nice technique, that's allowed him to become such a productive player at a young age. I'd like to see him become more explosive and polish up in certain areas, but he's on track to develop into a top-tier high school player. He's the No. 1 linebacker in his class, but could climb into the top 20 overall.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/06/dsudderth.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1700080" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Alcoa LB [player_tooltip player_id='1366543' first='Darius' last='Sudderth'] during practice.</figcaption></figure>   2027 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1366543' first='Darius' last='Sudderth'] – Alcoa High School   [player_tooltip player_id='1366543' first='Darius' last='Sudderth'] is one of the most slept-on linebackers in Tennessee's Class 4A. He's produced at a high level, including an all-state 2025 campaign. In 13 games, he recorded 84 tackles, 10.5 being for a loss, 5.5 sacks and one pass deflection. The rising senior picked up his first offer from Maryville College just a few days ago, but he should be getting more collegiate interest.   He offers nice size for his position, standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 220 pounds with a lean frame that's well-built to play linebacker. Sudderth is one of the elite run stoppers in Class 4A, but has the athleticism and twitch to be productive as a pass rusher. He has solid coverage skills and possesses high football IQ that allows him to play fast.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/coltjohnson2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2224551" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Upperman TE [player_tooltip player_id='1679806' first='Colton' last='Johnson'] on his official visit to Alabama. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   2027 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1679806' first='Colton' last='Johnson'] – Upperman High School   [player_tooltip player_id='1679806' first='Colton' last='Johnson'] is one of the top tight end prospects in the Southeast, but he also excels at linebacker, where he earned Prep Redzone All-State honors last season. In 12 games, he recorded 133 tackles, five being for a loss, one sack and a pass deflection. The rising senior will be a Power Four signee at tight end, but has one more year of high school football to ball out with his teammates.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/coltonFB_23/status/2019547859088199808?s=20 </div></figure>   He offers terrific size for his position, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 230 pounds with a strong frame that allows him to maintain his mobility. Johnson is a tackling machine with the ability to affect the game in several ways. The '27 recruit gets downhill well, stops the run at an elite level, plays sound coverage and even offers some pass-rush upside. He's definitely better at tight end, but being this good as a linebacker just speaks to the level of an athlete that Johnson is.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/Photo-Jun-24-2026-2-26-12-PM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2234320" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Anderson County LB [player_tooltip player_id='1178600' first='Lyric' last='Jackson'] during a scrimmage. Photo from his X/Twitter.</figcaption></figure>   2028 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1178600' first='Lyric' last='Jackson'] – Anderson County High School   [player_tooltip player_id='1178600' first='Lyric' last='Jackson'] was one of the biggest surprises last season, but transferred to Anderson County in the offseason. Taking on a full-time role in 2025, he recorded 58 tackles, 10 for a loss, five sacks and 14 QB hurries across 11 games. He does not hold any offers right now, but could blow up on the recruiting trail throughout the summer and into next season.   He offers good size, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 215 pounds with a stout, athletic frame that allows him to be lethal all over the front seven. Jackson is a versatile defender who can line up at essentially every position in the front seven besides the interior. He has a long frame, nice twitch, impressive athleticism and is highly physical. The 2028 prospect is one of the top pass rushers in Tennessee, but he also does a good job of stopping the run.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/Photo-Jun-24-2026-2-24-17-PM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2234319" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Pearl-Cohn LB Timothy Curtis at his previous school. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   2027 MLB Timothy Curtis – Pearl-Cohn High School   Timothy Curtis had a good 2025 campaign at Pope John Paul II, recording 74 tackles, two being for a loss, one sack and one interception. He announced this offseason that he would be transferring to Pearl-Cohn for his senior season, where he will be arguably their top linebacker. He does not have any offers right now, but has seen some interest from college programs and could break out in his final year of high school.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TimothyCurtis_/status/2060192835341549697?s=20 </div></figure>   He's a compact player, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 190 pounds with a lean frame that helps him remain mobile at his inside linebacker spot. Curtis is very athletic with nice speed, recently clocking a 4.6-second 40-yard dash. The rising senior is a physical player who plays with a high motor, tackles well, gets downhill quickly and can affect the game in several ways. He's one of the top run stuffers, can get after the quarterback and plays good coverage.

Tennessee high school football is loaded with talent heading into the 2026 season, and the Class 4A group is packed with standout defensive playmakers. As summer approaches, several guys are emerging as top prospects to watch in Tennessee high school football recruiting.