Class 2A Pre-season Mr. Football Candidates

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The race for earning the top 2A honor this year should be fun as we see plenty of strong options along with a few sleepers to keep in mind. Inside our Class 2A preview series, here we breakdown the top preseason contenders for Mr. Football and what you should be expecting from them this coming season. </h2>     Whoever wins top honors and takes home Mr. Football this year, it will be earned as the 2A level presents a lot of strong options and competition. We will have a new winner this year as well, so opportunity is there for someone to step forward and establish themselves as the top player within this classification for the upcoming 2026 season. This race for the top individual award will be a fun one to watch as I can see multiple players listed below taking home the trophy.    Top Tier ……    Young was named a semifinalist last year for Mr. Football and I expect him to be right back in the mix this Fall season. The Indians signal caller has a ton of experience and won a lot of ball games throughout his high school career and produced a lot of offensive yards. Young is a multi-talented, dual threat quarterback that will be asked to shoulder a bigger load this season and I think he can handle it. The offense is having to implement some new starters, so Young will be leaned upon heavily, especially early on as others adjust. You may see Young run the ball a little more this year as well but I still expect him to put up just near or more than 2,000 yards passing.    - - -    All signs point towards the Eagles having a banner 2026 season and if they do, Covington will be at the front of those efforts. This future Western Ky quarterback is due for a monster year. Covington has gotten better every step of the way throughout his high school career but still has yet to crack into the Mr. Football conversation. I think that changes this season, especially if the 6'2 signal caller delivers while staying healthy. He will have a strong O-line in front keeping him clean along with an athletic receiving group that doesn't have a true number one guy but plenty of talent. The way Covington has developed over the off-season also tells me he is ready for a breakout year that displays his full arsenal.     - - -    One of the breakout stars on the 2A level last season was this West Tennessee athlete that put up some big time numbers but missed out on being named a Mr. Football semifinalist. If Smith produces like he did last year, I fully expect him to be named this Fall with a strong chance at bringing home top honors. The Mustangs senior two-way talent will play a large role for his team this year as the top offensive option while also delivering on defense. Huntingdon won the 2A title last year but will have a different squad in the Fall as new starters step forward. Smith will be leaned upon heavily throughout the year, so getting into the Mr. Football mix is a high probability.    - - -    One of the better athletes from the 2A ranks is this Chattanooga area two-way prospect that will be touching the ball on every play, which makes Humphrey a prime contender for Mr. Football. Athletic and fast with an open field secondary gear, the Warriors senior is dynamic with the ball in his hands that most opposing defenses won't have answers for. Marion Co. has a shot at competing for the 2A title this year and if they do, Humphrey will be at the forefront of those efforts. I expect him to go both ways this Fall but with his importance at quarterback, I wouldn't be surprised to see him mainly play on offense. As long as Humphrey stays healthy this year, I expect to see him in Nashville as a potential Mr. Football finalist.    - - -    This Memphis area running back might turn out to be the biggest breakout star on the 2A level this Fall and if he runs like I think he can, Branch won't only contend for Mr. Football but I think it will garner a lot of college attention. Ranked inside our “Top 50” overall senior prospects, Branch is one of the more explosive ball carriers we have in the state with speed to separate from defenders and find the end zone on a consistent basis. The Phoenix senior should have a good O-line in front of him, opening holes for him to run through, so Branch will be given plenty of opportunities to produce big games. I think Branch is the X-Factor for MASE that could push them over the top for the 2A title while also becoming a finalist for Mr. Football.     - - - - - - - -   Middle Tier ……   (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='2114336' first='Tripp' last='Neas'] - South Greene   - Neas has been a productive player throughout his South Greene career but I think he is ready for his breakout season where he could contend for the 2A rushing title while placing himself in the mix for Mr. Football. The Rebels should have a solid ball club this year with Neas as the top offensive weapon and a player that will be depended upon to produce each and every week. Most teams will be keying to stop Neas, so it won't be easy but this guy is a worker, a grinder that should get the job done. This East Tennessee product is also waiting for the elusive offers to arrive but if he produces a big senior year while getting into the convo for Mr. Football, I foresee his stock rising and gaining those wanted college opportunities.    - - - - -    ‘28 (RB/LB) Turner Boucher - Gordonsville   - As a sophomore last year, Boucher produced 1,178 yards and 12 touchdowns to put himself on the map and if he takes another step forward this Fall, competing for Mr. Football is possible. What will help the cause for Boucher is his ball club winning a bunch of ball games this year and as things sit right now, we have Gordonsville winning their region. We shall see how everything plays out but I'm expecting another big year from this junior ball carrier, who should also be contributing on defense as well. Others on the Tigers roster will be playing their parts and producing on their own terms but Boucher is very important to his team's success this year and could develop into one of the bigger breakout 2A stars.    - - - - -    ‘28 (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='1082150' first='Merrel' last='Perez'] - Riverside   - The Panthers of Riverside are known for running the ball and I expect that formula to remain this Fall and the beneficiary of that style of offense is Perez. This rising junior running back had a solid coming out party last year but I think he is ready to take another step in his game where Perez has the potential to rush for nearly or more than 1,500 yards. The Panthers had some struggles last year but Perez was a standout. I think with a year under most of the roster's belt, Riverside should be much better this Fall and as long as Perez produces like I think he can, being named a semifinalist for Mr. Football can happen with an outside shot at winning it.    - - - - -    (Edge) [player_tooltip player_id='1693459' first='Jayland' last='Eckford'] - J.C. Merry   - We tend to always find some defensive players in the mix for Mr. Football and I think Eckford is the top option on the 2A level to garner top honors. This West Tennessee prospect can be devastating rushing off the edge and I think Eckford could lead this classification in sacks, which in turn might put him in the conversation for Mr. Football. His ability to get after the quarterback is some of the best you will find in the TN2027 class. Eckford can be a game changer for his Cougars football team that provides more opportunities for the offense to score and win ball games. Austin Peay is getting a stud with this guy and someone that I think has higher levels to his game once he gets to the college stage.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/03/jeckford-e1784236979354.jpg?w=338" alt="" class="wp-image-2146886" style="width:254px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    Sleeper Candidates ……   (QB) [player_tooltip player_id='904975' first='Mason' last='Mitchell'] - Eagleton: Keep eyes out on this East Tennessee quarterback to have a breakout year for his Eagles team and if he plays well, Mitchell could find his way into the Mr. Football mix while also leading his Eagleton team towards a region title. Standing 6'3 185 pounds, Mitchell has nice physical tools that translate to the college game but there is still room for improvement. If the Eagles signal caller shows that development this season, he could gain more college interest while contending for 2A top honors.    (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='1668505' first='Vince' last='Bryant'] - Grundy Co.: Bryant may be a long shot to be considered a Mr. Football candidate due to the fact his Yellow Jackets team may not take their region but if he produces a big senior year and Grundy Co. wins ball games, getting into the conversation is possible. Bryant has the ability to hit the home run with his initial burst and vision while also providing the occasional reception out of the backfield. Even if Mr. Football doesn't work out for Bryant, I still expect him to produce a big senior campaign.    ‘28 (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='2219789' first='Dylan' last='Raines'] - Smith Co.: If the Owls are to compete for their region while going on a deep run in the playoffs, Raines will be a major catalyst in those efforts and someone that can run his way into Mr. Football contention. This Mid-Tennessee running back is someone at the top of my list as a potential breakout player on the 2A level this year as Raines should handle the lead role carrying the football. He is a physical, down hill running back that should present a lot of problems for opposing ball clubs.    ‘28 (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='1565681' first='Devin' last='Phillips'] - East Nashville: A sleeper pick for Mr. Football is this Nashville area big man that shows flashes of dominance and if he plays that way consistently this season, Phillips might contend for 2A top honors. I could see Phillips generating nearly 10 sacks from his defensive tackle role this season while also playing a key part on the offensive line. I don't know if many teams will have the capabilities of blocking Phillips, so contending for Mr. Football is something that could happen.    Six Others to Track: (RB/LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1106194' first='Kaden' last='McCrory'] - Mt. Pleasant, ‘28 (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='1088093' first='Mason' last='Taylor'] - Milan, (Ath) [player_tooltip player_id='933024' first='Jack' last='Cupples'] - Riverside, (DE) [player_tooltip player_id='1591156' first='Zeke' last='Walkup'] - Cannon Co., (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1666967' first='Akeem' last='Hunt'] - MASE, (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='932830' first='Asah' last='Story'] - Adamsville   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/05/Photo-May-02-2026-12-13-52-PM.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2199785" style="aspect-ratio:1.4066163063297734;width:317px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Eagleton QB [player_tooltip player_id='904975' first='Mason' last='Mitchell'] during a game. Photo from his Instagram</figcaption></figure>