Building the Perfect Running Back in Tennessee Football: DII-AA

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tennessee high school football is loaded with talented running backs, especially in Division II-AA. From power and athleticism to vision and elusiveness, several standout rushers bring unique traits to the field each Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this Prep Redzone scouting series, I'm building the ultimate player at every position and classification by combining the best size, skills, traits and intangibles from top prospects across the state. There's just one rule: each player can be used only once, unless necessary.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next in the series, I'm doing Division II-AA tailbacks. By blending the best qualities of five different playmakers, I've created the blueprint for the perfect rusher in this classification heading into the 2026 Tennessee football season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2085007} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/12/Photo-Dec-17-2025-4-19-28-PM-crop-1059x696-1766010192.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2085007" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo Boyd-Buchanan RB [player_tooltip player_id='1617464' first='TJ' last='McReynolds'] after a touchdown. Photo from Instagram.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB Frame: 2029 [player_tooltip player_id='1617464' first='TJ' last='McReynolds'] – Boyd-Buchanan School</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite being just a rising sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id='1617464' first='TJ' last='McReynolds'] is one of the best all-around backs in the state of Tennessee. He's coming off his first season with Boyd-Buchanan School, where he was productive in limited time. There are several things I could draw from his game to include in this article, but I chose his frame.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He offers excellent size for his age and position, standing 6-feet and weighing 195 pounds, with a thick, athletic frame and plenty of lean muscle. McReynolds boasts the best frame of any back in this classification, as he's strong but also moves very well in a good body.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2085009} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/06/43-Kwadir-Fletcher-rotated-crop-2832x1860-1766010568.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2085009" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: FRA ATH [player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher'] at a Prep Redzone camp.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB Power: 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher'] – Franklin Road Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher'] did not get the nod for frame, but he is the strongest runner in Division II-AA. Part of that is due to his compact yet thick frame, which allows him to power through defenders. He also plays with a relentless motor and great physicality, which helps him do what I mentioned earlier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rising senior never stops moving his legs, which makes it extremely difficult for defenders to bring him down. He consistently breaks tackles and requires multiple defenders to get him down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2217302} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/tthomas-crop-700x460-1779911591.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2217302" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: GCA (Knox) ATH [player_tooltip player_id='933067' first='Terrion' last='Thomas'] at practice.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB Athleticism: 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='933067' first='Terrion' last='Thomas'] – Grace Christian Academy (Knox)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You have to be a good athlete to succeed at the running back position, but [player_tooltip player_id='933067' first='Terrion' last='Thomas'] is a guy who's just a cut above everyone else when it comes to this aspect. He's exceptionally gifted on the gridiron, which is why he saw time at several positions two seasons ago before he suffered an injury.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas possesses great speed, nice elusiveness, good burst, solid body control and quickness in small spaces that allow him to change direction on a dime. I cannot fully express how excited I am to see him back in action this upcoming season, because watching him dominate is just fun.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2217301} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/mattrogers-crop-638x419-1779911522.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2217301" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Knox Webb RB [player_tooltip player_id='1084814' first='Matthew' last='Rogers'] during a game at Knox Catholic.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB Vision: 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1084814' first='Matthew' last='Rogers'] – Webb School of Knoxville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1084814' first='Matthew' last='Rogers'] is a new member of Division II-AA after transferring down from Knox Catholic following the end of his previous school's 2025 season. He has a good mix of everything, which makes him one of the top tailbacks in Tennessee for his class. However, I'm using Rogers for his vision.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's a smart football player, which ties into the vision aspect and how quickly he reads opposing defenses. The rising junior is a patient runner who waits for the perfect opportunity, then bursts through the holes for big gains. Rogers constantly keeps his head on a swivel and reads the field better than anybody in this classification.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2217298} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/jvstinson-crop-828x544-1779911248.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2217298" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: GCA (Knox) RB JV Stinson during a game.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB Elusiveness: 2029 JV Stinson – Grace Christian Academy (Knox)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>JV Stinson took the Tennessee high school football world by storm last season, rushing for well over 1,500 yards on his way to becoming a household name. He's talented in many ways, but the best part of Stinson's game is his elusiveness between and outside the tackles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You won't find a better player than the rising sophomore in that area in Division II-AA. It's hard to bring him down with his impressive body control, instincts, ability to change direction, vision and burst.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->