Preseason X Factors: Ensworth Football

<p>Ensworth has built one of the top football programs in the entire state of Tennessee under the leadership of head coach Tim Hasselbeck and his coaching staff.</p>   <p>Now, as their young prospects that they have developed in the grassroots begin to enter high school and create a new core, there is a lot of excitement around the future of the program. However, as one of the top programs in the state, the expectation is to win now and this is a team that can certainly make that happen.</p>   <p>On a team with a lot of youth, these five prospects will be older players on the team and will need to have strong seasons this fall.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 RB EJ Gibson</h2>   <p>EJ Gibson was one of the best running backs in the state last season and was wrongfully robbed of being recognized as a Mr. Football finalist in the DII-AAA classification.</p>   <p>He will be back as the anchor of the offense this season, giving whoever wins the quarterback battle a reliable playmaker next to him to take the pressure off their shoulders.</p>   <p>He has a dense build and is able to weave through bodies around the line of scrimmage and find the open crease to where he can generate an explosive gain on the ground. He keeps emerging more as a true weapon in the screen game and that should be something that the Tigers rely on heavily this season as well.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/2054651899530375267?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1585715' first='Quinn' last='Taylor']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1585715' first='Quinn' last='Taylor'] will return his steady presence on the back end of the defense from his safety position, but he is on this list for what will be needed from him as a receiver this fall.</p>   <p>The team will be looking for reliable receiving targets on the perimeter to complement a new starting quarterback with Taylor figuring to be the most reliable of the bunch at this moment with his experience, size and athleticism.</p>   <p>The offense will be centered around the run, but if Taylor can become a reliable target in big moments, the offense can reach a new level.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/qu1nnTayl0r/status/1999879359965077859?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2028 IOL [player_tooltip player_id='1599119' first='Eli' last='Coles']</h2>   <p>Ensworth offensive line unit is going to be an overwhelming strength for this team with impressive size, ability and talented depth. With two Power Four tackles on the perimeter, the interior of the group was going to be the area with top-end competition and it has resulted in an even bigger line with [player_tooltip player_id='1599119' first='Eli' last='Coles'] moving down to the center position.</p>   <p>At 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds, the position might be best for the long term and will help create a nasty disposition up front from every single spot.</p>   <p>With new receivers this season, it will be essential to take as much pressure of a new starting quarterback as possible and Coles will play a large part of that as a vocal leader of the front five and anchor along the interior.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithMedia/status/2054627935256985616?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 DL [player_tooltip player_id='1706374' first='Mason' last='Seely']</h2>   <p>With [player_tooltip player_id='983676' first='Khristopher' last='Rice'] departing from the program, there were questions about how the Tigers would generate pressure off the edge this fall. After taking in a spring practice, it is safe to say that will not be a worry as [player_tooltip player_id='1706374' first='Mason' last='Seely'] has put it all together after moving from the offensive line to become a high-energy defensive lineman that can get past blockers.</p>   <p>He has good size, listed at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds last season. He has likely slimmed down some to transition to his role as a full-time defensive end, but still impressive size to pair with explosive playmaking and versatility.</p>   <p>He can be moved along the defensive front and still generate pressure, consistently being a handle for top tier tackle talent in spring practice. Watch for a major breakout season this year for Seely.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MasonSeely51/status/2038735771604070536?s=20 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='2179336' first='Jackson' last='Sensabaugh']</h2>   <p>Ensworth had a lot of talent in the secondary, but they were lacking a veteran cornerback that the staff could trust to cover any top receiving option for the entire game every single Friday night. With [player_tooltip player_id='2179336' first='Jackson' last='Sensabaugh'] coming to the program, that is not a worry anymore and now quietly gives the Tigers one of the better secondaries in the entire state.</p>   <p>At six-foot, he has a good frame that gives the team a far bigger cornerback room than last season, while not sacrificing the athleticism to maintain positioning.</p>   <p>With the reliability of Sensabaugh on the field now, it takes the pressure off talented young corners, allowing them to play more free, which will only make their talent more evident.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JacksonSen43/status/2056011526293557277?s=20 </div></figure>

Ensworth has built one of the top football programs in the entire state of Tennessee under the leadership of head coach Tim Hasselbeck and his coaching staff.