What you need to know about the 2020 high school football season in Tennessee

Tennessee is one of 35 states planning to play football this fall. Fifteen others plus the District of Columbia have moved their respective seasons to 2021.

In Tennessee, a total of four games kick off on Thursday with 168 more games set for Friday.

In advance of season openers, here's a look at what you need to know about Tennessee football in 2020.

Top 5 Games
Brentwood Academy (Brentwood) at McCallie (Chattanooga), Sept. 4
Alcoa at Maryville, Sept. 11
Baylor (Chattanooga) at McCallie, Oct. 2
Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville) at Brentwood Academy, Oct. 9
Brentwood Academy at Baylor, Oct. 30

Top 5 Teams
1. McCallie
2. Maryville
3. Brentwood Academy
4. Pearl-Cohn (Nashville)
5. Alcoa



Defending Champions
6A: Maryville
5A: Knoxville Central (Knoxville)
4A: Elizabethton
3A: Alcoa
2A: Peabody (Trenton)
1A: Lake County (Tiptonville)
II-3A: McCallie
II-2A: Evangelical Christian (Cordova)
II-1A: Davidson Academy (Nashville)

Top 5 Recruits
1. Jake Briningstool, TE, Ravenwood (Brentwood), (No. 74 national by 247Sports)
2. Junior Colson, OLB, Ravenwood (115)
3. Andre Turrentine, S, Ensworth (Nashville), (137)
4. Dietrick Pennington, G, Evangelical Christian, (208)
5. Hudson Wolfe, TE, Hardin County (Savannah), (210)

Returning Stat Leaders
Passing
Cooper Riggs, Grace Christian Academy (Knoxville, Tenn.), 234-400, 3,053 yards, 27 touchdowns
Rivers Hunt, Hardin County, 157-228, 2,488 yards, 26 touchdowns
Rushing
Logan Nardozzi, Fairview, 188 carries, 1,778 yards, 16 touchdowns
Jalen Hunt, McMinn County (Athens), 178 carries, 1,728 yards, 14 touchdowns
Receiving
Prince Kollie, David Crockett (Jonesborough), 68 catches, 1,085 yards, 9 touchdowns
Troy Parker Hughes, Elizabethton, 56 catches, 1,015 yards, 19 touchdowns