High school football: Top 25 Tennessee players from the Class of 2022

The top recruit in the state is the No. 2 prospect in the entire country, 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive lineman Walter Nolen of Powell. He is one of only seven from the Top 25 prospects list who has not announced a college commitment. Nolen has piled up 26 college offers but appears to be leaning toward either Florida, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia or Tennessee.

No prep team in the state is top heavy with talent as only Oakland (Murfreesboro), Summit (Spring Hill) and
Christian Brothers (Memphis) have multiple players on the Top 25 list.

247SPORTS: Complete Tennessee player rankings

Not only are the schools quite balanced with top-end talent, but so are the positions. Players with the designation of "athlete" have four players from the Top 25 list, followed by running back, wide receiver, offensive linemen, linebacker and defensive back with three each.


1. Walter Nolen | Powell
6-4 | 300 | Defensive lineman | Undecided college commitment
The 5-star recruit is the No. 2 prospect overall in the country and No. 1 DL. Owns tremendous hand quickness and is known for his motor, explosiveness and domination at point of attack.

2. Ty Simpson | Westview (Martin)
6-2 | 185 | QB | Alabama commit
Tremendous dual threat is the son of Tennessee-Martin head coach Jason Simpson. Passed for 1,888 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 311 more yards and seven more TDs in 2020.

3. Jordan James | Oakland (Murfreesboro)
5-10 | 205 | RB | Georgia
A former standout for Brentwood Academy, James rushed 182 times for 1,752 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2020.

4. Taylor Groves | East Robertson (Cross Plains)
6-2 | 175 | S | Ole Miss
A top-20 safety in the country, Groves also is a major offensive threat, earning him 25 college offers.

5. Sam Roush | Lipscomb Academy (Nashville)
6-5 | 225 | TE | Stanford
A transfer from Northern California in the spring, Roush is ranked the No. 9 tight end in the country. His father Luke played defensive back at Duke.

6. Dallen Hayden | Christian Brothers (Memphis)
5-11 | 195 | RB | Ohio State
Rushed 232 times for 2,010 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. His father Aaron played running back for Tennessee and in the NFL.

7. Keaton Wade | Summit (Spring Hill)
6-4 | 223 | LB | Kentucky
Picked the Wildcats over 24 other offers, including Arizona State, LSU, Michigan, USC and Oklahoma.

8. Barion Brown | Pearl-Cohn (Nashville)
6-1 | 173 | ATH | Undecided
Considered an elite speed player, Brown is a big-play receiving threat. Won the state 100-meter dash in track and field.

9. Isaiah Horton | Oakland
6-3 | 190 | WR | Miami
Had 34 catches for 643 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020, earning the attention of 23 colleges that made him offers. He picked the Hurricanes over Alabama.

10. Kody Jones | Germantown
5-11 | 175 | ATH | Michigan
Ranked the 16th best athlete in the country, Jones earned 31 college offers but picked the Wolverines over programs such as Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Oregon. Jones transferred from Fairley to Germantown.

11. Fisher Anderson | Franklin
6-7 | 270 | OT | Stanford
The second on the list to commit to the Cardinal. Ranked the 20th best tackle in the country.

12. Anthony Brown | Milan
6-1.5 | 192 | ATH | Undecided
Has visited Indiana, Illinois, Memphis and Tennessee, and plans a visit next month to Wisconsin.

13. Langston Patterson | Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville)
6-1 | 215 | LB | Vanderbilt
Ranked the 50th best linebacker in the country, Patterson had 72 tackles in 2020. Of those, 19 were for losses including 3.5 sacks. His brother Kane Patterson plays linebacker at Clemson.

14. Destin Wade | Summit (Spring Hill)
6-3 | 205 | ATH | Kentucky
A top 20 athlete nationally, Wade played quarterback in 2020, leading the Spartans to a state Division I Class 5A title. Wade accounted for nearly 2,900 yards and 37 touchdowns.

15. Jaylen Lewis | Haywood (Brownsville)
6-0 | 175 | DB | Arkansas
Played primarily safety last season, but also contributed on the offensive side for the 10-4 Tomcats who reached the D1 4A state finals.

16. Karson Gay | Boyd-Buchanan (Chattanooga)
6-6.5 | 230 | TE | Virginia
A basketball player and scholar, Gay earned 14 football offers but picked Virginia over such schools as Arkansas, BYU and Indiana.

17. Jacob Hood | Hillsboro
6-8 | 342 | OT | Undecided
One of the largest recruits in the country, Hood has taken official visits to Miami, Auburn and Georgia.

18. Myles Pollard | Ravenwood (Brentwood)
6-2 | 185 | CB | Michigan
A top 50 player nationally at his position, Pollard has great length and a wingspan. He earned 40 college offers.

19. Cameron Miller | Memphis Academy of Health Sciences (Memphis)
6-1 | 195 | WR | Tennessee
Did it all as a sophomore on offense with 651 rushing yards and nine touchdowns and 21 catches for 361 yards. Alabama, Arkansas and Florida were among other offers.

20. Izaiah Reed | Jackson North Side (Jackson)
6-6 | 295 | OT | Louisville
Took visits to Ole Miss and Memphis but committed to the Cardinals on June 30.

21. Tevin Carter | PURE Youth Athletics Alliance (Memphis)
6-3 | 230 | QB | Undecided
An Elite 11 finalist, Carter has twice visited Georgia Tech twice. He has 23 offers.

22. Patrick Kutas | Christian brothers
6-5 | 284 | DL | Arkansas
Has 55 career tackles, nine for losses, including three sacks. Picked Razorbacks over 23 other offers.

23. Kaydin Pope | Hardin County (Savannah)
6-1 | 180 | WR | Undecided
Among his 55 catches for 1,240 yards in 2020, 13 of them went for touchdowns. Has 22 offers with Memphis, Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State looking as the front runners.

24. Elijah Herring | Riverdale (Murfreesboro)
6-2.5 | 230 | LB | Tennessee
In the long line of great linebackers for the Vols, Herring has the makings of another after he piled up 51 tackles in 2020, including 10 for losses.

25. Reco Trimble | Red Bank (Chattanooga)
6-0 | 180 | RB | Undecided
North Carolina State looks like it might be the destination for Trimble, who also has offers from Duke, Boston College and Arkansas among others.