Meet the Tennessee Super 25 high school football team for 2023 TSSAA season
The USA TODAY Network has released its second annual Tennessee Super 25 high school football team. It's our version of an all-state team with a twist. The 25 athletes are a combination of top players by position throughout the state with all classifications combined.
It's considered the best of the best.
The team was selected by Tennessean high school sports editor Tom Kreager, who oversees the high school coverage across the state at all Gannett sites. Season statistic totals, strength of schedule and observations during the season all played a part of the selection process.
Braden Graham
Riverdale | Senior
Position: Quarterback
Graham, a three-star quarterback, was a Tennessee Titans Class 6A Mr. Football finalist. The Region 3-6A MVP was 255-of-350 passing for 3,492 yards with 42 touchdowns and just three interceptions to help lead Riverdale to the Class 6A quarterfinals.
Ja'Von McMahan
McCallie | Senior
Position: Running back
McMahan ran for 1,694 yards on 265 carries. He also caught 19 passes for 229 yards and scored 28 total touchdowns.
Daune Morris
Oakland | Junior
Position: Running back
Morris, a Chattanooga Red Bank transfer, dominated the run game for the Patriots. The Class 6A Mr. Football finalist ran for more than 1,100 yards in the TSSAA playoffs alone. He finished with 2,022 rushing yards with 568 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns. He was the Region 3-6A Offensive MVP.
Max LeBlanc
Baylor | Senior
Position: Tight end
LeBlanc, a four-star tight end and an Ohio State signee, is the No. 5 recruit in the state. He caught 49 passes for 885 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Amari Jefferson
Baylor | Senior
Position: Wide receiver
The Alabama signee and Division II-AAA Mr. Football winner is a repeat member on the Super 25 team. He had 74 catches for 1,401 yards and 20 TD catches. The four-star wide receiver is the No. 3 recruit in the state for the class of 2024.
More: Final Tennessee Super 25 high school football rankings of 2023 TSSAA season
More: Meet the inaugural Tennessee Super 25 high school football team for 2022
Brock Montgomery
Riverdale | Senior
Position: Wide receiver
Montgomery, a Connecticut signee, made the most of his one season at Riverdale after transferring from Friendship Christian. He had 76 catches for 1,295 yards with 17 touchdowns.
Robert Bourdon
Collierville | Senior
Position: Offensive line
The Duke commit was the Dragons' top offensive lineman and helped them reach the Class 6A second round. The three-star recruit is the No. 12 prospect in the state for the class of 2024.
Britton Carver
Knoxville West | Senior
Position: Offensive line
Carver was the Region 2-5A Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year for the back-to-back Class 5A state champions.
Chauncey Gooden
Lipscomb Academy | Junior
Position: Offensive line
Gooden, a multi-year starter for the Mustangs, anchored Lipscomb Academy's offensive line. He is a four-star interior lineman and the No. 6 recruit in the state for 2025.
John Wayne Oliver
Christ Presbyterian Academy | Senior
Position: Offensive line
Oliver, an Ole Miss signee, headlined the Lions' offensive line. He is the No. 11 recruit in the state for the class of 2024.
Luke Work
Lausanne | Senior
Position: Offensive line
The Mississippi State signee is a three-star recruit and No. 42 recruit in the state.
Owen Taylor
Knoxville Halls | Senior
Position: Kicker
Halls, The Mr. Football Kicker of the Year and Region 2-5A Specialist of the Year, went 10-of-10 on his field goal attempts with a long of 49 yards.
Braylon Harmon
Knoxville Catholic | Senior
Position: Athlete
Harmon, who will be a Tennessee football walk-on, was the Division II-AAA East Region Player of the Year. He had six special teams touchdowns and 1,083 return yards. He capped the year with 2,413 all-purpose yards with 19 total TDs for the Irish, who reached the DII-AAA semifinals.
DJ Allen
Germantown | Senior
Position: Defensive line
Allen, a Purdue signee, finished with 46 tackles with 14 for loss. He added 13 sacks, recovered three fumbles and forced a fumble.
Eric Hazzard
Page | Junior
Position: Defensive line
Hazzard was a Class 5A Mr. Football finalist as an edge rusher. Hazzard finished with 72 tackles, including 20 for loss. He had a team-high 14 sacks along with eight pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles. He also had 28 quarterback hurries.
CJ Smith
Knoxville West | Senior
Position: Defensive line
Why chosen: Smith finished with 62.5 total tackles, 12.5 sacks and forced a fumble for the two-time defending Class 5A state champions.
Steven Soles Jr.
Powell | Senior
Position: Defensive line
The Kentucky signee and Region 2-5A Player of the Year is a repeat member of the Super 25 team. Soles had 105 total tackles with 13 for loss. He also had nine sacks, forced five fumbles and had one defensive TD. Soles is the No. 30 recruit in the state and is a three-star prospect.
Carson Gentle
McCallie | Senior
Position: Linebacker
The Tennessee signee and two-way starter is a repeat member on the Super 25 team. He had 82 total tackles with four for loss. He also had two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered one. He's the No. 28 recruit in the state.
Hudson Shoaf
Memphis University School | Senior
Position: Linebacker
Shoaf, a Samford baseball signee, recorded 113 tackles with 25 for loss for the Owls. He had 10 sacks, recorded two interceptions and had a defensive TD.
Edwin Spillman
Lipscomb Academy | Senior
Position: Linebacker
The Tennessee football signee is a repeat member of the Super 25 team. Spillman finished with 87 tackles including 14 for loss. He also had three sacks. The 2023 Dandy Dozen member and four-star linebacker is the No. 9 recruit in the state.
Marcellus Barnes
McCallie | Senior
Position: Defensive back
Barnes — a one-time Virginia Tech commit — finished with 62 tackles, nine pass break-ups and five interceptions. He is the No. 8 recruit in the state for 2024.
Markeis Barrett
Knoxville Webb | Senior
Position: Defensive back
Barrett, a Vanderbilt signee, was a Division II-AA Mr. Football finalist. He had 16 tackles with nine interceptions.
Kaleb Beasley
Lipscomb Academy | Senior
Position: Defensive back
The Tennessee signee is a repeat member of the Super 25 team. Beasley had 41 tackles with three interceptions for the Mustangs. He also had one defensive TD. Teams often avoided throwing his direction. He was the No. 4 recruit in the state.
Boo Carter
Bradley Central | Senior
Position: Defensive back
Carter, the Class 6A Mr. Football winner and Tennessee football signee, recorded 102 tackles with two interceptions. He is the No. 2 recruit in the state for the class of 2024.
Grant Chadwick
Tullahoma | Senior
Position: Punter
The Middle Tennessee State signee and finalist for Mr. Football Kicker of the Year award averaged 40 yards per punt and had a long of 70. He had 21 punts down inside opponents' 20-yard line.
Coach
Tony Brunetti
Pearl-Cohn
Brunetti led Pearl-Cohn to its first TSSAA state championship since the Firebirds won the second of back-to-back titles in 1997. Pearl-Cohn finished 15-0 for its first undefeated season. Brunetti was also named the Tennessee Titans high school football coach of the year, The Tennessean's Large Class football coach of the year as well as The Tennessean's high school sports person of the year.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA football: Super 25 Tennessee high school all-state team for 2023
