Players from the Tennessean’s 2024 Dandy Dozen are done with their TSSAA football careers and ready for their college assignments.
Now, the Tennessean is taking a look at next fall’s potential athletes from the 2026 class for its 2025 Dandy Dozen, a hand-picked group of the area’s top senior class recruits.
From Jared Curtis to Joel Wyatt, here is a way-too-early look at the Nashville area football players who could be among the 12 chosen for the 2025 Tennessee high school football season. Players are listed alphabetically.
Oliver Bender
Nolensville | 6-4, 180 | WR
Why chosen: Bender, an all-region receiver, has offers from Syracuse, Pitt, Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay and Miami (Ohio).
Cam Blivens
Lipscomb Academy | 6-2, 175 | WR
Why chosen: Blivens, who’s also a basketball star, caught 55 passes for 835 yards and 10 TDs last season. He could build on his offer list of Pitt, Arkansas State, Georgia State, UAB, Western Kentucky and Miami (Ohio).
Owen Cabell
Christ Presbyterian Academy | 6-3, 195 | WR
Why chosen: Cabell’s offers include Tennessee, Georgia, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Wisconsin. He caught 43 passes for 973 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the DII-AA state champion Lions. He’s a three-star prospect ranked as the No. 18 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee, according to the 247Sports Composite.
More: When is National Signing Day for Nashville area TSSAA football athletes?
Jared Curtis
Nashville Christian | 6-4, 225 | QB
Why chosen: The five-star prospect is the No. 1 Class of 2026 player in Tennessee and No. 2 quarterback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. The former Georgia commitment has a final list of Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina, and Oregon. He was named DII-A Mr. Football and the Gatorade Tennessee state player of the year after finishing 179-of-255 passing for 2,830 yards passing, 40 touchdowns and three interceptions last season. He also led Nashville Christian in rushing with 637 yards and 18 touchdowns on 88 carries during the Eagles’ DII-A state championship run.
More: Jared Curtis makes Nashville Christian the best show in TSSAA football finals | Estes
Jack Fuchs
Beech | 6-6, 280 | OL
Why chosen: Fuchs, the son of Titans offensive line assistant Scott Fuchs, is the No. 11 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee and No. 33 offensive tackle nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. His offers include Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Indiana and Kansas State.
Zach Groves
East Robertson | 6-4, 212 | EDGE
Why chosen: Groves is the No. 4 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee and No. 12 edge-rusher nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M and Michigan are among his 26 offers. He recorded 21 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, one blocked punt, four pass breakups and 16 quarterback hurries. He scored two defensive touchdowns in addition to 501 all-purpose yards and six TDs.
Justin Hopkins
Ensworth | 6-0, 160 | CB
Why chosen: Hopkins is the No. 9 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee and No. 18 cornerback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. His offers include Tennessee, USC, Auburn, Missouri, Indiana and Ole Miss. He caught 42 passes for 705 yards and seven TDs last season. He also had a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown.
More: What Josh Heupel said about Ensworth that impressed Tennessee football recruit Justin Hopkins
Luke Hutchinson
MBA | 6-3, 235 | TE
Why chosen: Hutchinson’s recruitment picked up in late December, as he added Nebraska to a list that includes Kentucky, Mississippi State, Toledo, Pitt and Liberty.
Jayden McClure
Mt. Pleasant | 6-2, 205 | ATH
Why chosen: McClure has offers from Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Colorado and Eastern Kentucky.
More: National Signing Day: See where Nashville area’s TSSAA football recruits signed in December
Rawls Patterson, CPA
CPA | 5-10, 190 | RB
Why chosen: Patterson is still emerging but might start gaining Power 4 attention. His brother Kane played at Clemson and Vanderbilt. His other brother, Langston, is a Vanderbilt linebacker. Rawls Patterson had 336 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries in the DII-AA state championship and finished with 1,593 yards and 18 TDs on 193 carries for the season.
Hugh Price
MBA | 6-5, 190 | QB
Why chosen: He’s the No. 16 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee, according to the 247Sports Composite, with offers from Michigan, Indiana, Pitt and Boston College. Price spent much of last season with a shoulder injury after throwing for 1,039 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for three scores as a sophomore.
Jacob Rathbone
Page | 6-3, 285 | OL
Why chosen: The Region 6-5A lineman of the year recorded 25 pancake blocks and graded out at 88% during the Patriots’ run to the state title game. His offers include Memphis, WKU, Buffalo, Liberty, UAB, Ball State, UT-Martin and Miami (OH).
Carson Sneed
Donelson Christian Academy | 6-5, 235 | TE
Why chosen: Sneed, a Tennessee commitment, is a four-star prospect ranked as the No. 6 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee and No. 10 tight end nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. He caught 34 passes for 419 yards and six touchdowns last season.
More: Why 4-star 2026 Tennessee football commit Carson Sneed isn’t joining rash of decommitments
Richard Thigpen
Ensworth | 6-6, 310 | OL
Why chosen: Thigpen’s massive size figures to draw more interest. He has offers from West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Memphis, UAB, Tulane, Troy and Arkansas State.
Craig Tutt
Oakland | 6-0, 180 | S
Why chosen: Tutt is the No. 12 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee, according to the 247Sports Composite. His offers include Tennessee, Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan and UCLA. The Class 6A Mr. Football finalist totaled 1,649 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage during Oakland’s state title run. He also had 64 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception, seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles on defense.
TJ Ward
Nashville Christian | 6-0, 200 | RB
Why chosen: Ward flew under the radar a bit having missed most of last season due to TSSAA eligibility rules after transferring from McGavock. His offers include Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Ole Miss and Indiana. He rushed for 653 yards and seven touchdowns in just four games.
More: What makes Joel Wyatt’s offers from Tennessee football, Georgia, other SEC schools so unusual
Joel Wyatt
Webb School – Bell Buckle | 6-4, 192 | WR
Why chosen: Wyatt is the No. 2 player from the 2026 class in Tennessee and No. 14 receiver nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s emerging as a priority target for Tennessee and also has offers from Vanderbilt, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Arkansas, LSU, and Miami. He caught 49 passes for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He also had a rushing TD, kickoff return TD and added 48 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two sacks on defense.
Reach sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA football: Top 2026 Nashville area prospects include Jared Curtis, Joel Wyatt
