Cade Ballard winds up to throw during the 2017 Class 4A state championship game. / photo: Danny Parker
By Jesse Smithey, [email protected]
Perhaps no program in East Tennessee has made a bigger splash this spring in the recruiting waters than Greeneville High School.
Dorien Goddard, a rising senior, jumpstarted it all with his commitment to Virginia in late March. The 6-foot-3 receiver also received offers from Georgia Tech, Central Michigan and Tulane.
His teammate, 6-4 receiver/TE Cameron Hite, committed to Wake Forest in late April – shunning offers from the likes of Air Force, Appalachian State, Memphis, MTSU, Western Kentucky and more.
He and Goddard helped Greeneville win a Class 4A state title a season ago and will be key components again in their attempt to defend their title.
But they aren’t the only Greene Devils making recruiting noise. Their quarterback is one of 12 uncommitted area players who’ve seen their recruiting stocks soar this spring.
Cade Ballard (Greeneville): The radar spiked in mid-April for Ballard, the 2017 Class 4A Mr. Football and BlueCross Bowl Offensive MVP. That’s when Navy, Tulane and MTSU threw their names in the recruiting battle against Army and Air Force for Ballard’s services. And why not? The rising senior QB completed 82 percent of his passes last fall with 38 touchdown passes — while leading the team in rushing (944 yards, 20 touchdowns).
Deshawn Page (Fulton): Followers of Page’s Twitter account have received quite the influx of his tweets about his scholarship offers, which seem to come on a daily basis. The rising senior three-star linebacker’s talent was validated in February when Missouri offered. Since, programs like West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Toledo, MTSU, Tulane and Texas-San Antonio have followed in pursuit of the 6-2, 215-pound Page. One glance at his Hudl film and you’ll see his value right away. He is a disruptive terror.
J’Coryan Anderson (Fulton): With roughly 20-plus offers, like his teammate Page, the 6-2, 205-pound Anderson is a rising senior linebacker, as well. He thrives in pass coverage, making huge waves last season with his ability to jump routes and return interceptions for touchdowns. MTSU, Marshall, Western Kentucky, Colorado State, Central Michigan, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Tulane are some of the notable programs who have entered the mix for Anderson.
Bryn Tucker (Catholic): Tucker’s recruitment dates back to Summer 2016, when Tennessee and LSU offered him before the lineman had even played a high school snap. Alabama, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Louisville, Memphis, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Oklahoma offered in 2017. Now with two varsity seasons to his credit, Tucker continues to reel in offers. Notre Dame, Florida, Mississippi State (re-offered under new staff), Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and Auburn have entered the fray this spring semester. The 6-5, 315-pound Tucker still has plenty of time to decide. He’s just a rising junior.
Cooper Mays (Catholic): Offers have continued to roll in for Mays, a 6-3 rising junior, after his brother (Cade Mays) signed with Georgia, ending any speculation that he was receiving offers as some package deal to sway both him and Cade Mays. Cooper Mays has the talent and skill to play offensive line at the next level. Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee and Duke have offered since January. Ohio State and Georgia offered him in 2017.
Drew Francis (West) and Tyrece Edwards (West): Francis, a linebacker, and Edwards, a defensive end, are both rising juniors who were offered by Arkansas in late February. Tulane offered the pair in late April, and Tennessee and Georgia are evaluating them. Francis had 29 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a sophomore. Edwards made 28 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks last season.
A.J. Davis (Maryville): Indiana was the first program to offer the 5-10, 175-pound rising junior. Davis, a budding young receiver who helped Maryville win the 2017 Class 6A state title, received offers from Central Michigan, Chattanooga and Western Carolina this spring, as well, but will likely start garnering more Power 5 conference offers the more camps he attends this offseason.
Tonquez Ball (South-Doyle) and Elijah Young (South-Doyle): Ball and Young have been hauling in offers all spring, and it’s a shock to no one. Young (5-11, 170, WR/DB) amassed more than 1,000 all-purpose yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions and three blocked field goals as a sophomore last season. Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tulane and UT-Martin have offered this semester. Louisville and Tennessee (Butch Jones’ staff) offered in 2017. As for Ball, he’s a rising senior CB prospect who has picked up offers from Colorado State, East Tennessee, Appalachian State, Citadel, Austin Peay, UT-Martin, Tulane, Liberty, Eastern Kentucky, Old Dominion, Miami-Ohio, Howard, Tennessee Tech, Coastal Carolina, Wofford, Western Carolina and Texas-San Antonio. He had 47 catches for 1,022 yards and 16 TDs last season.
Jaden Gibbs (Farragut): Kentucky, UAB, Tulane, Yale, Chattanooga and UT-Martin have offered this spring semester – more than year after South Carolina offered the 6-3, 185-pound receiver. Gibbs will be a senior this fall and helped Farragut win a state title in 2016.
Eli Nordhorn (Grace Christian): Navy, Eastern Kentucky, Tulane, Austin Peay, Chattanooga, Harvard, Western Kentucky, Central Michigan, Indiana, Yale, UT-Martin and Dartmouth have offered this rising senior. Nordhorn is a 6-4, 220-pound tight end who caught 76 passes for 1,153 yards and nine TDs last season. He has a GPA over 4.0 and a 30 on his ACT.