BY DAVE LINK
Eli Graf had a faraway vision as a sixth grader when he moved to Alcoa from Friendsville Elementary.
He went to games and pictured himself on the football field for Alcoa High’s state powerhouse.
“Ever since moving, I had watched the teams growing up,” Graf said.
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Now a senior at Alcoa, Graf has lived his dream and is taking his football career to the next level, signing scholarship papers to play quarterback at Carson-Newman.
“I’m excited to get all the process over with and find a home at Carson-Newman,” said Graf, the 5Star Preps Offensive Player of the Year.
After working his way into Alcoa’s lineup his first two seasons, Graf was the quarterback for the Tornadoes the past two years when they won their ninth and 10th consecutive TSSAA state championships in Class 3A.
Alcoa coach Brian Nix and his staff are sad to see Graf go, but proud to say he will always be a Tornado.
Per Nix, Graf had the rare talent to play quarterback along with other positions for Alcoa. At various times during his prep career, Graf also played and started at receiver, defensive back, punt and kick returner, and punter.
Not since Austin Tallant, a 2011 Alcoa graduate, has Nix coached such a multi-purpose quarterback/player as Graf; others with those traits were Randall Cobb (2008 graduate) and Chase James (2009 graduate).
“Really, I think Austin Tallant was the last guy,” Nix said. “Austin started both ways, but the quarterback position has changed a little bit (since then). Sometimes when you were under center in the I (formation), the quarterback would turn around and hand the ball to the tailback and stand there, whereas right now, in our offense, the quarterback is making a decision almost every play.
“There’s rarely a time when we line up and say, ‘We’re running a power to the right, hand it off.’ There’s a few of those, but there’s a lot more where the quarterback’s got to be a threat to run.”
Graf has not slowed down since earning his second consecutive Blue Cross Bowl MVP on Dec. 6.
The lightning-quick guard is a key player for the Alcoa basketball team in its quest for a third consecutive Class 2A state championship.
The Tornadoes (21-4) are ranked No. 2 in the state by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.
“It’s going great,” Graf said. “The team’s really coming together right now after Christmas break. I’m excited to see how we finish out the season and getting into the postseason. I think we’re going to play our best basketball, so it’s exciting.”
And he hasn’t put football on the backburner.
Graf finds time before and during classes at Alcoa for football work while playing basketball.
“I get to train, like in the mornings and stuff and on the weekends,” he said. “Also, since we have a weight-training class at school, I always work out every day at school, so that helps out a lot, just fitting it into my schedule. I get enough time to train to get ready (for college football).”
Speed training is included in Graf’s workouts.
During the 2024 offseason, Nix said Graf added about 10 pounds of muscle mass with his speed work. He thinks his 40-time is “like a 4.55.”
It shows on the field.
“I’ve always been really quick,” Graf said, “but these past two years, I’ve really been focusing on getting faster and quicker at the same time, so I’ve worked on building my muscle up to get faster and stuff. I’ve always been quick and fast.”
Nix said Graf has earned what he’s got, and he brings the intangibles to his teams.
“You talk about gamers, he’s a gamer,” Nix said. “He’s a competitor and does what his team needs him to do. If he doesn’t throw it a lot, he doesn’t care. Just completely unselfish.
“He’s the best type of leader because he’s one of our hardest workers. He’s a kid that comes in every day. He works hard. He works hard in the weight room. He’s made himself a ton faster by working his butt off in the offseason.”
Graf didn’t waste time working his way onto the football field at Alcoa.
As a freshman in 2021, Graf was a backup receiver and defensive back and played special teams. His sophomore year (2022), Graf was a starter in the defensive secondary and played some receiver.
Graf was also on the track and field team in 2022 and went to the state meet in the decathlon. (He might do the decathlon again this year).
During his junior season in 2023, Graf started in the secondary and took over as Alcoa’s starting quarterback during the year in place of Cody Pagach; he secured the QB1 role as the Tornadoes (13-1) beat East Nashville 42-20 for the state championship.
Graf and Alcoa repeated as state MVP and state champion with a 40-21 win over Westview in the 2024 state final. He rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns – averaging 10.7 yards per carry – and threw for 39 yards and a TD in his final game for the Tornadoes.
As a senior last fall, Graf threw for 1,853 yards and 25 touchdowns (five interceptions) and rushed for 1,146 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 9.3 yards per carry.
“I played defense in certain situations,” Graf said, “but they tried to keep me on offense as much as they could, but I also played all special teams, kick returner and punt returner.”
Graf couldn’t envision a better senior season and career.
“I think in the back of my mind,” he said, “it just seemed like something that might not happen, but coming to Alcoa, it was always my dream, I guess, to win four state championships, be the starting quarterback for a state championship team, and beat Maryville once a year.”
The Tornadoes were 53-4 during Graf’s four-year career and 2-2 against Maryville (wins in 2022 and 2024). Their other losses during his career were to West (2022) and Ravenwood (2024).
Graf, who originally committed to Harding University in Searcy, Ark., opted to stay closer to home at Carson-Newman, where he will get a shot at playing quarterback.
Nix said Graf’s height – he’s listed at 5-foot-10 by Alcoa – can be his only negative as a quarterback because it can limit his field vision.
“He has a strong arm and he’s super athletic,” Nix said. “It’s just being able to see throws sometimes that can become an issue. To me he’s a kid that five years ago, probably would have been an FCS kid they would have recruited to be either a slot, a nickel or a corner.
“But I think anymore if you’re a borderline FCS kid with size or speed, your best bet really is to go Division II (like Carson-Newman). If you have a great experience and you feel like you’d like to take a shot at a higher level, they can always pull you up now. … I think it’s a really good fit. I think he’ll have a great career.”
That’s the plan.
Graf will work to make it happen.
Like he’s always done.
“It’s all worked out so well,” Graf said. “I couldn’t ask for a better season and everything.”
5SP OFFENSIVE POYS
2024 — Eli Graf, Alcoa, QB
2023 — Braylon Harmon, Catholic, WR
2022 — Walker Martinez, Anderson County, QB
2021 — DeSean Bishop, Karns, RB
2020 — Parker Hughes, Elizabethton, ATH
2019 — Elijah Young, South-Doyle, RB
2018 — Cade Ballard, Greeneville, QB
2024 All-5Star Preps Football Teams, presented by Jeremy Cox/Thrivent Financial