Don’t miss your chance to watch these talented prep players next season
With Maurice Hampton and Kristian Williams signed, all of the major football prospects for the Memphis area in the class of 2019 have picked their schools. Now it's time to look at the top prospects in the 2020 class. Rankings and offers are according to 247Sports.
Darin Turner
Central Position: Wide Receiver Ht: 6-3. Wt: 205. 247 Composite: Ranked No. 60 nationally, No. 2 in Tennessee. College choice: Committed to LSU What to know: Turner, a second-team All-metro selection, committed to to LSU last spring. Turner helped lead Central to the second round of the 6A playoffs where the Warriors fell to region rival Germantown.
Omari Thomas
Briarcrest Position: tackle Ht: 6-5. Wt: 301 247 Composite: Ranked No. 74 nationally, No. 5 in Tennessee.
College choice: Offers include Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Penn State
What to know: Thomas finished as a runner up for the DII-AAA Mr. Football award as a junior and has committed to play in next year's All-american Bowl. He recently trimmed his list to 12 schools and he is getting his offseason cardio workouts in by playing varsity basketball.
Chris Morris Josaih Hayes Bryson Eason
Offensive
Marcus Henderson
MUS Position: tackle Ht: 6-5. Wt: 298 247 Composite: Ranked No. 99 nationally, No. 6 in Tennessee.
College choice: Offers include Ole Miss, Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Florida
What to know: Henderson paved the way for an MUS offense that made it to the DII-AAA state title game. The firstteam All-metro selection released his list of top-12 schools on New Year's eve. Nine are in the SEC. Offensive Freedom Prep Position: Offensive tackle Ht: 6-4. Wt: 290 247 Composite: Ranked No. 119 nationally, No. 7 in Tennessee.
College choice: Offers include Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama
What to know: Morris, a first-team All-metro selection didn't allow a sack all season for Freedom Prep, which made its first quarterfinal appearance in school history. Horn Lake Position: tackle Ht: 6-3. Wt: 280 247 Composite: Ranked No. 141 nationally, No. 2 in Mississippi
College choice: Offers include Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia
What to know: Hayes and Georgia signee Nakobe Dean anchored a defense that brought Horn Lake its first state title. Defensive Whitehaven Position: Linebacker Ht: 6-1. Wt: 238 247 Composite: Ranked No. 9 in Tennessee
College choice: Offers include Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Ole Miss, Tennessee
What to know: Eason missed several games last season due to injury but should be back at full strength next season. He was 8-6A player of the year as a sophomore and helped vault Whitehaven to the 6A state title game as a junior.
Martavius French
Whitehaven Position: Linebacker Ht: 6-2. Wt: 235 247 Composite: Ranked No. 11 in Tennessee.
College choice: Offers include Arkansas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU.
What to know: French, the reigning 8-6A defensive player of the year, made 120 tackles, forced four fumbles and picked off two passes.
Corbet Mims
Kirby Position: tackle Ht: 6-4. Wt: 250 247 Composite: Ranked No. 14 in Tennessee.
College choice: Offers include Middle Tennessee State, Southern Miss, Liberty, Western Kentucky
What to know: Mims helped lead Kirby to a 5A quarterfinal appearance. He is just starting to pop up on the radar of a number of college programs. He picked up four offers in the last two weeks.
Ray Curry Jr.
Defensive White Station Position: Offensive tackle Ht: 6-5. Wt: 288 247 Composite: Ranked No. 16 in Tennessee
College choice: Offers include Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss
What to know: Curry's White Station team went 3-8, but he was able to pick up plenty of attention and offers from FBS schools.
Jabari Small
Briarcrest Position: back Ht: 5-10. Wt: 190 247 Composite: Ranked No. 23 in Tennessee
College choice: Offers include West Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Memphis
What to know: Small was a third-team Allmetro selection in 2019. He helped lead Briarcrest to the state quarterfinals.
Jevon Banks
Running
Tamerion Mcdonald
Whitehaven Position: Linebacker Ht: 6-2. Wt: 220 247 Composite: Ranked No. 27 in Tennessee.
College choice: Offers include Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue.
What to know: Mcdonald is a versatile defender who can play linebacker and safety. The first-team All-metro selection had 90 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.
Cameron Sneed
Whitehaven Position: Running Back Ht: 5-10. Wt: 180 247 Composite: Ranked No. 35 in Tennessee
College choice: Offers include Southern Miss
What to know: Sneed, a third-team All-metro selection, had 175 carries for 1400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Olive Branch Position: Linebacker Ht: 6-2. Wt: 235 247 Composite: Ranked No. 10 in Mississippi
College choice: Offers include Mississippi State, Louisville, Southern Miss, Tulane
What to know: Banks had 93 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 4 sacks heading into the Mississippi 5A North state final, which Olive Branch lost to West Point.
Devonte Nelson
MUS Position: Cornerback Ht: 5-11. Wt: 177 247 Composite: Ranked No. 38 in Tennessee.
College choice: Offers include Arkansas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina
What to know: Nelson was a key part of an MUS defense that held opponents to just over 10.8 points per game and made the DII-AAA state title game.
Jakivuan Brown
Horn Lake Position: Tight End Ht: 6-2. Wt: 220 247 Composite: Ranked No. 11 in Mississippi
College choice: Offers include LSU, Ole Miss, Baylor
What to know: Reigning 6A state champ Horn Lake put up 35 points or more 10 times last season. Brown provided production from the tight end position.
Caleb Offord
Southaven Position: Cornerback Ht: 6-2. Wt: 180 247Composite: Ranked No. 10 in Mississippi
College choice: Offers include Duke, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Memphis
What to know: Southaven finished 4-7, but Offord was a bright spot in the defensive backfield and teams are beginning to notice. Memphis offered him last Thursday.