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2021 All-5Star Preps Football Team Selections

Yes, we know. It’s taken a while to post these.

We have excuses. But we’ll skip those.

Nevertheless, it’s time to unveil the 2021 All-5Star Preps Football Team selections.

Picks are based on talent level, statistics, coach recommendations, Hudl film reviews, team success and more…

THIS. IS. NOT. A. RECRUITING. LIST.

Ok, let’s get to the picks …

QUARTERBACKS

Jordyn Potts (Powell, junior): Potts led Powell to a 5A state championship, earning game MVP honors. He threw for 3,804 yards with 37 touchdowns in 2021, also totaling 411 rushing yards with 12 scores on the ground.

Keaton Harig (Loudon, senior): The Class 3A Mr. Football finalist put up some sick stats in just 13 games. He passed for 3,394 yards and 52 touchdowns while also rushing 163 times for 1,079 yards and 14 rushing scores.

Carson Jones (Maryville, senior): A Furman signee, Jones completed 76.7 percent of his 206 passes with just one interception. He passed for 2,175 yards and 28 touchdowns. He added nine scores on the ground.

Caden Buckles (Alcoa, senior): The Class 3A Mr. Football winner led Alcoa to a seventh consecutive state title and earned his second consecutive BlueCross Bowl MVP award. He threw for 1,883 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 352 and 10 scores.

SECOND TEAM
Dawson Moore (Farragut, senior)
Collin Shannon (Sevier County, senior)
Chandler Wilson (Carter, junior)
Brady Quillen (Greeneville, junior)

 

RUNNING BACKS

DeSean Bishop (Karns, junior): The Class 5A Mr. Football, 5Star Preps Offensive Player of the Year and Power 5 prospect attacked the TSSAA record books in 2021, rushing for 3,179 yards (second best all-time) and 34 touchdowns in just 12 games. He added 248 yards receiving with three scores.

Noah Vaughn (Maryville, junior): Vaughn went from solid in 2020 to elite in 2021, rushing 182 times for the Rebels and racking up 1,611 yards and 22 touchdowns during their run to the Class 6A state semifinals. He also had 15 catches for 320 yards.

Shawn Gary (South-Doyle, senior): A Mr. Football semifinalist in 4A, Gary followed up his 2020 breakout season with 1,931 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns in 2021. He also pitched in a team-high 370 yards receiving and four touchdowns.

Mason Gudger (Greeneville, senior): The Georgetown Hoyas signee and 4A Mr. Football finalist posted 1,621 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns on just 173 carries. He also had 10 catches for 265 yards and four scores.

SECOND TEAM
J.D. Dunn (CAK, senior)
Gavin Noe (Anderson County, junior)
Brayden Latham (West, junior)
Nakelin McAfee (TKA, senior)

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Markel Fortenberry (Maryville, senior): The 6-4 prototype receiver and Liberty signee led the Rebels in all three receiving categories: catches (53), receiving yards (637) and touchdowns (13). He also made 44 tackles on defense as a DB.

Trace Corum (Farragut, senior): Corum erupted in 2021 and proved to be a breakout player, reeling in 76 catches in 13 games with 1,131 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has committed to Arkansas State as a preferred walk-on.

Ayden Greene (Powell, junior): The 6-3 Greene, a major Power 5 prospect, led Powell in catches (69) and touchdown catches (12) in its march to a 5A state championship. He finished with 905 yards receiving while also averaging 40.9 yards per punt.

Adarius Redmond (Powell, junior): Redmond bounced back from a tough 2020 season with his first 1,000-yard season of his career. He caught 58 passes for 1,102 yards and eight scores. He also made 28 tackles with six pass breakups as a DB.

Jake Roberts (Elizabethton, senior): Roberts was key in leading Elizabethton back to the 4A championship game for a third consecutive season, catching 67 passes for 1,018 yards and 18 touchdowns to go with 21 tackles and four INTs as a DB.

SECOND TEAM
Micah Simpson (Morristown East, senior)
Bryson Vowell (Anderson County, junior)
Kaden Dockins (Loudon, senior)
Kaleb Harper (Carter, junior)
Will Siaway (Central, senior)

 

ATHLETES

Bryson Rollins (Elizabethton, senior): Rollins guided Elizabethton to a third consecutive appearance in the 4A title game with 1,784 yards passing, 23 touchdowns passing, 1,552 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns rushing.

Marcellus Jackson (Fulton, junior): The epitome of the athlete position, Jackson rushed for 1,235 yards and 17 TDs, passed for 432 yards and three scores, caught 33 passes for 465 yards and four TDs while also playing DB, kick returner and punter.

Tommy Winton (Catholic, senior): The ETSU signee expanded his game in 2021. While he led Catholic in receiving with 35 catches for 581 yards and 11 touchdowns, he also retuned punts (eight for 109 yards) and played defensive back (31 tackles, four pass breakups).

J.J. Foust (Powell, junior): Foust impacts both sides of the ball at Powell. Not only did he haul in 51 passes for 510 yards and five scores, but he also made 113 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, six pass breakups and two interceptions.

Jordan Harris (Alcoa, junior): Harris led Alcoa in rushing (40 carries, 559 yards, eight TDs) but also had 23 catches for 266 yards and two TDs. The D1 prospect added 325 kick return yards and 31 tackles with three TFLs and an interception.

SECOND TEAM

Luke Myers (South Greene, senior)
C.J. Allen (Campbell County, senior)
Jayden Collins (Powell, senior)
Daveon Shenault (Fulton, junior)
Cam Huckabey (Meigs County, senior)

 

TIGHT ENDS

Eli Owens (Alcoa, freshman): Owens’ role with the state-champion Tornadoes grew as the season progressed, yet he finished with 12 catches for 249 yards and four TDs in addition to his blocking duties.

Josh Gonzalez (Loudon, senior): One of Keaton Harig’s top pass-catchers, Gonzales hauled in 30 passes for 438 yards and 10 touchdowns.

SECOND TEAM

Reese Cole (Gatlinburg-Pittman, senior)
Ben Reed (Farragut, sophomore)

 

OFFENSIVE LINE

Lance Williams (Alcoa, junior): The 6-4, 305-pound junior is a three-year starter, Power 5 prospect and leader of an offensive line that dominated the line of scrimmage all season long en route to a 3A state championship.

Bubba Jeffries (Alcoa, junior): Alcoa’s top running backs all averaged more than eight yards per carry in 2021, and Jeffries played a big part in that. The Power 5 prospect has been one of the area’s most formidable linemen for years now.

Cal Grubbs (Maryville, junior): The 6-4, 275-pound center is not only gaining traction by the month in the eyes of Power 5 recruiters, but his play in 2021 warranted it. He helped Maryville produce a 1,600-yard rusher and a QB who threw just one interception in 206 attempts.

Hayden Todd (Catholic, senior): The 6-4, 305-pound Todd has been a mainstay on the offensive line at Catholic essentially his entire prep career. He’s headed to play in college at Western Kentucky.

Josh Wade (The King’s Academy, junior): Still relatively unknown, the 6-4, 300-pound Wade grabbed headlines with an offer from Kentucky. Then, he backed it up this fall, helping TKA produce nearly 2,000 yards rushing in 10 games.

Ryan Wright (Northview Academy, senior): A 6-5, 300-pound multi-year starter, Wright might be the area’s most slept-on player. Don’t be surprised to see him excel at Charleston Southern. They got a steal.

Cam Gann (Powell, senior): You can’t win a 5A championship with a high-octane offense without a great offensive line, and the 6-3, 290-pound Gann led the Panthers’ offensive front in 2021.

Timmy Robbins (Karns, senior): Robbins was the top offensive lineman on a Karns front that helped running back DeSean Bishop run for more than 3,000 yards in 12 games games.

SECOND TEAM

Max Hodge (Alcoa, senior)
Bryson Ridge (Coalfield, senior)
Jaylon Sanford (Central, junior)
Devin Lively (Catholic, junior)
Trevor Abdella (Maryville, senior)
Barrett Maddox (Clinton, junior)
Sully Sexton (Anderson County, senior)
Leo Gonzalez (Lenoir City, junior)
Max Hull (South-Doyle, junior)

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

Walter Nolen (Powell, senior): The Texas A&M signee, All-American and 5SP Defensive Player of the Year led Powell to a 5A championship with 93 tackles, 28 TFLs, 17 sacks and 40 QB pressures. He also had six rush TDs in eight totes.

Steven Soles (Powell, sophomore): The 5SP Defensive Underclassman of the Year rang up 74 tackles, 13 TFLs, 17 sacks, 49 QB pressures, three forced fumbles and two blocked kicks during Powell’s march to a state title.

Malachi Harrison (CAK, senior): The Furman signee was a menace to opposing offenses thanks to his 77 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 13 QB hurries and three sacks in only 11 games.

Isaiah McGaha (Central, senior): One of the area’s breakout players in 2021, McGaha led the Bobcats with 18.5 sacks in 12 games. He also piled on 72 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.

Seth Vaughn (Fulton, senior): As quick off the ball as they come, the Tennessee Tech signee amassed 28 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks in just 10 games played this past fall.

Keenan Vaughn (Fulton, senior): Vaughn led the area in sacks in 2021 with 23.5 but also gave the Falcons 25.5 tackles for loss, 54 tackles and four fumble recoveries. He’s headed to Tennessee Tech for college football.

Trevor Duncan (Catholic, junior): The 6-5, 270-pound Duncan could be an offensive lineman or defensive lineman at the next level. But we’ve slotted him on defense, where he had 72 tackles, nine TFLs and three sacks in 10 games.

SECOND TEAM

Trenton Taylor (Elizabethton, senior)
Noah Giger (West, senior)
Jaryd Gable (McMinn County, senior)
Kam Smith (Bearden, senior)
Mike Bethea (Maryville, senior)
Nick Donato (TKA, junior)
Bubba Williams (Alcoa, senior)

 

LINEBACKERS

Zach Shannon (Anderson County, senior): The 6-2, 215-pound Shannon led the Mavericks in tackles (97), tackles for loss (19), sacks (10) and forced fumbles (three).

Anthony Petersen (Greeneville, junior): The 6-1, 230-pound Anthony Petersen’s first full season with the Greene Devils was a success: 109 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and three sacks.

Curtis Young (South-Doyle, senior): The 6-foot, 210-pound Young had 105 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions in 11 games for the Cherokees.

Isaac Bohleber (West, senior): Bohleber showed off serious closing speed in 2021, as evidenced by his 25.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks for the Rebels.

Eli Jones (Catholic, senior): The 6-1, 220-pound Jones, who’s headed to Western Kentucky for college football, made 132 tackles with eight tackles for loss in just 10 games in 2021.

Caden Earle (Halls, junior): Earle simply makes big plays. Every game. That simple. He had 124 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, six sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2021.

Aaron Davis (Alcoa, junior): Davis led the Class 3A state champion Alcoa Tornadoes in tackles and anchored a defense that allowed just 8.7 points per game.

SECOND TEAM

Amanuel Dickson (Greeneville, sophomore)
Garrett Hawkins (Sevier County, junior)
Cannon Lusby (Powell, senior)
Joey Bonifacio (Webb, junior)
Zach Braden (Maryville, senior)
Cooper Cameron (Webb, sophomore)
RaaPhell Mayes (Catholic, senior)

 

DEFENSIVE BACKS

D.J. Burks (Maryville, senior): One of the best defensive backs to ever play at Maryville, the Appalachian State signee made 59 tackles in 2021 with a pair of interceptions.

Jakobi Gillespie (Greeneville, senior): Gillespie had 11 pass breakups, two interceptions and two defensive TDs in 2021 in addition to his 39 catches, 892 receiving yards and 11 TDs. Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt offered the Belmont basketball signee.

Chi McNeil-Harrison (CAK, senior): McNeil-Harrison can play at any level of a defense. He’s that versatile. In 2021, he made 54 tackles, 13 TFLs, six INTs, two blocked kicks, two defensive TDs and two forced fumbles.

Carson Whitehead (Powell, senior): Whitehead helped Powell win a Class 5A state championship in 2021 with 85 tackles, 24 pass breakups and four interceptions. Two of those picks were returned for touchdowns.

Javis Mynatt (Catholic, senior): A four-year starter at Catholic, Mynatt signed with Wofford earlier this month. He made 55 tackles with 14 pass breakups and four interceptions in 10 games for the Irish in 2021.

Major Newman (Alcoa, senior): The Army signee has played everything from linebacker to receiver to defensive back. He makes plays wherever. Case in point: he made 12 tackles, with two pass breakups, a forced fumble and blocked kick in the 3A championship win.

Ja’Quirrius Wrenn (West, junior): The 6-foot Wrenn had a breakthrough season in 2021 with 57 tackles, six interceptions, three tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

SECOND TEAM

Walker Lockhart (Karns, sophomore)
Isaiah Bryant (Alcoa, senior)
Brody Blankenship (Carter, sophomore)
Noah Dyer (Pigeon Forge, senior)
Marshaun Bowers (TKA, sophomore)
JaMichael Ham (South-Doyle, senior)
Zeke Connaster (TKA, junior)

SPECIALISTS

Brock Taylor (Catholic, junior): One of the country’s top-ranked kickers, Taylor made six of eight field-goal tries in 2021 and made all 35 of his PAT attempts.

Josh Turbyville (Catholic, senior): A Mr. Football Kicker semifinalist in 2021, Turbyville is headed to Tennessee as a preferred walk-on, thanks to an area-best 45 touchbacks on kickoffs and his 41-yards-per-punt average.

Reese Keeney (Farragut, junior): One of the top specialists in the state, Keeney averaged 40.1 yards per punt on 37 attempts, downing 17 of those inside the 20 with a long of 62. He also made 39 of 40 PATs.

Spencer Sullins (McMinn County, sophomore): Sullins made 27 of 28 PATs and was 7-for-9 on field-goal attempts with a long of 42. He had 11 touchbacks on kickoffs and averaged 36.3 yards per punt on 33 attempts.

SPECIALISTS 

Otto Niendorff (Webb, senior)
Job Matossian (William Blount, senior)
Ryan Bolton (Central, senior)
Bryson Walker (Gibbs, junior)
Bacon Lauderback (Alcoa, sophomore)