Josh Malone
While evaluating this season of talent we found that Tennessee overall has a great crop of young talent. Looking a little closer for middle Tennessee we found five names that we all should be taking a really close look at whether you’re a fan, college coach/recruiter, or another player trying to perfect your craft by watching a fellow receiver.
From Station Camp High School (Gallatin, TN) is Josh Malone. Josh is gaining momentum going into his senior season coming off a great junior year campaign. Standing at 6’2 and 190lbs, Josh has the makeup of a potential college wide receiver, with room to still grow and continue to bulk up his frame could prove to be dynamic at the next level. With offers from FloridaState, Clemson, Tennessee, and Georgia just to name a few, whichever school he chooses they will gain a legitimate #D1Highlight athlete. Ranked #2 in the state at the receiver position, Josh has already been named to the 2014 U.S Army All American Bowl. We at #D1Highlights are looking to see where this young man’s future takes him. Congratulations Josh on making the watch list this season, you are a #D1Highlight!
Darrell Haralson
Darrell Haralson, is a name that you may not have heard of until now and will be a name that you’ll become very familiar with as the 2013 season quickly approaches. Haralson, from Smyrna High School (Smyrna, TN), stands at 6’4 and 200lbs and is a potential D1Highlight in the making. Darrell has the body makeup of a ready made college athlete which makes him like a man amongst boys going into his senior season. Coming off a 1-9 season last year Darrell looks to be a vital part of turning that record around and back to the state championship days of recent. Haralson who is just now really learning the receiver position, just started playing football last year and is really starting to blossom. We had an opportunity to watch him play earlier this year, and from what we gathered he has the height, speed, strength, jumping ability, catching ability, and blocking skills to make his presence on the field be seen and heard. Going into his second season on the field at the high school level, Darrell could quickly become a middle Tennessee diamond in the rough for many college programs that are looking for a young man with fresh legs and wants to be coached into a superior athlete. Darrell, we believe that you and your Bulldogs can make some noise this season. You will be vital in how far you can lead, motivate, and play this year to get back to the playoffs. WE BELEIEVE! #D1Highlights!
Tyler Black
Tyler Black is also a name that is quietly moving up the recruiting boards in the middle Tennessee area. Tyler plays for the legendary Oakland High School Patriots (Murfreesboro, TN). Going into his junior season Tyler is making a name for himself on the field and on the court. At 5’9 and 170lbs this shifty, quick, and blazing speed receiver can really make #D1Highlights every time he touches the ball. Coming off his sophomore season as the TSSAA All District Team, Tyler can play the slot position and punt/kick returner position at the next level. Many schools are looking at him at cornerback as well, which leads us to further say this young man is an all around athlete. This summer has been busy for Tyler, he has started to make a name for himself while attending camps at Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Schools are starting to take notice of Black like Ole Miss, UT Martin, Memphis, Purdue, Middle Tennessee, and Kentucky just to name a few. Tyler’s footwork and route running has become better and better throughout this summer making him more of a threat to find the end zone. This young man has another year to continue to sky rocket up the recruiting boards and put the Oakland Patriots on his back. He has shown to be a leader and a playmaker this summer, and we feel like he is going to be a name that will have other District 7AAA coaches worry about. Best of luck this season and the next TB, congrats on making the 2013 #D1Highlights Watch List.
Next we have GilesCountyHigh School (Pulaski, TN) Wide Receiver Kenton Baker. Another class of 2014 athlete Baker stands at 5’8 and 170lbs, with blazing speed, agility, hands, and quickness. Kenton coming off a great sophomore and junior campaign where he had piled up several awards including AllState, All District in 2011 then District Player of the Year and All Mid State First team last year as a junior. District 12AA will be at the hands of Kenton this season as he tries to 3 peat as an All District team player. Gaining momentum going into this summer and into the fall this season, Baker has made a name for himself with unofficial visits to Ole Miss and MississippiState. With a resume of 15+ total touchdowns last season, 80+ receptions, and more than 1,300 receiving yards Kenton is a slot receiver that can also stretch the field. We noticed last year Kenton’s skill set and so has head coach Dan Mullen at MississippiState when he wrote Kenton earlier this year wanting him to join the MSU family. 2013 will be a season of promise for the GilesCounty football team, as they were voted to be the front runner in the preseason coaches’ poll. Baker will have a lot to do with the success of his team, and we feel like he is one of the best names you may not know at the wide receiver position in middle Tennessee. Kenton, congrats on being named to the #D1Highlight watch list for 2013. You are a D1Highlight in the making and we look forward to watching you play this fall.
Last on our list this year is the young man by the name of AJ Morris who only is a sophomore and gaining plenty of recognition going into this season. AJ from PearlCohnHigh School (Nashville, TN) is the youngest on our list at 16 years old. Standing at 6’1 and a little over 200lbs, AJ stills has plenty of room to grow and develop into a legitimate 4 star caliber receiver over the next couple of years. A.J. already has received offers from Tennessee and is gaining more and more interest from Vanderbilt, UCLA, and Clemson. AJ’s height, speed, and hand/eye coordination is like none other at his young age. We had an opportunity to watch him compete in the IFM Tennessee Exposures where he took home the “Top Offensive Underclassmen”, and we said then this young man is going to be special. He has a #D1Highlight Watch List quarterback throwing to him this season in Eric Knight which should lead to some very potent offensive opportunities. We at #D1Highlights hope that these two become the dynamic duo in the metro area of Nashville. There should be no reason that these two can’t lead their team back to the dominant days of the late 1990’s. With new sets of opportunities and possibilities in his future, hopefully Morris realizes the sky is the limit for himself and eventually his family going the straight and narrow and not letting anyone detour his future. Best of luck this season to you AJ, and congrats to being named to the best of the best receivers in the middle Tennessee area from #D1Highlights.
