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4 days ago
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The best Tennessee high schools for athletes? According to one study, these are the top 25
Lipscomb Academy's Brody Hilliard (19) hits a two-RBI double against CPA during the fourth inning at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 22, 2025. There's been no shortage of talent to step onto the fields, tracks, and courts throughout Tennessee high school history. The Volunteer State has produced legendary sports figures from Wilma Rudolph to Pat Summitt, Reggie White to Ed 'Too Tall' Jones to Steve Spurrier, and countless others. Advertisement For many of the schools that produced such legendary talent, several continue the rich traditions. Others have joined the mix. Which Tennessee high schools are currently the best for athletes According to one study, which accounts for survey feedback from students and parents and data from the U.S. Department of Education, these are the top 25… 25. Ravenwood High School (Brentwood) Total number of sports: 13 24. Davidson Academy (Nashville) Total number of sports: 15 23. Farragut High School (Knoxville) Total number of sports: 17 22. Christian Academy of Knoxville (Knoxville) Total number of sports: 19 21. Greeneville High School (Greeneville) Total number of sports: 20 20. Lausanne Collegiate School (Memphis) Total number of sports: 14 19. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville) Total number of sports: 14 18. Brentwood Academy (Brentwood) Total number of sports: 14 17. Whitehaven (Memphis) Total number of sports: 18 16. The Ensworth School (Nashville) Total number of sports: 17 15. Harpeth Hall (Nashville) Total number of sports: 14 14. Maryville High School (Maryville) Total number of sports: 17 Maryville's Ellie Stanley competes in the Women's 100 Yard Butterfly finals during the 2025 TISCA High School Swimming & Diving State Championship at the University of Tennessee's Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. 13. Trinity Christian Academy (Jackson) Total number of sports: 13 12. Father Ryan (Nashville) Total number of sports: 31 11. Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville) Total number of sports: 26 10. Baylor School (Chattanooga) Total number of sports: 22 9. Alcoa High School Total number of sports: 18 8. Memphis University School (Memphis) Total number of sports: 14 7. Hutchinson School (Memphis) Total number of sports: 12 6. Christian Brothers High School (Memphis) Total number of sports: 14 5. Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville) Total number of sports: 36 4. Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville) Total number of sports: 17 3. Briarcrest Christian (Eads) Total number of sports: 27 2. Girls Preparatory School (Chattanooga) Total number of sports: 16 1. McCallie School (Chattanooga) Total number of sports: 18 McCallie's Keylan Syam (26) runs the ball during the TSSAA Division II-AAA high school football championship against Baylor on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Data via Niche survey statistics This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: The 25 best high schools for athletes in Tennessee
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kaleb Beasley is needed at cornerback for Tennessee football. Why isn't he there?
Tennessee football has a hole on the depth chart at cornerback, and it seemed like Kaleb Beasley could fill it. The former Lipscomb Academy standout was among the highest rated cornerback recruits in the 2024 class. He played cornerback as a freshman, along with serving as a mainstay on special teams. Then All-America cornerback Jermod McCoy suffered a torn ACL in January, too late for the Vols to add a cornerback from the transfer portal. So why is Beasley spending spring practice at safety rather than cornerback? 'We think we've got guys that are talented. We want them to have an opportunity to start,' defensive secondary coach Willie Martinez said. '(Beasley) is smart. He's talented. He's athletic. Let's move (Beasley) around to give him the opportunity to win a job. That's why we did it.' It's either a strong endorsement of Beasley's ability to thrive at safety or savvy spin on his deficiencies at cornerback. It may be a combination of the two, and here's why. McCoy underwent surgery on his injured knee, and he's rehabilitating in hopes of returning to the lineup early in the 2025 season. But no official timetable has been released. For now, UT's starting cornerbacks are Rickey Gibson, who considered entering the portal, and Jalen McMurray, a 2024 backup. The group is thin and inexperienced after that. Marcus Goree played only eight defensive snaps last season as a freshman. William Wright and Colin Brazzell, the younger brother of UT receiver Chris Brazzell, are walk-ons. Tre Poteat, Timothy Merritt and Ty Redmond are freshmen debuting in spring practice after enrolling early. There seems to be an opening for Beasley, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, to compete for the third cornerback spot, at worst. Last season, Beasley was a four-star recruit coming out of Lipscomb. He was ranked the No. 159 prospect overall and No. 21 cornerback in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports Composite. Then he played 62 snaps on defense as a freshman, mostly at cornerback, and 220 snaps on special teams, second most on the team. But after seeing Beasley practice at cornerback for a year, coaches may see incoming freshmen as a better fit was a four-star recruit, ranked the No. 39 cornerback in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports Composite. Merritt and Ty Redmond were three-star recruits. Beasley missed most of spring practice in 2024 after suffering a fractured fibula, so coaches couldn't make a complete evaluation on his skills until preseason camp. After Beasley played cornerback as a freshman, he was moved. Granted, Martinez values versatility. He regularly moves defensive backs to multiple positions, only to return them to their most suitable spot. Martinez said Beasley's best position may still be uncertain. 'We're not locked into (Beasley) just playing the safety position,' Martinez said. 'He's capable of playing Star (what UT calls its nickelback), and we're going to move him there, too. But we're going to give him an opportunity first to learn this, the safety position, and then we'll move him (to nickelback). 'We want as many guys that can actually handle it, like him, to be able to. He can actually go and play corner if we wanted him to right now. He knows exactly what the position's like, but we think that he'd really be very, very productive inside (at safety or nickelback).' LANCE HEARD Tennessee tackle channels criticism to reach his 5-star potential The most charitable take is that Beasley is too good to be a backup cornerback, even if depth is needed at that position. That's how Martinez described the situation, pointing to Beasley's potential to earn a starting safety spot. Andre Turrentine returns as a starting safety. Jakobe Thomas, a 2024 backup, is competing with Beasley, Edrees Farooq, John Slaughter and others for the other starting safety spot. That seems like a crowded competition. But Beasley's talent and football IQ make him a legitimate contender there. Plus, Turrentine is a fifth-year senior, so UT will need a plan to replace him in 2026. Beasley's situation points to an accelerated process in the era of NIL and the transfer portal. Money is invested in top recruits, and players expect playing time sooner than later. Coaches are looking for ways to fast-track talented recruits to the lineup, even if that involves an early position change. For the same reasons, fans and media pay closer attention to subtle movement on the depth chart. To be clear, Beasley has not indicated any interest in the portal. He's one of UT's top in-state recruits in recent years, and coaches think he has a bright future with the Vols. But the environment at his position group demands that coaches find the best fit for players and get them into the lineup as soon as possible. Ten UT defensive backs transferred in the past two years. That included three cornerbacks signed out of high school to fill the same role that was projected for Beasley. Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), Christian Harrison (Cincinnati) and Cristian Conyer (Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State) never reached their potential as UT cornerbacks, so they transferred to find a role elsewhere. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kaleb Beasley isn't playing cornerback for Tennessee football. Here's why
