Phenoms 32 All-State Has D-I Talent

ALCOA -- Tennessee's top high school players have the attention of Southeastern Conference schools and other top programs across the country.
The inaugural Varsity Sports Media's Tennessee Football magazine Phenoms 32 All-state team is a collection of the finest prep players in the Volunteer State.
Fourteen of the 32 players have committed to colleges that were invited to bowl games this season. Several others have committed to, or have offers from, BCS conference schools.
The Phenoms 32 is presented by the staff of Tennessee Football magazine and features an all-classification collection of talent.

Phenoms 32 Offense
Eleven players who have committed to colleges that are in bowl games this year highlight the offensive team.

Bruising fullback Ben Bartholomew (6-3, 225) of MBA, wide receiver Rodriguez Wilks (6-2, 205) of Smyrna, tight end Aaron Douglas (6-6, 248) of Maryville and offensive lineman Preston Bailey (6-5, 315) of MBA have all committed to the University of Tennessee.

Wide receiver Zach Rogers of David Lipscomb is the only junior on the Phenoms 32 offense. Rogers (6-2, 207) helped lead Lipscomb to the TSSAA 3A state championship. He has already committed to join his brother Austin Rogers with the Vols in 2009.

Brentwood Academy running back Chris Jordan (6-2, 208) and Evangelical Christian offensive lineman Barrett Jones (6-5, 250) have both committed to Alabama.

The offense is loaded with other players who have committed to D-I colleges.
Sullivan South quarterback Curt Phillips (6-3, 215) is headed for Wisconsin after being named the Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year by RiseMag.com.

Memphis Kingsbury tight end Jamal Mosely (6-4, 227) made a verbal commitment to Ole Miss in December. However, he has visits set for Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma State and Kentucky.

The Phenoms 32 is proof that offensive linemen are the strength of the 2008 state recruiting class.

Joining Jones and Bailey are five more D-I commitments.

Riverdale’s David Spurlock (Florida State) and Travis Lilienthal (MTSU) join Red Bank’s Tylor Chambers (Marshall), Arlington’s Alex Hurst (LSU) and Oak Ridge standout Alex Stuart (MTSU) to round out the offensive line.

Pearl-Cohn playmaker Deaunte Mason (6-4, 215) is headed to Kentucky after throwing for more than 1,400 yards and rushing for more than 450. He scored 15 touchdowns and threw for eight.

Maryville quarterback Brent Burnette (6-3, 207) and Farragut running back Andre Sterling (5-10, 188) are the only members of the Phenoms 32 offense that have not made verbal commitments.

Burnette threw for more than 3,600 yards and 40 touchdowns, and completed more than 70 percent of his passes.

He was named Blue Cross Bowl 4A Offensive Most Valuable Player in the 2007 championship game and was the Tennessee Titans 4A Mr. Football Award winner. Burnette was named the Tennessee Player of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel. He was the only Tennessean named to the paper’s All-Southern Player of the Year team.

Sterling rushed for more than 5,000 yards in his career, including 2,717 yards on 345 carries and 30 touchdowns in 2007.

Phenoms 32 Defense
Four who have committed to SEC teams and another headed for Miami highlight the Phenoms 32 defense.

The linebacker corps is where the talent starts on the defensive side of the ball in Tennessee.
Gavin Hardin (6-5, 230), the Tennessee Football magazine preseason top-rated player by Jamie Newburg, committed to Ole Miss, but will visit Miami and Kentucky this month.
Marshall County’s Don’ta Hightower (6-2, 248) has committed to Alabama.

Whitehaven standout linebacker Tenarius Wright (6-2, 219) was the last player to commit to Arkansas, but he has a Feb. 1 visit scheduled to North Carolina.

Memphis Melrose linebacker Antonio Harper (6-4, 220) is going to play at Miami next season.
Kentucky, Colorado, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas have offered Fayette-Ware star Ricky Holloway (6-2, 223).

DeAndre Jones (6-1, 225) of MUS played safety for three years before moving to linebacker. Stanford, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Kentucky have offered Jones.
Antioch defensive end Michael McAdoo (6-7, 223) has been offered by Kentucky, North Carolina and has a visit scheduled to Vanderbilt.

Joining McAdoo in the defensive front is 5A Mr. Football Lineman award winner LaDarrius Verge (6-3, 230) of Riverdale and run-stopper Dontari Poe (6-4, 335) of Wooddale.
Alcoa’s Randall Cobb, an all-around athlete who could have been placed in many different positions on the Phenoms 32, has been selected as a member of the defensive unit.

Cobb guided Alcoa to its fourth consecutive 2A state title. He has committed to Kentucky, but Tennessee has offered.

Rounding out the speedy secondary are Eric Gordon (Hillsboro), Robert Hogg (Dobyns Bennett), Kendall Harper (Trenton Peabody) and Tim Benford (Red Bank).

One sports writer deemed Hogg (5-9, 165) "a tackle-seeking missile" this season. The hard-hitting Hogg made more than 90 tackles, blocked two punts, broke up seven passes, and had a pair of interceptions.

The defensive backs corps thrived on offense, too.

Benford (6-2, 196) was a standout on offense and defense. He caught 62 passes for more than 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns, and ran 14 times for 221 yards and three touchdowns. He had five touchdowns as a defensive back and return specialist before breaking his arm in the playoffs.

Harper (5-10, 180) had 3,128 all-purpose yards and 39 touchdowns. He added five interceptions and 45 tackles as a defensive back.

Gordon (5-9, 185) made 41 receptions for 816 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 77 tackles and three interceptions, including one he returned for a score.

Wilson Central kicker/punter Chase Matheson (6-1, 215) is the choice to handle both duties on the Phenoms 32 team.

Matheson booted 32 of his 34 kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks. He also had 10 field goals, including one of 54 yards and averaged more than 43 yards per punt.

Offense
QB SR Brent Burnette 6-3, 207 Maryville
QB SR Curt Phillips 6-3, 212 Sullivan South
RB SR Chris Jordan 6-2, 208 Brentwood Ac.
RB SR Andre Sterling 5-10,188 Farragut
FB SR Ben Bartholomew 6-3, 225 MBA
WR SR Rodriguez Wilks 6-2, 205 Smyrna
WR JR Zach Rogers 6-2, 207 David Lipscomb
TE SR Jamal Mosely 6-4, 227 Kingsbury
TE SR Aaron Douglas 6-6, 248 Maryville
OL SR Barrett Jones 6-5, 250 ECS
OL SR Preston Bailey 6-5, 315 MBA
OL SR David Spurlock 6-5, 282 Riverdale
OL SR Tylor Chambers 6-3, 295 Red Bank
OL SR Alex Hurst 6-6, 312 Arlington
OL SR Travis Lilienthal 6-4, 250 Riverdale
OL SR Alex Stuart 6-3, 290 Oak Ridge

Ath SR Deaunte Mason 6-4, 215 Pearl-Cohn





Defense
DL SR Michael McAdoo 6-7, 223 Antioch
DL SR Dontari Poe 6-4, 335 Wooddale
DL SR LaDarrius Verge 6-3, 230 Riverdale
LB SR DeAndre Jones 6-1, 225 MUS
LB SR Antonio Harper 6-4, 220 Melrose
LB SR Gavin Hardin 6-5, 230 JCM
LB SR Don’ta Hightower 6-2, 248 Marshall Co
LB SR Ricky Holloway 6-2, 223 Fayette-Ware
LB SR Tenarius Wright 6-2, 219 Whitehaven
DB SR Eric Gordon 5-9, 185 Hillsboro
DB SR Robert Hogg 5-9, 165 Dobyns-Bennett
DB SR Randall Cobb 6-0, 190 Alcoa
DB SR Kendal Harper 5-10, 180 Trenton Peabody
DB SR Tim Benford 6-2, 195 Red Bank
PK/P SR Chase Matheson 6-1, 215 Wilson Central
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