The TSSAA Dead Period is upon us, as all teams and athletes across Tennessee take a breather for a couple of weeks before ramping back up in July.
But that doesn’t mean the news cycle halts.
Here are some of the latest happenings in recruiting, school transfers, awards received and more…
AWARDS & SUCH
Jayla Blue, the 2025 5Star Preps Girls Soccer Player of the Year and a Tennessee signee, added Gatorade State Player of the Year to her already long list of prep career accolades. Blue scored 33 goals with 17 assists this past season for Bearden, the 2025 Class AAA Girls Soccer State Champion.
Alcoa senior and Tennessee signee Halle Bailey earned East Tennessee Class 3A Miss Softball honors. Bailey led Alcoa to a Class 3A state championship with a .627 batting average, nine doubles, seven triples, four home runs, 34 RBIs, 77 runs, 21 walks, and 50 stolen bases.
RECRUITING COMMITMENTS
Braylen Gibbs (3) and the Knoxville Catholic Fighting Irish matched up with the Baylor Red Raiders in a TSSAA Division II-AAA state quarterfinal on E.B. ‘Red’ Etter Field at Heywood Stadium on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Parker)
Knoxville Catholic 2028 football prospect Braylen Gibbs flipped his commitment from Vanderbilt to Alabama. The 6-2, 180-pound Gibbs committed Dec. 11, 2025, to Vanderbilt, roughly a month after he finished his sophomore season with 21 catches for 314 yards and three scores. Alabama offered Gibbs on March 11. Gibbs is expected to play defensive back in college.
Class of 2027 running back Brayden Maples committed June 17 to Western Kentucky. Maples (5-11, 200) has starred at Gatlinburg-Pittman the past few years, rushing for more than 1,200 yards for the Highlanders last fall in their march to a 3A title-game appearance. He transferred in the offseason to Sevier County.
Alcoa wide receiver Jamir Dean flipped his commitment from Penn State to Georgia. Dean committed earlier this month to Penn State. He helped Alcoa win football state championships in the 2023-25 seasons and basketball state championships in 2024 and 2026.
Sidikay Dikisongele, a 6-3, 315-pound offensive/defensive lineman at Lakeway Christian Academy, announced his commitment to Miami-Ohio on June 15.
William Bowers, an All-5Star Preps First Team selection in 2025 from Elizabethton High School, announced his commitment on June 14 to Iowa State.
Grace Christian 2027 athlete Kaden Webber committed on Father’s Day (June 21) to Army. Webber had 28 catches for 490 yards to go with 16 carries and 135 yards. He had eight total touchdowns. On defense, Webber logged 77 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception and five pass breakups.
Wyatt Wilber, a 6-4, 225 linebacker from the Class of 2027, committed June 14 to Minnesota. Wilber made 98 tackles with seven tackles for loss and a sack this past fall.
Abby Roberts, a 5-9 guard from Grace Christian Academy, committed to Western Carolina on June 15. Roberts averaged 16.5 points, four assists, four rebounds, and three steals per game to earn All-5Star Preps honors.
RECRUITING OFFERS
Knoxville Catholic safety Brooks Johnston (6-2, 185) got an offer from Louisville on June 18 and one from Mississippi State on June 16.
Anderson County 2029 quarterback J.D. Gillum received an offer June 16 from East Tennessee State.
Knoxville Catholic offensive linemen and brothers Brayden Gonzalez and Gabriel Gonzalez received offers June 19 from Maryland.
Class of 2028 defensive back Skylan Johnson (Knoxville Catholic, 6-1, 190) added a Virginia Tech offer on June 18 to go with the Tennessee offer he landed in early June.
Oak Ridge 2028 defensive back Zayden Williams (6-3, 190) has received offers in the month of June from Florida State, Kansas, Oregon, Mississippi State, Louisville, Ole Miss, Michigan and Indiana.
Jace Boyd (6-4, 235) has pocketed offers recently from Samford and Bowling Green. Boyd is a defensive end who made 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss at William Blount last season. He transferred to Alcoa in the offseason.
Middle Tennessee State has offered Class of 2027 athlete Jamil Smith (5-10, 170) of Fulton High School.
Skylar Walden, a Class of 2027 guard who’s helped The King’s Academy reach four consecutive TSSAA State Tournaments, picked up offers from Tennessee Tech and Georgia Southern on June 21.
Naomi Boungou Tchanga, a 6-7 Class of 2027 forward for Grace Christian Academy girls basketball, was offered by Austin Peay.
Jenny Bitounou, a 6-6 Class of 2027 forward from The King’s Academy girls basketball team, was offered by Akron.
Kaliyah Burden, an All-5Star Preps First Team selection for helping the Sevier County girls’ basketball team in a Class 4A state title, received an offer June 11 from Carson-Newman.
TRANSFERS
Cameron George ran for 1,568 yards as a sophomore in the 2025 season at Karns and was set to be the area’s leading returning rusher for this fall. But the Class of 2028 standout and 5-10, 180-pound tailback is now at Burkburnett High School in Texas.
Bryson Morrissette, a 6-4 combo guard in the Class of 2028, has transferred to Webb School of Knoxville. Morrissette grabbed a headline or two this past season when he tied a school record with 46 points in a single game. He averaged 16 points per game as a sophomore this past season to go with 4.8 rebounds per game. He also averaged around two assists and two steals per game.
Blue Armour, a 6-1 point guard from the Class of 2028, has transferred from Meigs County to Webb School of Knoxville.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
After 23 seasons as head coach, Steve Dunn resigned from leading the Alcoa Baseball program. Dunn led Alcoa to state tournament appearances in 2004, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The Tornadoes won their first-ever state tournament game this past May.
Article written by Jesse Smithey/5Star Preps. To read more on area high school sports or to see photo galleries, videos, stat leaders, etc., visit 5StarPreps.com — and use promo code HAMMERS for 30% off your first year or month subscription.
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