Ranking TSSAA football players in Memphis area for 2025

The Commercial Appeal has released its annual Dandy Dozen, a collection of the Memphis area’s top college football prospects for the Class of 2025.

The Dandy Dozen is the newspaper’s recruiting list. It is decided by conversations with observations on the field and discussions among the sports staff.

Here are The Commercial Appeal’s top 12 high school football recruits entering this fall. We rank them from 12-1.

12. Michael Pride, Olive Branch

Offensive tackle Michael Pride is an unranked recruit at Olive Branch. Mississippi high school coaches voted the 6-foot-4, 290-pound prospect as an all-state second-team player last season. Pride holds offers from Northwestern State and Mississippi Valley State.

11. Derrick Miller, Houston

Houston athlete Derrick Miller, a 5-11, 160-pound athlete, is a force on both sides of the ball at defensive back and wide receiver. The uncommitted three-star recruit is ranked as the 67th-best recruit in Tennessee by 247Sports. He holds offers from Boston College, Austin Peay and UT Martin among others.

10. Roman Womack, Desoto Central

Offensive tackle Roman Womack is a three-star prospect ranked as the No. 24 prospect in Mississippi by 247Sports. The 6-7, 300-pound lineman is uncommitted but holds offers from Colorado State, Murray State and Central Arkansas among others.

9. Andre Allen Jr., Houston

Andre Allen Jr., another of Houston’s multi-faceted athletes, is unranked on 247Sports but holds offers from Arkansas, Boston College and Temple among others. Allen (5-11, 170) led the Mustangs with 77 total tackles last season, earning a place on The Commercial Appeal’s All-Metro first team.

8. Chase Sutton, Bartlett

Three-star Bartlett defensive back Chase Sutton, a 6-0, 160-pound athlete, recently committed to Tennessee State despite battling an injury last season. 247Sports’ Composite rankings tabs him as the 36th-best recruit in Tennessee. Sutton chose TSU over West Virginia, Memphis, Miami (OH) and others.

7. Yasir Muhammad, Germantown

UNLV commit Yasir Muhammad was one of the best defenders on a 12-1 Germantown team in 2023, notching six interceptions. The 6-1, 175-pound, three-star athlete is ranked as the No. 42 player in Tennessee’s 2025 class. Muhammad chose UNLV over Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Memphis and others.

6. Ladeadrick James, Houston

Three-star Houston athlete Ladeadrick James is ranked as the No. 32 player in the state by 247Sports. The 5-11, 175-pound athlete had 40 tackles and four interceptions for the 6A champions. James is uncommitted but holds 18 offers, including a host of Power Four schools like Florida, Oregon, Arizona State and others.

5. Geron Johnson, Bartlett

Three-star Mississippi State commit Geron Johnson (5-10, 185) put together a 1,800-yard, 24-touchdown season in 2023, earning a semifinalist spot for Class 6A Mr. Football. The 247Sports Composite ranks Johnson as a three-star recruit and 38th-best running back in the country for the 2025 class. Johnson’s list of sacrifices included Ole Miss, Memphis and others.

4. Austin Howard, Bartlett

Mississippi State commit and Bartlett Panther Austin Howard is a 6-3, 225-pound, three-star prospect ranked 23rd in Tennessee by the 247Sports Composite. Howard plays both sides for Bartlett, featuring at several spots within the defensive front seven. Last season he made 41 tackles including 14 for a loss. Howard was previously committed to Vanderbilt before making his commitment to the Bulldogs in June.

3. Jarcoby Hopson, Lake Cormorant

Hopson, a 6-1, 225-pound Ole Miss commit, enters his final season as one of the best players in Mississippi. Last season, the four-star recruit made 71 tackles, including four for loss. The 247Sports Composite tabs him as the No. 8 player in Mississippi and the 206th recruit nationally. Hopson chose the Rebels over Auburn, Florida and Arkansas.

2. Jamarion Morrow, Melrose

Athlete Jamarion Morrow, who transferred from Germantown to Melrose this offseason, is a four-star Missouri commit currently ranked as the fifth-best player in Tennessee. The 5-10, 190-pound Morrow racked up 1,212 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns on offense last season. At defensive back, he intercepted four passes and made 24 tackles, earning a spot on The Commercial Appeal’s All-Metro second team. His top six schools also included Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

1. Radarious Jackson, Sheffield

Four-star Tennessee commit Radarious Jackson ranks as the fourth-best player in the state per 247Sports Composite. The 6-3, 200-pound wide receiver was the Tennessee Titans Class 3A Mr. Football and The Commercial Appeal’s Offensive Player of the Year a season ago after racking up nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards on offense and scoring 29 total touchdowns. He also intercepted eight passes on defense, returning three for touchdowns. Jackson picked the Vols over Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Auburn.