Vote for the Guardian Foundation Repair top 2026 TSSAA football preseason linebacker
Here are the candidates for the Guardian Foundation Repair top preseason linebacker for the 2026 TSSAA football season. Voters have until noon on July 16 to submit their responses.
Jackson Coffey, Grace Christian: Coffey returns to Grace after finishing the 2025 season as a PrepXtra Third Team selection with 106 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Dax Cole, Maryville: Cole leads the Rebels new trio of dynamic linebackers with 123 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery.
Reece Franklin, Concord Christian: Franklin finished last season with 70 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks.
Jennaris Henry, Alcoa: Henry recorded 43 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown in 2025. He’s gaining considerable recruiting attention and has picked up power offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Louisville and Virginia Tech.
Mason Johnson, William Blount: Johnson piled up 95 tackles, 29 quarterback pressures, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Jack Lister, Greeneville: Lister plugged holes in the Greeneville defense with 58 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five pressures, two pass breakups, a sack, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Landon Murphy, Sweetwater: Murphy had 101 tackles, three blocked PATs, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Parker Newman, Sevier County: The Duke football commit and PrepXtra Second Team selection in 2025 covered the field with 117 tackles, eight tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, four interceptions, three sacks, three defensive touchdowns and two fumble recoveries.
JP Peace, Maryville: Peace, a Tennessee football commit, transferred to Maryville from West, where he had 121 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Carson Pearce, Halls: Pearce was a PrepXtra First Team honoree and one half of Halls’ star linebacker duo that will carry into 2026. He had 137 tackles with an impressive 23 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two fumbled recoveries and a forced fumble.
Johnny Rosenbalm, Carter: Rosenbalm led the Carter defense with 123 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a defensive touchdown, and he made the PrepXtra Third Team last season.
Gavin Self, Halls: Self completes the Red Devils elite linebacker core with 151 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble.
Connor Wheeler, Heritage: Wheeler recorded 72 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, a sack, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
Wyatt Wilber, Maryville: Wilber is a Minnesota football commit and had 98 tackles, seven tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Marvin Wyrosdick, CAK: Wyrosdick will continue to be key in CAK’s defense after posting 116 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles, two pressures and a fumble recovery last season.
Jackson Younger, Gatlinburg-Pittman: Younger finished the 2025 season with 72 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Vote for the Guardian Foundation Repair top 2026 TSSAA football preseason linebacker
