50 Nashville area high school football questions for 2018

2. How will Blackman change under first-year coach Kit Hartsfield, and will it be for the better?

Will any Clarksville-area squad make a legitimate state title run in 2018?

4. Will first-year Hendersonville coach James Beasley stick with the Wing-T — the scheme his predecessor Bruce Hatfield utilized for the last two decades?

5. How will Mt. Juliet use five-star junior Reggie Grimes, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound running back/defensive end with offers from more than a dozen FBS programs, including Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State?

6. Can quarterback Bryce Wallace lead Marshall County to a third consecutive Class 4A semifinal appearance?

7. Which of the area’s six winless teams from 2017 (Cannon County, Cascade, Cumberland County, RePublic, White County, White House Heritage) will see the biggest turnaround in 2018?

8. Can Cane Ridge win its third consecutive region title under Eddie Woods despite losing three-year starters Jared and Jarad McCray, who are now at Murray State?

9. With arguably the area’s top quarterback-running back tandems in Stone Norton (Florida International commitment) and Da’Joun Hewitt (Purdue), how explosive will Davidson Academy’s offense be?

10. Will junior running back George Odimegwu (23) pick up where Mr. Football finalist and 1,200-yard rusher Tai Carter left off at Summit?

11. With 14 starters returning, is 2016 runner-up and 2017 semifinalist Oakland finally poised to win a state title?

12. How far can Northeast’s offense go after the addition of Rossview transfer Fred Orr (1,420 yards, 21 TDs) at running back?

13. Will Shelbyville senior quarterback Grayson Tramel match the state-leading 3,492 yards he threw for a season ago?

14. How will not having a home field as a result of the school's renovation affect Hillsboro’s season?

15. Can Maplewood, led by third-year starting quarterback Bobo Hodges and a strong supporting cast, make its first title game appearance since 2011?

16. Will Franklin bounce back after failing to make the playoffs for the first time in five seasons?

17. How will things change at Ensworth under first-year coach Jeremy Garrett (right), shown with former coach Ricky Bowers?

18. Now that quarterback John Bachus (7) is at UT Martin, who will throw the ball to Giles County senior K.J. Zeigler, who hauled in 70 receptions for 1,340 yards and 17 scores a year ago.

Clarksville Academy quarterback Bryce Robinson

20. Can Columbia Academy capture its first state football title in what will mark the Bulldogs’ final season competing in Division I?

21. Will anyone in Region 5-4A be able to slow senior wide receiver Dayron “Fat Cat” Johnson and last year’s Class 4A runner-up Springfield?

22. Can Father Ryan turn the corner in year three under Brian Rector after going 4-7 and 5-7 the last two seasons?

CPA running back and linebacker Kane Patterson (4)

24. Who will be the coach at Whites Creek?

25. Will 2018 be the breakout year for three-star quarterback Brandon Wharton and Nolensville?

26. Hit hard by graduation, how will Riverdale fare in an experienced Region 3-6A?

27. After taking a step back at 1-9 in 2017, can Northwest avoid another long playoff drought?

28. How will Beech handle the graduation of more than two dozen seniors, including 2,400-yard rusher Kameon Dunlap, from last year’s Class 5A runner-up team?

29. Can Friendship Christian successfully defend its 2017 Division II-A state title despite the loss of 1,500-yard rusher Jajuan “Speedy” Foutch?

30. What impact will transfers running back Donald Johnson (Spring Hill) and receiver Kendrell Scurry (Maplewood) have their new schools?

31. Can Nashville Christian weather the losing a second standout running back to transfer in as many years?

32. How will second-year program RePublic fair under first-year coach Ron Lambert?

33. Can Fairview replace all-state running back Darius James, who amassed 2,196 all-purpose yards and 33 total touchdowns in his lone season with the Yellow Jackets?

34. With a handful of key returners from last year’s 9-3 campaign, including Mr. Football semifinalist Ethan Cobb at quarterback, will Eagleville take another step forward?

Lebanon's Zion Logue

36. How will first-year Macon County coach Kyle Shoulders go about replacing quarterback Seth Carlisle, who accounted for nearly 7,000 yards and 86 touchdowns over the past three seasons?

37. Which of the three returning 2,000-yard backs in Division II-A — Middle Tennessee Christian’s Kemari McGowan (left), Davidson Academy’s Da’Joun Hewitt (middle) or Mt. Juliet Christian’s Darius Hylick (right) — will lead the way in 2018?

38. Can Montgomery Bell Academy advance to the BlueCross Bowl for the fifth consecutive season and win its second title in that span?

39. Will 2018 be a breakout year for Smyrna’s versatile three-star athlete Blake Watkins, who racked up 1,156 total yards, made two interceptions and scored 12 touchdowns a season ago?

40. Will having arguably the strongest offensive line in Montgomery County and a clear-cut quarterback in Ford Cooper translate into points for Clarksville?

41. Can Waverly quarterback Gavin Stanfield win another Mr. Football award in Class 2A?

42. Who will carry the offensive load for Pearl-Cohn after the graduation of Jimmyrious Parker, who amassed nearly 4,000 total yards and scored 44 touchdowns over the past three seasons?

43. Who will throw to three-star Brentwood wide receiver Chayce Bishop, the son of former Titans DB Blaine Bishop who made six touchdown grabs as a sophomore?

44. Which Kriesky brother — Centennial’s Matt (right) or Riverdale’s Will (left) — will win more games in year three at their respective schools?

45. How will 2017 Division II-A runner-up Donelson Christian Academy fare in its first season under coach Paul Wade?

46. Which of Rutherford County’s four four-star prospects — Siegel’s Joseph Anderson (top left), Blackman’s Trey Knox (top right), Blackman’s Adonis Otey (bottom left) or Oakland’s Woodi Washington (bottom right) — will shine brightest in 2018?

47. Who will carry the offensive load at Rossview with the transfer of Fred Orr, who rushed for 2,622 yards and 35 touchdowns over the past three seasons?

48. Will Goodpasture and Lipscomb, both coming off 1-10 seasons, find their footing in Division II?

49. Which Nashville-area transfer — Oakland's Xavier Myers (left) or Blackman's Ta’Micus Napier (right) — will rush for more yards at their new school?