The Tennessean has released its 20th annual Dandy Dozen ahead of the 2026 TSSAA football season.
The Dandy Dozen is a collection of the Nashville area's top college football prospects
in the Class of 2027, decided by discussions among The Tennessean sports staff and observations on the field. While this year's class has been set, there remains a number of standout prospects across the Nashville area.Here are five players who just missed out on this year's Dandy Dozen, listed in alphabetical order.
Kaden Buchanan
Friendship Christian | Senior
Position: Offensive line
Buchanan is the No. 15-ranked recruit in Tennessee and the No. 17 interior lineman nationally in the 247Sports Composite. He committed to Virginia Tech in May after holding offers from Indiana, Colorado,
NC State, Kentucky, North Carolina and more. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Buchanan had more than 30 pancakes in 2025, while adding eight tackles for loss on defense.
Li'Marcus Jones
Brentwood Academy | Senior
Position: Offensive line
The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Jones transferred to Brentwood Academy in the offseason from Jackson Callaway in Mississippi. The four-star prospect committed to Colorado in May and holds offers from Purdue, Alabama, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee and more. He is the state's No. 18-ranked recruit and the No. 39 offensive tackle nationally.
Cameron Kruse
Page | Senior
Position: Quarterback
In his debut season at Page, Kruse led the Patriots to the program’s first-ever state championship, going 141-of-163 passing for 2,264 yards with 35 touchdowns and three interceptions. Kruse committed to Kansas State in April after holding offers from Miami, Northwestern, West Virginia and more. He is the No. 31-ranked recruit in the state and the No. 40 quarterback nationally.
Judah Lancaster
Brentwood Academy | Senior
Position: Tight end
Lancaster, a three-star tight end, transferred from IMG Academy in the offseason. He is the state's No. 36-ranked recruit and the No. 38 tight end nationally. After holding offers from Ohio State, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Alabama and more, he committed to South Carolina in May.
Ke'Vontae Pitts
East Nashville | Senior
Position: Safety
Pitts is among the Nashville area's top returning defensive backs, having recorded three interceptions, eight pass breakups and 58 tackles last season. He is the state's No. 50-ranked recruit and the No. 130 safety nationally. Pitts is committed to Mississippi State, while also holding offers from Memphis, Austin Peay, East Carolina and more.
Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Five players who just missed out on The Tennessean's 2026 Dandy Dozen
