Two weeks after setting one state record, Sevier County quarterback and UConn commit Cooper Newman once again added his name to the Tennessee high school football record book.
Newman, the state's all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 141 entering the night, is now the undisputed leader when it comes to passing yards following a 339-yard performance in the Smoky Bears' 42-20 win over Tennessee (TN) on Oct. 16/
Entering Friday night, he sat at 10,787 yards for his career, trailing the record that was held by former Trinity Christian Academy (TN) standout Kyle Akin. Akin set that career during a career that spanned from 2011-2014.
With the game already out of reach and the record within sight, Sevier County opted to get their Mr. Football winner
the record Friday night instead of having him wait another week.
Leading by 15 with under 30 seconds remaining, Newman found a wide-open Zach Banks for a 53-yard touchdown that now puts him four yards clear of Akin's old record.
🚨STATE RECORD ALERT🚨
— Kris Mangrum (@KrisMangrum) October 17, 2026
No player in Tennessee high school football history has thrown for more career passing yards than Cooper Newman. 🏈@Coopernewman7 @SmokyBearFball pic.twitter.com/Lku9k9ca7Q
A leading candidate to repeat as the TSSAA Class 5A Mr. Football winner, Newman will go down as the most decorated football player to come out of the high school that once was the home of Dolly Parton.
He led the Smoky Bears to back-to-back Class 5A championship games during his sophomore and junior seasons, winning the state title as a sophomore. It was Sevier County's first state championship in football since 1999.
While the Smoky Bears didn't win the championship last year, Newman did accomplish the ultimate individual goal becoming the program's first Mr. Football winner.
247Sports ranks the 6-foot-2.5, 208-pounder as a three-star prospect, the No. 65 quarterback in the 2027 cycle and the No. 47 player out of Tennessee. He announced his commitment to UConn on June 9.
Newman and the Smoky Bears (6-2) have two more games remaining on their regular season schedule before postseason play begins. They'll host both taking on Blountstown (TN) on Oct. 23 and Morristown-Hamblen West (TN) on Oct. 29.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tennessee high school football passing yardage record broken by UConn commit
