2028 IN-State ATH Dion Edwards Talks Junior Season and Recruiting Following Scrimmage

High school football in the state of Tennessee is right around the corner as teams all across the state have engaged in scrimmages to prepare for the 2026-2027 season.

The Tyner Academy (TN), located in Chattanooga, is no exception. The Rams recently welcomed McMinn County for a final pre-season scrimmage.

The home team would eventually go on to win the contest 27-10, with most of the starters being done by the end of the first half.

Tyner Academy (TN) is home to quite a few names to know. 2027 LB Nasir Hayward, 2027 ATH JD Hinton, 2028 WR/DB Karontae' Cunningham, and 2029 WR/DB Marius "Titan" Turner to name a few.

The Rams are headlined by nationally ranked prospect 2028 ATH Dion Edwards, but make no mistake about it, Tyner Academy has a few guys that could have a bright future at the next level.

Following the scrimmage, Vols on SI connected with Edwards to discuss his vision for this junior season as well as any recruiting updates.

Dion Edwards

"It feels good," said Edwards of the team's winning efforts against McMinn County.

"We did good today; we executed, but still have a little bit to work on."

Edwards is young but very talented, so that has never been in question. However, Edwards is now going into his junior season, and the team may rely on more than just his talent. Leadership is an emphasis.

The skilled athlete is not much of a rah-rah type of guy, and with being depended on as a young player, it was easier to be a leader by example in comparison to being a vocal leader, which was much due to the learning curve a bit.

"It's a big role (leadership) that I take being a leader to my team," said Edwards. The standout did admit that it was initially easier being a leader by example than it was to be vocal, but he expressed that he is accepting and adjusting to that role.

A couple of plays from 2028 Tyner Academy (TN) ATH Dion Edwards from last nights scrimmage vs. McMinn County

Nice route and coming back to the ball in the first clip

The second play is a display of the ability to go up and pluck the ball out of the air@StephenHargis… pic.twitter.com/gz6pwBpIKY
— Dale Dowden (@Dale_Dowden) August 15, 2026

A few team additions will certainly take some pressure off Edwards as the junior season is expected to be the best to date. The above-mentioned Hinton and Turner will help out in the secondary as well as offensively, which should allow for some quality one-on-one shots.

On the recruiting front, Edwards did mention that many schools are still involved as the process is still early in some senses, but Miami, Virginia Tech, and Arkansas were mentioned by name.

Many coaches have given the same feedback as to why they have such high interest. Edwards is gifted with length and has a lot of skills to display with the ball in his hands.

The Tyner Academy student-athlete did admit that talks with Tennessee have slowed down a bit but would be on board with getting back to campus this fall if schedules align the right way.

In conclusion, Edwards was asked about any team goals, and his answer was straight to the point.

"As a leader, I want to help myself and my team minimize as many mistakes as possible."

Sounds cliché or like a coach's speech, but it is reality. It is hard to reach any goal when shooting yourself in the foot.

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