High School

Briggs Cherry’s Redemption Journey: Baylor's Star QB Eyes 2025 Tennessee State Championship

After falling short in 2024, Baylor's Briggs Cherry is determined to lead his team to Tennessee Division II-AA football glory while solidifying his reputation as a top quarterback recruit

Caleb Sisk

Baylor's Briggs Cherry (3) looks for an open receiver while pressured by McCallie's Cooper Gentle (35) during the TSSAA Division II-AAA high school football Bluecross Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Baylor's Briggs Cherry (3) looks for an open receiver while pressured by McCallie's Cooper Gentle (35) during the TSSAA Division II-AAA high school football Bluecross Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tenn. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Briggs Cherry hopes to lead his team, Chattanooga's Baylor Red Raiders, back to the Tennessee Division II-A state championship game in 2025. This time, however, the talented quarterback is hopeful for a different outcome.

Division II-AA football is considered to be one of the most competitive divisions in the nation. With so many strong programs, the glory for success and the blame for coming up short often rests on the quarterback.

As a first-year starting quarterback for Baylor in 2024, Cherry had a lot on his shoulders, especially in replacing Whit Muschamp who left for Vanderbilt following the 2023 season.

Cherry was Muschamp's backup when Baylor reach the 2023 state championship game but fell short of the state title. The program's raised expectations put a lot on Cherry’s boulders. He led the team to nearly a perfect season, but the Red Raiders fell short once again in the state championship game.

With Cherry back under center in the fall, Baylor's hopes of state championship glory are higher than ever. He brings a big arm and many positives that you’d want in a QB. He is the top quarterback recruit in Tennessee out of the 2026 class out of the state of Tennessee.

Cherry caught up with High School on SI about his first season as the team's starter and his expectations moving forward. He also discussed his current recruiting stand.

“I felt like my first season as a starter went great," said Cherry. "We didn’t end how we wanted to but that will happen sometimes. I felt like my leadership improved throughout the season as well as my knowledge of the game, which comes with game reps.”

Cherry and his fellow teammates are focused on bigger goals, but what will it take to achieve them? Cherry went into detail.

“The biggest thing is just getting the team chemistry built up again and realizing the only way we can go back to the state championship is if we focus on the little things and work even harder every day.”

Cherry has already started his off-season plans despite not having his recruiting visits scheduled just yet. “I’m mostly just focusing on 7v7 right now, and sharpening up my game. I don’t have any visits set up right now but I will be making that schedule soon.”

According to On3.com, Cherry currently has 10 offers, including Ole Miss, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

"At the moment, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse have been showing love, which makes me feel welcomed and wanted,” Cherry stated.

When Cherry embarks on his senior season with Baylor in the fall, his list of recruiting suitors will likely grow, but he will remain focused on his primary goal, bringing a state title home to Baylor.

More From High School On SI 

• NFL Hall Of Famer Ed Reed Named As Chamblee (Georgia) Offensive Coordinator

• Two Texas High School Football Head Coaches Mentioned As Possible Dallas Cowboys' HC Candidates

 Where Did Each 2025 NFL Divisional Round Quarterback Go To High School?

• Bill Belichick Looking To Land IMG National's Billy Miller On UNC Coaching Staff: Report

Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

Published
Caleb Sisk
CALEB SISK

Caleb Sisk has been a sportswriter in the Dalton, Georgia area since 2023. He started as a graphic designer with his own company that was and is run through social media. Sisk grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has experience traveling back to his hometown and all throughout the state of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to cover high school sports. He has written for many On SI sites and has worked with Rivals in the past. He also expresses the enjoyment of writing about multiple sports and topics, although his first love for writing has always been recruiting. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.

Home/Tennessee