Going up against Chattanooga Christian School lineman Darrius Talley is one of the toughest assignments in town.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound senior can change games in the trenches for the Chargers and merits consideration as the area’s top offensive lineman.
Not only can he overpower any defender and take them on a ride, blocking upfield for 10 to 15 yards, he can create huge lanes when he pulls from the right guard position to blow up the edge for his team’s running back to gain big chunks of territory.
Talley is also quick on his feet and has the ability to knock several defenders off their paths or blow up a play from the defensive tackle position. His dominant play up front earns him the No. 13 spot in the Times Free Press Dynamite Baker’s Dozen, which counts down the area top 13 senior high school football players in the area headed into the 2023 season.
“Growing up, my hero was my cousin Terdell Sands,” said Talley, who helped CCS win a school-record 10 games and make the program’s first state semifinals appearance last season in TSSAA Division II-AA. “Terdell was a big-time NFL player for the Oakland Raiders, and he really inspired me to play football. I love to play on Friday nights, especially when you’re under the lights in front of those big crowds.”