EDITOR’S NOTE: Since 2002, the Times Free Press has highlighted the top 12 college football prospects among Chattanooga-area seniors with its preseason Dynamite Dozen. The countdown of this year’s list concludes with No. 1.
The preseason recruiting rankings had already determined that this is the largest and deepest pool of college football prospects the Chattanooga area has ever produced.
So it stands to reason that the top prospect in the 2025 Dynamite Dozen would also be the largest player in the 24-year history of the Times Free Press recruiting rankings.
At 6-foot-8, 330 pounds, mammoth left tackle Gabe Osenda of Baylor School is also one of the highest-rated college prospects ever produced locally, coming in at No. 19 nationally and No. 4 among offensive tackles, according to 247Sports.com.
“When you watch him, what jumps out is his athleticism. It’s one thing to be that big, but to be able to move like he does at that size is pretty extraordinary,” said Baylor coach Erik Kimrey, who is entering his fourth season leading the Red Raiders and has taken them to the past three editions of the TSSAA Division II-AAA BlueCross Bowl state championship game at Finley Stadium.