Who is Bearden football’s DJ Hunter? Sophomore quarterback transfer could unlock offense

DJ Hunter showed a glimpse of what he’s capable of.

The Bearden football quarterback quickly processed his options in the red zone. The sophomore flicked a throw to his slot receiver junior Tory Beaufort on the 10-yard curl route in the Bulldogs’ scrimmage against Knoxville Catholic on Aug. 2 ahead of the 2024 TSSAA football season.

The All-Region 2-6A receiver turned upfield for another 10 yards and squeezed by three defenders into the end zone.

Hunter’s first preseason touchdown pass wasn’t showy. But it was a peek into the steadiness he can have commanding the offense.

The moment is even more encouraging since the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Hunter has only been with the team for six weeks since transferring from Horn Lake High School in Mississippi.

“I still have to get to know the offense a little more, but I feel like we can do some good things,” Hunter said.

In seven starts as a freshman at Horn Lake, Hunter completed 78 of 165 passes for 1,135 passing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Why move to Knoxville

Hunter’s family moved to Knoxville a little over a month ago. And the decision to attend Bearden was made with the belief football is Hunter’s future.

“The playing field in Knoxville is a bit bigger than where I was at, and I feel like I can get more exposure in Knoxville,” Hunter said.

Hunter — who has offers from Virginia Tech, East Tennessee State and Eastern Kentucky — isn’t the only athlete in his family. His dad Deveyon Hunter was a college basketball player at Eastern Kentucky and Central Missouri.

DJ Hunter’s uncle Tony Hunter played college football at Minnesota and was a running back for the Green Bay Packers for a season in 1987.

Bearden’s DJ Hunter (4) throws the ball at a football scrimmage between Bearden and Catholic High School at Blaine Stadium on Friday, August 2, 2024.

Future at Bearden

Bearden…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/bearden-footballs-dj-hunter-sophomore-090627065.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-08-07 09:06:27

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