- Tennessee commitment Joel Wyatt, a four-star athlete, is experiencing his first deep playoff run with Oakland reaching the state quarterfinals.
- Though recruited as a wide receiver, Wyatt has excelled at defensive back for the Patriots this season.
- Oakland defeated Bradley Central 35-10 to advance to the Class 6A state quarterfinals against Green Hill.
Tennessee football commitment Joel Wyatt knew what he was getting into when he transferred from Webb School-Bell Buckle to Oakland during the summer.
Deep playoff runs.
However, the expectations haven’t tempered what Wyatt is experiencing as his Patriots have reached the TSSAA football Class 6A state quarterfinals for the 13th consecutive season. Oakland (12-0) defeated Bradley Central 35-10 on Nov. 14 to reach the quarters, where it will play host to Green Hill (10-2), a 35-28 winner against Science Hill on Nov. 21.
Stream TSSAA football playoff games live on NFHS Network
“Man, it feels great,” said Wyatt, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound wide receiver/defensive back who committed to the Vols in July. He is a four-star athlete, ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. 2 player in Tennessee and No. 5 nationally in the 2026 class. “I never got the chance to do it (at Webb). It just feels amazing to be here.”
Webb School reached the playoffs once during Wyatt’s time there, last season when the Feet lost in the first round. The school didn’t field a team this season due to low numbers, announcing the decision right after Wyatt transferred to Oakland.
While Wyatt is listed as an athlete and he was being recruited by Tennessee as a wide receiver, he has opened eyes with his play in the secondary for the Patriots.
The Tennessee Titans 6A Mr. Football semifinalist had an interception against Bradley Central and now has 55 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, two caused fumbles, a fumble recovery returned for a TD, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and a punt return for a TD.
Ole Miss commitment and fellow Mr. Football semifinalist Craig Tutt, a senior with the Patriots, made Wyatt’s transition to Oakland go a lot smoother this season.
“He’s been helping me with some calls, just in practice too,” said Wyatt, who said he plans to take game visits to Tennessee on Nov. 15 vs. New Mexico State and Nov. 29 vs. Vanderbilt. “We go out there all the time and get together. We’re still working to be great.”
Tutt welcomed the chance to help mentor Wyatt in learning the defense this season.
“He’s improved as a player, as a person, as a human being … he’s improved a lot,” Tutt said. “I’m glad I was part of that journey to help him along the way.”
Staying healthy is key for Oakland’s highly touted secondary
A secondary that’s carried a lot of hype this season but has been banged up at times, keeping the quartet of Wyatt, Tutt, Justis Haggard and Kyrie Gainor, who all started vs. Bradley Central, healthy will be important the rest of the playoffs, particularly versus a potent Green Hill passing attack led by QB Kannon Burroughs.
“It just feels good to have them all out there at the same time,” Oakland coach Kevin Creasy said. “But throughout the postseason, everybody deals with this. It’s just the rigor of going through tough opponents time after time. So, yeah, we’ve got some bumps and bruises. Hopefully we can get everybody back healthy.”
Four different Oakland players scored rushing touchdowns in cruising to a 28-3 halftime lead. Tutt had two TDs to go with 64 yards on the ground while Kamani Bass had a team-high 112 yards and a TD.
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Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
