Brody Sparks joins Tennessee football commit Malik Howard to chase TSSAA title
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Brody Sparks wanted better looks from college coaches and a real shot at a championship. He decided Oak Ridge could give him both, so he left Carter behind for his senior season.
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Sparks, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback, completed 65% of his passes for 2,029 yards and 16 touchdowns in nine games as a junior at Carter, adding five more TDs on the ground. Now he steps into a new offense at Oak Ridge, throwing to four-star Tennessee commit Malik Howard, the No. 11 tight end in the country and No. 9 player in the state, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Why Sparks chose Oak Ridge
"It's the looks I would get from different colleges, the better looks I would get, and the athletes we have here," Sparks said during the KFOA high school football media day at Three Ridges Golf Course on July 10. "We have the athletes to compete for a championship. That's what I want."
The offense itself is a new look for Sparks. At Carter, he operated mostly from inside the pocket. Oak Ridge is giving him more opportunities to create in space. Oak Ridge coach Derek Rang said the shift plays to his new quarterback's strengths.
"He's got a lot of arm talent," Rang said. "He can really move. He's a bigger kid, but he can make plays outside the pocket, off schedule throws. And he can also run the football."
Building a connection with Tennessee football commit Malik Howard
The bond with Howard started in January, months before either knew exactly how special this season could be. The two began throwing once or twice a week ahead of spring practice and haven't stopped, working out together outside of practice and grabbing meals together when the day's work is done.
"Malik and I are really close," Sparks said.
That trust shows up in the way Sparks throws it his way, no matter how Howard is being covered. At the Knoxville Classic 7-on-7 July 9 against Powell, Sparks lobbed a pass toward the back of the end zone with three Powell defenders around Howard. He came down with it anyway, one handed.
Sparks agreed that it's about as close to a quarterback's dream as it gets.
"I have a guy, no matter what," Sparks said. "It doesn't matter who's on him, he's going to get it."
Recruitment journey and the chip on his shoulder
Sparks holds an offer from UT Martin, which came after his performance in a spring scrimmage, and said he has interest from other programs, though he isn't letting the recruitment process consume him.
"They'll come," Sparks said. "I've just got to do what I do."
Oak Ridge went 9-2 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs, and Sparks feels the weight of trying to get the Wildcats further. He feels it from Carter too. Sparks called last season "okay," one the Hornets (6-5) could have made more of.
"Coming to Oak Ridge, I think the standards are a little higher," Sparks said. "The bar is set pretty high."
Rang said recruiting has slowed down some this cycle, which makes Sparks' senior film even more important, and he likes what he's seen off the field as much as on it.
"He's a great kid, a good student," Rang said. "A lot of that stuff translates to on the field. When you do the right things off the field, your habits take over on the field."
Malik Howard flashes at 7-on-7
Howard is coming off an 11-game junior season with 53 catches for 778 yards and 11 touchdowns, numbers that helped push Oak Ridge to that 9-2 record. He committed to Tennessee June 5 after fielding offers from more than 30 programs, choosing the Vols over schools like Alabama, LSU, Miami and Oregon. He said locking that decision in has freed him up this summer.
"It's been the easiest offseason of my life," Howard said July 9. "I haven't had to worry about anything but me and my team."
Howard put together several highlight grabs at the Knoxville Classic, none bigger than a one-handed touchdown catch over three Powell defenders on a throw from Sparks. He credited work he puts in away from the field, including sessions with his father, for the incredible plays that look effortless.
The chemistry with his new quarterback is still building, but Howard already senses what it could turn into this fall.
"We're getting a lot of work in outside of practice," Howard said. "It's going to be explosive during the season, for sure."
Sparks echoed the word himself, emphasizing that Howard isn't his only weapon.
"I think we have one of the best receiving corps in the area," Sparks said. "Maybe the state. We can make any play at any time."
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Brody Sparks joins Tennessee football commit Malik Howard to chase TSSAA title