By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
TJ Grider from Evangel Christian has bounced into focus as a player to watch this fall.
Grider is a newcomer to the Eagles’ football program, best known as a basketball standout, and has a chance to become one of the best in his role in Louisiana high school football before the season is over.
He is a pass rusher, an outside linebacker/defensive end for Evangel. Grider stands 6-3 and weighs 235 pounds with legit 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash. He already had offers from Centenary and Ouachita Baptist before even playing in a varsity football game for Evangel Christian.
Here’s another attribute: he owns a 3.9 GPA.
“TJ is a freakish athlete. This is the strongest basketball player I’ve ever come across at the high school level, said Fabian Carter, head strength coach and assistant head football coach for Evangel.
“The spring of 2024 was his first time coming out to football and athletically he was farther ahead than I thought. He is strong and quick,” said Carter. “There could be some improvement in his football workout agility but that is understandable for a guy who sat out of football almost his entire high school career. With his speed and quickness, TJ will live in the offensive backfield in 2024.”
Grider is the ultimate diamond in the rough as far as Class of 2025 football recruiting is concerned. He is a raw talent in the sport, very teachable and a quick study, and has the respect of his Eagles’ coaches.
Defensive coordinator Josh Alexander said all the X-factors point toward Grider becoming a rising prospect as the season goes on.
“First of all he is a great kid, as good an individual as he can be as a football player,” said Alexander. “The thing about TJ is that he is still learning how to play the game so he is only going to get better. He has tremendous upside when you talk about athletic ability.
“He actually did some things in the spring that reminded me and our defensive line coach of one of the best to pull on shoulder pads here, Gabe Reliford, who is now at LSU as a freshman. Gabe played for us in 2023 and was awesome.
“TJ just doesn’t have the experience yet but will only get better,” said Alexander. “The sky is the limit for him.”
Evangel has moved up to Class 5A and is in the tough 1-5A district. The Eagles have scheduled aggressively in recent years to prepare for the postseason – this year they opened with a slugfest at home against Neville, and they begin an eight-game district schedule this Friday at Natchitoches Central.
The Chiefs play their home games at Turpin Stadium, homefield of the Northwestern Demons. I wouldn’t be surprised if by season’s end, Grider is getting some long looks not only from coach Blaine McCorkle and the Demons, but other Division I FCS programs and maybe even all of the programs in north Louisiana. He’s an intriguing prospect with incredible upside.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
Lee Brecheen has been covering high school football and recruiting in Louisiana since the early ‘90s. He is owner of Louisiana Football Magazine and can be followed on X @LeeBrecheen. He hosts a YouTube show, The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen. Previews of all state high schools are available on lafootballmagazine.com.