Farragut football dealing with roster attrition
For the Farragut football program, the past few days of Christmas break have not been as cozy as the Admirals might have liked.
On Dec. 23, starting quarterback Corbin Hobson announced that he will be transferring to Grace Christian for his senior season.
Four days later, sophomore defensive back Donovan Lloyd posted that he will be continuing his career at Christian Academy of Knoxville.
Hobson’s news makes a more immediate impact for Farragut, as the two-year starter leaves a noticeable gap for the Admirals under center. Now, he will be joining a Grace team that went 9-3 with a Division II-AA quarterfinal appearance last season.
A 2025 All-Region pick, Hobson threw for 1,710 yards and 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions as a junior. He also ran for three more scores, utilizing his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame to lead the Admirals in their second-straight playoff berth under head coach Geoff Courtney.
Meanwhile, Lloyd finished the year with 12 total tackles on defense with one for loss. He has picked up one Division I offer from Louisiana Tech and did not allow a touchdown in coverage for the Admirals’ back end in 2025.
While Courtney did not go in-depth on the reasoning behind each player’s decision, he did note that the transfers from his program and others across the high school level have followed the same arc as the transfer portal at the college level.
“We’re in the midst of a transition with the direction that college football has taken, and high school football has followed suit,” he told the farragutpress on Dec. 29. “You’re in a time where kids have a lot of options, a lot of things to consider, and everyone is looking for the best fit for them and you have to be prepared for that and build the standard of your program to support young people and help them make decisions to benefit them in the long run.”
That has been especially prevalent lately, as the TSSAA enacted the one-time transfer rule on July 14, 2025. It was later modified so that students can transfer once for “significant academic, social-emotional, environmental or mental health reasons.”
Also, the previous school must confirm the transfer is not for athletic or disciplinary reasons.
With these new guidelines in place, Courtney noted that these in-county moves are just a couple among several that have and will continue to take place across the state.
“You’re probably going to see more kids transfer in and out, especially here in Knox County, than ever before,” he said. “There are parts of it where everybody is circumstantial, so I’m not against transfers or kids finding the best opportunity. I just think this opens the door to more recruitment going on year to year for kids of all ages.”
