JACKSON, Tenn. — It’s Christmas, the time of the year when travel gets busier as people move to and from their holiday destinations.

Christmas is underway and the holiday travel is in full affect across the region.

Here in West Tennessee, many are traveling for the holidays. A report from the Automobile Association predicted that more than 119 million Americans have at least 50 miles to travel for end of the year holidays. One traveler tells what their Christmas experience means to them.

“For me it was getting to be with family. I have sisters and stuff that I went to visit. One of them invited us up for dinner so, even though it’s a two-and-a-half hour drive, it’s always good to see family,” said Andrew Knox, traveler.

Knox says the Christmas menu did not disappoint this year.

“We had greens, macaroni and cheese, stuffed shells, dressing, ham, chicken wings — BBQ and plain, it was off the chain,” said Knox.

We asked about their end of the year reflections and what they expect for the new year.

“Grateful to have my wife with me of 17 years, my best friend and stuff, so I’m grateful that everybody is doing well. The family is doing well and that’s the main thing. Just so much to be thankful for and I just want everybody to be kind to each other. That’s all I would hope for the new year coming,” said Knox.

More than half of holiday travelers will return home on the same night. Airlines expect their busiest days to be on friday and Sunday, December 27 and December 29.

“We drove up this morning and we’re on our way back home now,” said Knox.

If your looking for last minute holiday attractions, see our 2024 Guide to the Holidays in West Tennessee.

For more news in the Jackson area, click here.

Ensworth defensive back Justin Hopkins included Tennessee football among his final 12 schools in a social media post Wednesday.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound four-star cornerback listed the Vols along with Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Duke, Missouri, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Iowa, Ole Miss, Auburn and West Virginia on his X account, formerly known as Twitter.

He’s the No. 9-ranked prospect in Tennessee and No. 18 nationally at corner for the class of 2026, according to 247Sports Composite.

Hopkins also holds offers from Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Purdue, Toledo, UNLV and Western Kentucky.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel guided the Vols to a College Football Playoff berth as one of the 12 teams in the newly expanded field. Heupel has had success securing some of the state’s top recruits in recent years, including Brentwood Academy quarterback George MacIntyre, Hopkins’ teammate, defensive tackle, Ethan Utley as well as Baylor wide receiver Joakim Dodson, Jefferson County offensive lineman Nic Moore and Sheffield wideout Radarious Jackson.

Hopkins helped guide Ensworth to an 11-1 record that included a trip to the TSSAA Division II-AAA state semifinal game. He finished the 2024 season with 42 receptions for 705 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensively, he added 16 tackles, two for a loss, seven pass break-ups, two interceptions and a defensive TD.

Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports. 

The Tennessee Titans need to find an answer at quarterback, as it’s looking more and more like Will Levis is not the answer for the future.

Yes, Levis played some solid football for a stretch this season, but he was recently benched in favor of Mason Rudolph, perhaps sealing his fate.

So, what will the Titans do under center?

The clearest path to landing a franchise quarterback would be drafting one, but Tennessee may not be in a position to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward in April. Could that means the Titans may explore a trade?

Justin Melo of Titan Sized thinks so and feels that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning could be an option for Tennessee during the offseason, noting that Titans head coach Brian Callahan served as Browning’s offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.

“Browning showcased the ability to execute the Zac Taylor and Callahan offense,” Melo wrote. “[Joe] Burrow’s backup is under contract for next season, but the Titans shouldn’t have too much difficulty working out trade compensation should they decide to travel that route. If Carthon and Callahan prefer to avoid making a lucrative investment, Browning would make some sense.”

With Burrow having the quarterback position locked down for the Bengals, Browning won’t get an opportunity to start in Cincinnati, barring an injury.

Remember: last year, Browning replaced an injured Burrow midseason and was very impressive, throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 70.4 percent of his passes and posting a 98.4 passer rating over nine appearances and seven starts.

The 28-year-old played his collegiate football at Washington and went undrafted, but he eventually made his way to the Bengals’ practice squad in 2021.

Browning has clear talent and should be able to start somewhere, and Tennessee could represent a perfect destination for the Folsom, Ca. native.

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