Secondary may lead Mocs from the back
The Times Free Press is taking a daily positional look at the 2017 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team, leading up to the first practice Monday. Today we look at the defensive backs:
TALENT COMING BACK
The secondary is easily the most experienced returning unit on the team. Free safety Lucas Webb has started all 40 games of his UTC career and is the all-time leader in interception return yards with 231 (and three touchdowns), while ranking sixth all-time in school history with 10 interceptions. Cornerback Trevor Wright has 32 starts and is a preseason All-Southern Conference second-team selection, while junior C.J. Fritz started all 13 games at the other cornerback spot last year. After an injury-plagued season, Tavon Lawson is back as a safety after having spent time at both dime and linebacker during his career. Jordan Jones, a walk-on sophomore, earned playing time and had some good moments last season, while sophomore safety K.J. Roper mainly played special teams but registered an interception in the season opener against Shorter.
TALENT COMING IN
Coaches took the talent already returning to the secondary, then upgraded it substantially. Arizona State transfer Kareem Orr, who played at Notre Dame High School, is back home and will have two years remaining. He was a Football Bowl Subdivision Freshman All-American in 2015. Nevada transfer Cameron Turner, who played with Lawson at Munford High School in Alabama, will have three years to play. The Mocs also signed five freshmen to go with three other freshmen — Cortez Davis, Rashun Freeman and Jerrell Lawson — who redshirted last season.
STRENGTHS
Defensive backs coach Jonathan Cooley said during spring practice that he liked long, athletic players in the secondary, and that appears to be something the Mocs will have when practice begins Monday. Webb is a legitimate All-America candidate and the leader of not just the defense but quite possibly the team as its most experienced returning player. In Fritz and Wright, UTC will have two players with a combined 47 career starts and five interceptions, not to mention the skill level they’ve added just in Orr and Turner alone, players with college experience who will immediately push for playing time.
WEAKNESSES
If there is one, it’s just in the adjustment to Cooley’s aggressive press coverage that could take some time to get used to. But it’s a technique Fritz used almost exclusively last season and Wright used some as well, so even that shouldn’t be too much of a change.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.