Continual progress has Jerrell Lawson starting for Mocs

One day, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coaching staff finally said concerning Jerrell Lawson, “What are we doing?”

The redshirt freshman and former three-star prospect had continually given the defensive coaches a reason to play the 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety from Brundidge, Ala. He went from a potential project at the start of preseason camp to the point where his daily improvement in practice and games has made it impossible to not play him.

Entering Saturday’s game against Western Carolina, Lawson is a starter in all defensive packages.

“Jerrell’s been incredible,” UTC coach Tom Arth said this week. “Going through camp, he got better — tangibly better — every single day. You could look at film and see that every correction we were making, you could see him putting that into play the next day.

“Against Jacksonville State, he had a couple reps here and there, but those reps were awesome. We increased it and they were all still really good. Finally we realized this guy just needs to be out there more, and he continues to show he can be successful and do what he’s coached to do, and he can go out there and make plays.”

Lawson had eight tackles through three games, starting the last two. It also helps that he has a four-year starter, Lucas Webb, starting alongside him.

“Jerrell’s an extremely smart guy,” Webb said. “The way he understands the defense, wants to get better. He’s focused in, locked in, and that helps. You can see in the past year the way he’s grown and developed with his skills.

“Coming into camp, I just focused on getting better each and every day. It’s a blessed opportunity to come out here, play a game you love, and to be out here with great guys just makes it that much better.” – JERRELL LAWSON

“You can tell that he’s developed by the way he’s playing.”

Lawson’s ascension caught a lot of people off guard. In a talented secondary that included three returning starters and a transfer (Kareem Orr) with two years of starting experience at Arizona State, he could have just bided his time and focused on next year, when Webb will be gone. He didn’t, though, and the coaching staff rewarded him by practicing what they’ve preached since their arrival at the beginning of the year: If you’re good enough, we’ll find a reason to play you.

“I just go hard,” he said. “Coming into camp, I just focused on getting better each and every day. It’s a blessed opportunity to come out here, play a game you love, and to be out here with great guys just makes it that much better.”

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.