Lawson’s versatility valuable on defense
Tavon Lawson is the perfect type of player for first-year University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Tom Arth’s preferred style of play. A versatile one.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound redshirt junior has toggled back and forth between safety and linebacker this preseason, and he could very well transition to the latter by the time the season kicks off Aug. 26 against Jacksonville State.
Lawson injured a hamstring early last season and missed the final 11 games. He had been working some at linebacker under the previous coaching staff, but he was slotted back at dime by the time the season began. Then came the injury during the game against Presbyterian College last September, and the season was over for the 2014 All-Southern Conference freshman team member.
Now healthy and in the mix, Lawson is happy to be back.
“I really had to set my focus to getting back to play,” he said after Wednesday’s practice. “Spring was the first time I was in the groove of things, and I was still a little hesitant with the hamstring, but the offseason helped me realize I was in better shape — I’m stronger, faster, and my techniques are better — and I’ve been zoning in on the little things that’ll make me a good football player.”
He’s the second player to make such a transition from defensive back to linebacker since Arth replaced former coach Russ Huesman last December. Tae Davis made the move in the spring. Arth likes players who can do a lot of things on the field, and with both Davis and Lawson having the ability to provide man-to-man pass coverage, that only increases their chances to contribute.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” defensive coordinator Tom Kaufman said of Lawson. “He brings value to us because he can play either position, he takes coaching extremely well and he’s a smart football player. He can handle a large workload, and he wants to be a really good player.”
Coaches had already talked to Lawson about the possibility of moving to linebacker, so the change wasn’t a surprise. With the depth the team has built at safety, he became more valuable by making the move.
Entering the last days of preseason practices, Lawson said he’s just focused on doing whatever he can to put himself in position to play for the Mocs, wherever it may be.
“I just want to improve on the small things, because they’re much greater than the bigger goals,” Lawson said. “I’m honed in on my linebacker footwork because things move faster in the box than on the back end.
“I’m just trying to compete every day out here.”
Kentucky game moved
The Mocs’ game against Kentucky that was set for next season has been rescheduled for Nov. 20, 2021.
UTC replaced the Kentucky matchup with a game at South Carolina next season. The Mocs will also face Tennessee in 2019 and Western Kentucky in 2020.
Contact Gene Henley at ghen ley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.