With spring work done, football Mocs get break
Another early start to spring practices allowed the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team another early finish to that portion of the offseason, with Friday night’s showcase at Finley Stadium the 15th and final session for the Mocs.
Sixth-year head coach Rusty Wright and his staff used a combination of drills and live plays while dealing with wet conditions.
“I thought the kids handled the rain well,” Wright said in a UTC release. “I thought we got something out of it. We had to treat it more like a practice and were able to get some situational stuff in. We may have to play in the rain sometime next fall, so you have to get it figured out.”
Spring break is underway for UTC students, and football players will also have time off before returning to the weight room the following week, another step in getting ready for the 2024 season that opens Aug. 31 at Tennessee.
Here are five things that stood out for the Mocs this spring.
1. OL needs a LOT of work
Attrition took its toll up front after last season, with 11 offensive linemen moving on. That number includes two guys who graduated: Jeremiah Katt, who started all seven games he played in last season, has moved closer to home by transferring to Northern Arizona for his final season, while Griffin McDowell — who came to UTC last year after five seasons at Florida — started all four games in which he appeared. Two others who departed, Nick Cerimele and Malone VanGorder, started seven games apiece in 2022 and another, Colin Truett, had 26 career starts.
There’s plenty of help on the way with five signees, including two already on campus — former Red Bank standout and Charlotte transfer B.J. Ragland and freshman Devin Lively — but injuries ravaging the current group have cast a spotlight on the need for more help, likely from the transfer portal.
2. No QB questions
It’s been a while since UTC went into a season with no major questions about the most important position on the field, probably since 2019 when Nick Tiano returned, but the Mocs are in good shape at quarterback again this year.
UCLA transfer Chase Artopoeus thrived as he started the first 10 games before a shoulder injury — he didn’t take part in spring practices as he continues his recovery ahead of his sixth season — and Luke Schomburg, a redshirt freshman with little experience at the time, handled taking over behind center just fine. He started the final three games and helped lead the Mocs to a win at Austin Peay in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Stability here should pay off elsewhere, too, with Wright noting in UTC’s release that the Mocs “got really physical compared to the last couple of springs. This was the first time in a couple of years we didn’t have to worry about trying to find a quarterback, so we went back to some old-school things. I think they responded well to it. I loved the way they worked.”
3. RB depth is fine
The Mocs seemed to be in good shape at running back last season, but that was largely because veterans Ailym Ford and Gino Appleberry returned as seniors. Ford got hurt, though, elevating Appleberry and paving the way for the emergence of Reggie Davis as a backup who responded with 99 yards in the Austin Peay win. Now a redshirt junior, Davis appears primed to be the lead back, and Justus “Blaze” Durant, a transfer from Division II program Shorter, has also impressed. Senior Lance Jackson and sophomore Malachi Jeffries will provide a hard-running style reminiscent of Ford and Appleberry, but Davis and Durant bring breakaway ability.
4. Edge will be different
It’s impossible to lose two guys the caliber of two-time Southern Conference defensive player of the year Jay Person and two-time All-SoCon firstteam edge rusher Ben Brewton and think the team will be better on that side of the ball. Person and Brewton combined for 49.5 career sacks in their career and rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in program history. But while their production may not be replaced, at least right away, someone must replace them at their positions this fall.
The Mocs have a number of options available, likely led by Marquise Freeman, in his third year in the program after starting his career at Washington State. Chris Victor, in his second year at UTC after playing at Mississippi Valley State, is another possibility. The most intriguing candidate might be Joseph Bakhole, who just transferred from Louisiana-Monroe.
5. No Mayes, no problem?
The biggest transfer loss for the Mocs was receiver Jamoi Mayes, who topped 1,000 yards and scored four touchdowns last season but has moved on to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. But juniors Sam Phillips and Javin Whatley have received All-SoCon recognition during their careers, and senior Zaire Thornton — who produced in a reserve role last year — and sophomore A.J. Little have performed well. The Mocs also added Chris Domercant, a transfer from fellow FCS program Stonehill who has size and has shown some playmaking ability, and the combination of returning experience and potential talent should provide plenty of targets.