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The Mocs returned to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2016 last fall and made a little bit of history in the process, as the 24-21 triumph over Austin Peay on the road in Clarksville marked the first time the program had won a road playoff game in school history. It took a 35-yard field goal from Clayton Crile as time expired, as the Mocs were able to move on in the FCS playoffs to the second round. In the second round of the postseason, the Mocs traveled to Greenville, S.C., where they would face league champion Furman and the Paladins put an end to the campaign for UTC, posting a 26-7 win.
It’s a venue that has hosted FCS national title games and even key playoff games for Chattanooga over the year, and the Mocs hope that will again be the case in 2024.
Chattanooga moved into Finley Stadium/Davenport Field in the 1997 season after Chattanooga had played over 100 years in its previous home facility, which was known as Chamberlain Field. At the time, it was the second-oldest facility in operation in the nation and the final game it hosted came against VMI in 1996.
On Oct. 18, 1997, the Mocs played their first football game inside their new friendly surroundings before a sellout crowd of 22,646, as Chattanooga defeated in-state rival Tennessee State, 28-7. The 2024 season will mark the 28th season of operation for the better than 20,000-seat facility.
When Chattanooga entered the 2023 season, few outside of the Mocs team and coaching staff knew what to expect. However, three months later, after a 26-7 loss to conference rival and league champion Furman in the second round of the playoffs, many were ready to admit that head coach Rusty Wright had made the right call by recruiting former UCLA quarterback Chase Artopoeus.
Artopoeus proved to the final and vital piece to the puzzle that the Mocs had needed to be a viable league title contender, as well as a playoff qualifier. It is with some irony, then, that the Mocs had to figure out a way to win their first playoff game since 2016 without the man that played a large role in seeing their return to the postseason–Chase Artopoeus. He had suffered a torn labrum in the SoCon season finale and de facto SoCon championship game against Furman, which the Paladins claimed in dramatic fashion, 17-14, utilizing a game-winning drive from their backup signal-caller late in the game.
The Mocs would start Luke Schomburg in the final three games of the regular-season, with Artopoues having suffered that aforementioned season-ending injury. Schomburg would be given the unenviable task of leading the Mocs out against No. 6 Alabama, and Schomburg didn’t look bad all things considered. In the opening round of the FCS playoffs, he was able to help the Mocs to come up with their first-ever road playoff win at Austin Peay.
While Wright might have had his seat warming a bit prior to the 2023 season, it now seems to be notably cooler heading into the 2024 campaign with the performance last season. Many of the questions about the Mocs and what kind of team they would field last fall weren’t answered immediately, however, as the season opener, which was a shocking 41-27 loss at a North Alabama team that had gone 1-10 in 2022 only seemed to raise further questions.
The offense wasn’t the issue, as the Mocs rolled up 488 yards. The primary concern was the defense, which uncharacteristically gave up 517 yards of total offense.
Lorenzo Ward’s defense, however, eventually found its rhythm, finishing ranked fourth in the league in total defense (355.5 YPG), second in total sacks (36.0), second in tackles-for-loss (74.0), and fourth in scoring defense (24.5 PPG). Despite the improvement, the Mocs were still involved in some high-scoring games, none more notable than a mid-season classic against Western Carolina, which ended in a 52-51 loss to the Catamounts.
The Mocs redeemed their 2023 season by going on the road and getting a 22-10 win at Mercer helped revive some of their mojo for a strong stretch run towards the postseason. The Mocs weren’t derailed by a 17-14 loss in their final Southern Conference game of the season vs. Furman with a game that ultimately decided the regular-season Southern Conference title.
In a sense, the regular-season loss to Furman showed just how far the program had come within just the 2023 season from beginning to end, and the team had improved on both sides of the ball as much as any in the league from where they were to start the season in comparison to where the team was when it ultimately ended.
The major difference for the Mocs entering the 2023 season as opposed to the previous third was they weren’t the prohibitive favorites to win the league in the preseason, and that wasn’t a role the team handled well in any of those three seasons.
With another talented and experienced crop of players returning for the 2024 season, conventional wisdom tells us that when the SoCon media convenes at The Hotel Hartness in Greenville, S.C., in late July, it will have the Mocs atop the league as the preseason favorite. How the 2024 team handles that “favorites” tag is anyone’s guess.
While the Mocs will be talented on both sides of the football in the 2024 season, it’s not a team that will enter the season without its own set of questions.
Particularly at running back, as the first time since the 2019, the Mocs don’t have an accomplished running back to look to, as both Ailym Ford and Gino Appleberry have moved on. That running back tandem left a legacy and set a pretty high bar for the whoever finds himself in the starting role this fall.
The good news is the Mocs return three starters are back and four have starting experience. It was a major question mark for the Mocs heading into the 2023 season, with essentially a brand new starting front. The Mocs acquitted themselves well in the passing game, however, surprisingly struggled at times in run blocking and to establish the run in the trenches as they had in previous seasons under coach Rusty Wright.
Under Wright, the offensive line position as much as any has been one that the Mocs have continued to churn out high-level talent, and has been a unit that has been among the most physical in the Southern Conference.
The tradition at the position has seen the Mocs produce pro players each of the past three seasons, starting with a first round selection in 2021, when Cole Strange became the highest drafted player from the Southern Conference since 1970 when he was selected by the New England Patriots.
Ever since Russ Huesman returned the defensive mentality and toughness to the Mocs football program 15 years ago, which it had seemingly had from the late 1970s all the way until the mid-1990s, but then fell on some hard times in the early part of the millennium, the Mocs have traditionally not only had one of the best defensive units in the Southern Conference, but more often than not has ranked in the top third of FCS football with each passing season.
In 2004, things reached a low point on the defensive side of the football, as Chattanooga surrendered a whopping 48.1 PPG.
In one season, a drastic change occurred on the defensive side of the football, which would see the Mocs go from surrendering 442.5 YPG and 37.9 PPG in Rodney Allison’s final season at the helm in 2008 to surrendering just 307.5 YPG and 25.7 PPG in Huesman’s first season at the helm. Only twice over the past 15 years has Chattanooga surrendered over 30 PPG in a season, which came in both 2009 and 2019.
Like the running game, however, there were times that the Mocs struggled giving up the big play last season, as well as giving up more yardage than usual last season, but the Mocs once again had one of the best pass rushes in the Southern Conference, finishing second in the league in quarterback takedowns, racking up 36 quarterback takedowns last season, which was also one of the top single-season sacks totals in program history.
To the point of having one of the top pass-rushes in the Southern Conference last season, one of the biggest questions on the defensive side of the ball for the Mocs heading into the 2024 season will be how do you replace a player like edge rusher Jay Person. Person was the SoCon’s Defensive Player of the Year last fall, finishing the season with a team-leading 17 tackles-for-loss and 9.5 sacks.
Person was the Mocs’ top edge rusher last season. Person was a two-time winner of the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award, having also claimed the SoCon’s highest defensive individual honor for his efforts during the 2022 campaign.
Not only is he gone from the defensive front, but also Ben Brewton, who was another key cog in the front seven for the Mocs the past four seasons, and like Person, was an all-conference performer.
The secondary also was hit hard by graduation, losing the likes of Kam Brown, and Telly Plummer at both cornerback spots, however, the good news is the Mocs welcome the return of both Jordan Walker and Josh Battle return at the two safety positions.
Alex Mitchell highlights the returnees at linebacker, as he finished as an all-conference performer and ended up leading the team in tackles last season.
While the Mocs lose ends Brewton and Person, they should be in good shape on the interior along the defensive line heading into the 2024 campaign, returning both defensive tackles Quay Wiggles and Marlon Taylor to the fold.
The one major change on the defensive side off the field will be at defensive coordinator, where Lorenzo Ward left the position vacant just after the season, as he took a position as a special assistant to the head coach at Clemson in May.
Ward was widely regarded as one of the top defensive coordinators in FCS football since taking over the position in the Scenic City back in 2019. Set toi fill that role in 2024 for Chattanooga is Mike Yeager, who was promoted from the current staff where he was UTC’s linebackers coach.
Head coach Rusty Wright told me he liked the response of his team after the regular-season finale loss at Western Carolina back in 2022, and that it had fueled the hunger and desire his team entered the 2023 season with.
A large group of those same performers are back from that same team that tasted that defeat in Cullowhee in 2022 and helped carry this program back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 last season and even winning the first road playoff game in Mocs history. Now it will be about taking that next step, and the first motivation will be helping the Mocs capture their first Southern Conference title in nine years.
There were plenty of unknowns about the Chattanooga offense entering the 2023 sseason, and most all those unknowns centered around the quarterback and offensive line.Those questions about the quarterback position were answered by the end of non-conference play. The Mocs offensive line was hot and cold throughout the season.
The Mocs were different offensively last season than in previous seasons, and that had a lot to do with the quarterbacks that were around leading the team. The aforementioned Chase Artopoeus (187-of-298 passing, 2,672 yds, 20 TDs, 7 INTs, 62.8% passing) was a big part of that, and later on in the season, Luke Schomburg (43-of-82 passing, 517 yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) would also show his quality in the final game of the regular-season, as well as in the playoffs after Artpoues went down with a season-ending injury.
Quarterback was actually thought to be a thin position coming into the season, however, despite only having three quarterbacks on scholarship, the quaity of the quarterbacks stable showed up for UTC in a big way.
It was the ability of both Artopoues and Schomburg that, in a big way, played a part in what was such a successful, breaktrhough type season for the Mocs in 2023. The two strong-armed quarterbacks finished the 2023 season combining to pass for 3,189 yards last season, which was the third-best season-ending total in program history. Only the 2000 (3,730 yds) and 1999 (3,591 yds) were higher combined passing totals within a single season.
The leader back in that day was one of the greatest passers in the history of Mocs football, as 2010 Mocs Hall-of-Fame inductee, who originally transferred in to the Mocs football program from SMU, thrived in the Donnie Kirkpatrick no-huddle offense.
Artopoues’ 2,672 passing yards last season ranked eighth in a single-season in Mocs football history, and his 20 touchdown passes thrown last fall ranked tied for sixth in program history with Cedric Stevens back in 2004.
He had his best performance of the season in what was a wild, 52-50, loss to Western Carolina at Finley Stadium. In that contest, Artopoeus connected on 29-of-45 passes for 399 yards, with five touchdowns and two INTs.
Schomburg’s first start came following Artopoues’ injury against Furman in the regular-season meeting between the two, which the Mocs lost 17-14. He would be rewarded by getting his first start of his career in the regular-season finale against FBS national title contender and sixth-ranked Alabama. Schomburg, however, wouldn’t fair too badly, as he finished the contest by connecting on 10-pf-21 passes for 121 yards, with one INT.
In the opening round of the FCS playoffs at Austin Peay, Schomburg would end up completing 21-of-36 passes for 259 yards, with one touchdown and one INT.
The third quarterback in the pecking order heading into fall camp 2024 is redshirt freshman Matthew Clemmer (0-of-2, 1 INT), who briefly logged some action in Chattanooga’s second-round playoff game after Schomburg left with an injury. Clemmer is part of the future for the Mocs, and the native of Maryville, TN., is a prototypical drop-back passer, and has good size, at 6-5, 217 lbs, to go with a strong arm.
If it’s a good offensive line that makes talented running backs look even Mocs, and Chattanooga will enter the 2024 season with arguably the top crop of receivers in the SoCon entering the campaign
The Mocs will not only have talent at wide receiver entering the 2024 season, but also experience, and that can be said of the Mocs corps even with the talented players Chattanooga lost to the transfer portal, with the most notable being Jamoi Mayes, who ended up transferring out to UAB at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign. Mayes finished out the campaign by hauling in 62 passes for 1,037 yards and four TDs, averaging 16.7 yards-per-reception.
The good news for Mocs fans is that plenty of talent does, in fact, return at the receiver position heading into the 2024 season, as two of the top pass-catchers return to the fold for the upcoming season, and both are all-conference caliber wide receivers that compliment each other with their receiving skills.
Redshirt junior Sam Phillips (60 rec, 624 yds, 4 TDs, 10.4 YPR) acts as more of the possession-type, across-the-middle type wideout, while classmate Javin Whatley (55 rec, 977 yds, 9 TDs, 17.8 YPR) gives UTC a legit deep threat at the other spot. Together, the tandem combined for 115 catches for 1,591 yards and 13 scores last season.
Combined with Mayes in 2023, Phillips and Whatley comprised a talented trio that were the first to finish a season with 600 or more yards receiving each in the same season since 2004, when Alonzo Nix (819 yds), Tyrus Ward (660 yds) and Emmanuel Hassell (647 yds), and was UTCs most-productive season at wideout since 2000, when Richmond Flowers (86 rec, 1,035 yds), Cos DeMatteo (75 rec, 971 yds) and Ronnie Strickland (51 rec, 767 yds) highlighted the Mocs’ receiving threats.
In 24-career games and starts for the Mocs, PhIllips has hauled in 104 passes for 1,285 yards and six scores. His 60 receptions ranked second on the team last season, while his four receiving scores also ranked tied for second on the team.
Whatley has 17-career starts in 22-career games for Chattanooga, having hauled in 84 passes for 1,428 yards and 12 TDs. The 2023 season would see Whatley selected as a second-team all-conference pick and he turned in one of the premier performances in a Mocs uniform when he posted 353 all-purpose yards in the 52-50 home loss to Western Carolina. His 11-catches for 231 yards and four scores were tied for second in receiving TDs (Terrell Owens 4 vs. Marshall in 1994) and fifth in total receiving yards in a single game by a UTC wideout.
While Mayes will certainly be missed, with Phillips and Whatley returning, as well as the emergence of others like Jaden Jude, Brody Swafford (1 rec, 13 yds), and Zaire Thornton (7 rec, 65 yds), gives the Mocs a receiving group as talented as not only anyone in the SoCon, but also one of the more elite units of wideouts in all of FCS football.
Another player that could contribute to the receiving corps this fall for the Mocs is Chris Houston, who makes the move from running back to wide receiver. Houston saw limited playing time back in 2022 at running back after transferring in from Charlotte a couple of years ago. He gives the Mocs another speedy, athletic option at wideout.
Traditionally, the Mocs have always had good tight end play, and that’s been particularly true under the direction of head coach Rusty Wright. This season, the Mocs will have one of the most experienced players on either side of the ball leading the tight ends room, with the return of Jay Gibson (6 rec, 81 yds, 13.5 YPR) for a sixth year.
Gibson, who transferred into the Chattanooga program from Western Kentucky in 2019, has enjoyed a nice career wearing the Mocs Blue and Gold. The 6-5, 255-lb native of Cleveland, TN, has seen action in 29 games during his five previous seasons with the Mocs, having caught 28 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Mocs.
In 2023, Gibson started three games and played in a fourth in the regular season. After an injury kept him out the remainder of the regular-season, Gibson returned to the offensive side of the ball in the postseason. His appeal for an extra year of eligibility was granted and he will give Artopoues et another reliable and experienced option in the passing game this fall.
While Gibson is in line to start at tight end this fall, there is talented depth at the position heading into 2024. Wayne State transfer Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez is one of those newcomers that could contribute right away at the tight end spot this fall, and the 6-4, 246-lb junior saw action in 16 games, making six starts. During his time at Wayne State, Eberly-Rodriguez hauled in 12 passes for 214 yards and a score.
Another transfer with a chance to see some time at tight end this fall is Carson Newman transfer Eli Davis. The 6-0, 240-lb sophomore played linebacker during his time with the Eagles, and will have three years of eligibility remaining. He saw action in six games for Carson-Newman as a linebacker as a rookie.
A couple of young tight ends also hope to break into the depth chart this fall, with Daniel Green and John McIntyre are a pair of promising talents that will be given the chance to add even more depth to the tight end spot this fall.
While the receivers and tight ends are a strength and known for this Mocs offense heading into the 2024 season, the running game has as many questions entering a season since head coach Rusty Wright’s arrival as the head coach back in 2018.
Both Ailym Ford and Gino Appleberry have both moved on, and all those two had done was combine to lead the Mocs running game each of the past five seasons.
For Ford, he left as an all-time great, finishing as the program’s second all-time leading rusher, and would have easily set the rushing standard if he had not been derailed by injuries in at least two occasions, including the 2023 season, which saw his season come to an end a little over midway through the campaign with a career-ending ACL tear.
For Ford and Appleberry, the two saw their role change last season, and part of that had to do with the skill-set of quarterback Chase Artopoeus, while the other reason the dynamic duo saw their role change in 2023 somewhat was due to some uncertainty as a run-blocking unit last season.
Both Appleberry and Ford set a standard for other running backs to follow in the future. Since 2005, the Mocs have had some pretty good running backs. Guys like Eldra Buckley, (‘06) Keon Williams (‘14) and Derrick Craine (‘16) are some of the headliners that helped set the standard before Ford and Appleberry came along. Now that bar is increasingly higher for a new crop that hopes to put their names alongside Buckley, Williams, Craine and now Ford and Appleberry.
The good news for UTC is that a more than capable group returns at running back for the Mocs this fall. Leading the way in the Mocs backfield for the 2024 season is Reggie Davis (65 rush att, 322 yds, 2 TDs, 5.0 YPC), who started to emerge in the latter portion of the 2023 campaign following the career-ending injury to Ford.
Davis is a shifty, athletic runnin g back that really emerged in the postseason for the Mocs. He posted 25 carries for 157 yards in Chattanooga’s two playoff games against Austin Peay and Furman, which included a season-high 97 yards on 17 carries in the opening round win at Austin Peay.
He also caught three passes for 12 yards last season. In the playoff against Furman, Davis rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on eight rush attempts. His other touchdown run during the 2023 season came on a 45-yard jaunt against VMI.
Others that could contribute at running back this fall for the Mocs include Division II transfer Justus Durant as well as rising senior Lance Jackson (11 rush att, 22 yds, 1 TD) should add solid depth to the backfield.
Over the past four seasons, Jackson has rushed for a total of 220 yards and three touchdowns on 47 career attempts. Jackson has seen action in 23 games in his career with the Mocs, with one career start. He also rushed five times for 20 yards and a score in a lopsided league-opening win over The Citadel last season.
Durant is a 5-9, 172-lb, native of Palm Bay, FL, comes to Chattanooga from Shorter Univeristy in Georgia and will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Mocs.
During his time with the Hawks,Durant showed his talent by rushing for 1,369 yards and 13 touchdowns in 21-career games for the Hawks. In his most recent season for Shorter, Durant rushed for 792 yards and 11 scores, which included garnering First-Team All-Gulf South honors as an all-purpose selection. He posted five-career 100-yard rushing efforts for the Hawks over two seasons in the lineup, posting a career-high of 202 rushing yards and a pair of scores on 24 rush attempts in a 27-17 loss to the Crusaders. The biggest asset Durant will bring to the UTC backfield is speed, and he could also prove to be a playmaker in the passing game.
Redshirt freshman Solomon Locke, who saw only limited action for the Mocs last season, is back and will have a chance to break into the Mocs depth chart at running back this fall. The 2024 campaign will mark the fourth season in the UTC football program.
Other that will join Durant as newcomers with the potential to break into the lineup for the Mocs at running back this fall, include Malachi Jeffries (RS Fr.), Eagan Lehman (Fr.) and Journey Wyche (Fr.).
Jeffries was a standout at Cartersville High School in Cartersville, GA, prior to his arrival in the Scenic City. During his prep career, he rushed for more than 2,000 yards during his prep career at Cartersville, finishing his senior season with 1,387 yards while leading the Hurricanes to a 12-2 overall record and garnering Region Player of the Year honors, while averaging an impressive 6.6 yards-per-carry.
Much like Jeffries, Wyche enters the Chattanooga program off a tremendous prep career at Ballard High School in Louisville, KY. During his time at Ballard, Wyche recorded almost 1,700 yards from scrimmage and posted 26 touchdowns, while also leading Ballard to the 6A state semifinals in his junior and senior seasons, respectively.
Look for Davis, Durant and Jackson to see most of the action in the UTC backfield this fall. It’s a big opportunity for that new backfield trio in the backfield this fall, with a chance to put their own stamp on the ground game tradition for the Mocs this fall. That should be motivation enough to see at least one of those three to put up big numbers this fall, and potentially two out of the three.
Some have referred to Davis as one of the best athletes on the entire UTC roster, while Durant brings speed to the Mocs backfield that they didn’t necessarily possess the past couple of seasons with Ford and Appleberry, particularly after Ford’s injury late in his freshman season in 2019. During Rusty Wright’s 52 games as the head coach over the past five seasons, the Mocs have rushed for 8,835 yards, which is nearly 170 YPG on the ground during that span.
As much as individual praise can be heaped upon the running backs that Wright has been able to plug into the Mocs’ successful ground attack over the past five years, it also is a major tip of the cap to offensive line play that the Mocs have enjoyed on Wright’s watch. An obvious argument couple be made that no team in the league has had better offensive line play over the past five seasons comprehensively than Wright’s Mocs.
Despite entering the 2023 season with plenty of unknowns, the Mocs rallied to have their best season in five seasons under Wright, which included an eight-win season and a return to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2016.
It’s an offensive line that helped the Mocs finish out the 2023 season ranking 44th in the nation in scoring offense (27.5 PPG), 36th in total offense (385.4 YPG), 26th in passing offense (245.3 YPG), and 69th in the FCS in rushing offense (139.2 YPG).
Three of five starters return along the offensive line for the Mocs, and four returnees have starting experience. Set to anchor the unit returning to the fold for the 2024 season is center Reid Williams, who will be a leading candidate to take home the Jacobs Blocking Award.That award, of course, is given to the league’s top offensive lineman. Chattanooga has claimed the league’s top offensive lineman award in three of the past four seasons.
Williams has started 22 of 27 games in his Mocs career, and has been a second-team all-conference selection each of the past two seasons. Williams started all 13 games for the Mocs last season, and is a major reason as to why Chase Artopoeus and the Chattanooga was so successful in his first season at quarterback running the Mocs offense. Williams made that transition so much easier.
The 6-1, 286-lb native of Ringold, GA, should enter the season as a preseason first-team all-league pick and will likely find himself on an All-America team or two, however, he isn’t the only talented player returning along the offensive front for Chattanooga heading into the 2024 campaign. Returning at right offensive tackle is Dave Monnot III, who returns to the UTC offensive front after starting all 13 games for the Blue and Gold last season and prior to making his way to the Scenic City in 2022, spent three seasons as a Purdue Boilermaker.
Monnot III is the lone senior returning along the offensive front and will team along the offensive front with left tackle Almarion Crim, who started for Chattanooga at right guard last season, and now will likely shift into the starting role at left tackle with the departure of Griffin McDowell.
Crim adds athleticism and versatility, and he will have the comfort of being able to move back to his more natural tackle spot. That is due to the return of 2022 Freshman All-American Bryce Goodner, who returns to the Mocs program after sitting out the 2022 campaign. T
The 6-2, 298-lb, redshirt junior was a SoCon All-Freshman pick after transferring in from Virginia Tech with four years of eligibility remaining in the summer of 2022. Goodner started seven games in his initial season
The other starter that must be replaced along the Mocs’ offensive line heading into the 2024 campaign is left guard Jeremiah Klatt, who has moved on. Likely to be the one penciled in as the starter, at least, entering fall camp will be junior Will Buchanan, who provided excellent depth at the right guard spot behind Crim last season.
Others along the offensive line that could provide depth at any of the guard or tackle spots this fall will include veterans like BJ Ragland, Tyrell Ragland, and Christian Va’a. Ragland transferred in from Charlotte after spending two seasons in the Charlotte 49ers football program. Ragland is a local product, having played his prep football at Red Bank High School and was a 3A All-State pick twice during his high school career.
Tyrell Ragland sat out the 2023 season as a redshirt after transferring in from Carson-Newman. Ragland, a 6-2, 308-lb, native of Knoxville, Tenn, was a key cog in the Eagles’ offensive line during his two seasons there, starting a total of 16 games. Va’a is also a transfer into the UTC football program, as he comes to the Scenic City all the way from East L.A. College.
Expected to add some depth at offensive tackle is Aidan Donald, who impressed in limited action last season and was able to retain his redshirt year or eligibility. One of the early enrollees--Devin Lively--has his sights set on claiming a spot on the depth chart this fall. Lively enrolled early in order to go through spring drills with the Mocs.
Lively was part of a solid signing class brought in by head coach Rusty Wright, which adds both future talent and ready-made depth to the tradition-rich unit.
Part of that ready-made depth that expects to contribute in the immediate includes transfers like Indiana transfer Bubba Jeffries, Georgia State transfer Jules Nay, and Union (KY) transfer Tre Thompson are all ready for their chance to fill in the gap where needed along the offensive line. Other returnees include freshmen signees Watts Alexander, Tracy Jackson, and Nick Paul will have a chance to compete for time on the depth chart, but will be likely be redshirted.
Other veterans returning looking to earn a spot along the offensive line this fall will be Parker Hollingsworth, Jacob Klein and Keaton Warren all return to add depth and experience. All three of the aforementioned players worked primarily with the scout team for Mocs last season.
Chattanooga ended the season by surrendering 17 sacks, which was among the best in the league among the primarily non-rushing based offenses in the league last season. Only Western Carolina (9 sacks surrendered) and The Citadel (7 sacks surrendered) ranked higher nationally, as the Mocs ranked 20th overall in sacks surrendered last season.
All told, the Mocs offense will be one that should be among the most prolific in the Southern Conference this coming season, and especially in terms of having one of the top passing attacks.
The key will be adapting as a run-blocking unit and finding an established option in the running game with the departures of both Ailym Ford and Gino Appleberry from the ground attack.
The Mocs hand was forced somewhat late in the season with a career-ending injury to Ailym Ford. However, even prior to that injury to Ford, the Mocs struggled as much as any season under Wright in short-yardage situations and simply just establishing the straight-ahead ground game in comparison to previous seasons.
Even with that being said, expect the Mocs to be very good once again, and likely a shade more balanced this season than they were a year ago, but will be shaded towards a more prolific aerial attack given the skill-set of starting quarterback Chase Artopoeus.
Since Russ Huesman helped change the trajectory of the Mocs’ football program back in 2009 upon taking over as head coach, part of that was making sure the Mocs defense was not only one of the most elite units in the Southern Conference but also one of the most elite defensive units and one that annually finds itself as one of the top units in both the Southern Conference, as well as nationally in all of FCS football. In eight of the past 15 seasons, the Mocs have topped the Southern Conference in total defense, while in each of the past three seasons, the defensive unit has had the top player in the Southern Conference.
Defense should once again be a strength for the Mocs, with seven starters returning from a unit that was formidable last fall, however, surprisingly, the Mocs didn’t lead the league in total defense in 2023. That distinction was held by the Furman Paladins in 2023. Meanwhile, the Mocs finished the season ranking fourth in the Southern Conference and 55th nationally in total defense (355.5 YPG), while in terms of scoring defense, the Blue and Gold finished out the 2023 season allowing 24.7 PPG, which ranked 44th nationally in scoring defense.
The main thing the Mocs have done exceptionally well over the past and that is getting after opposing quarterbacks. Chattanooga have recorded 103 quarterback takedowns over the past three seasons, and the 36 total quarterback sacks last season ranked both second in the league and second in a single-season in school history. Only the 38 quarterback hits in 2016 ranked as a higher total in a single season.
In recent seasons, the Mocs have been dominant in their front seven along their defense, with defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell having dominated the league for a couple of seasons, and then last season, with Jay Person taking the award home. Headlining head coach Rusty Wright’s defense this fall will be another dominant defensive lineman, as Marlon Taylor (30 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 1 FR) was chosen as the preseason Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year heading into 2024 campaign. All told, Taylor could become the 10th Chattanooga defender to claim the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award since 2009, which saw Josh Beard claim the first of nine over the next 15 seasons.
The Mocs have seemingly had the right recruiting eye when it comes to finding defensive line talent in recent seasons, and Taylor certainly falls in that category for Chattanooga. At 6-2, 317 lbs, Taylor will act as the major pillar in the middle of the Mocs defense this fall that will once again make the Mocs a staunch unit against the run. His size and uncanny athletic ability, as well as his overall agility, will also make him a prime contender for the Buck Buchanan Award this fall. The Buchanan Award is given to the top defensive player in all of FCS football each season.
Taylor registered several standout performances a year ago, with his best performance coming in the 17-14 regular-season setback to Furman, as he recorded a season-high six tackles and a career-best two sacks. A year earlier in a loss at Furman, Taylor registered his first-career sack in a Mocs uniform.
Taylor is one of two starters returning along the defensive linemen for the Mocs, as he will be joined along the defensive front this fall by veteran Quay Wiggles (25 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 3 PBUs), who returns as a starter inside at the other defensive tackle position, will team with Taylor to form one of the most formidable defensive tackles in the FCS this fall. Wiggles is another big-bodied veteran with experience on the defensive interior for the Mocs, and he comes into his senior season having seen action in 37 career games, having made 13 starts in his career.
Wiggles, a 6-3, 293-lb senior from Atlanta, GA., started all 12 games for the Mocs last fall and as a result had his most productive season in the lineup for Chattanooga. He gives the Mocs another physical and capable presence on the interior defensive line. For his career in a Mocs uniform, he has posted 66-career tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, forced a fumble, three pass breakups and has blocked one punt.
Set to take over at the defensive end spot this fall will be either Chris Victor (12 tackles, 0.5 TFL), Marquise Freeman (7 tackles) and Jestin Gilmore (3 tackles) have been in competition throughout the spring and in fall camp to hold that distinction this fall. There is also room for others to see action in the ranks at defensive end this fall, including ULM (Louisiana Monroe) transfer Joseph Barkhole, UT-Martin transfer David Stewart, Eastern Michigan transfer Jaden Gaines, Campbell transfer Samari Brooks and true freshman Leroy Harris III.
Victor appears ready to take the reins in a leadership role as a member of this Mocs defensive line this fall. The 6-4, 235-lb native of Jacksonville, FL., is a senior defensive end that logged action in all 12 games last season as a reserve along the defensive front for Chattanooga. Though he is a senior this fall, Victor still has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Freeman is a 6-3, 226-lb redshirt junior from Cocoa, FL., originally transferred into the Chattanooga football program from Washington State prior to the 2022 season and has seen action in his first two seasons as a part of the Mocs defensive front. Freeman appears poised to compete for a starting job along the defensive line this fall. He saw action in all 12 games last season, which included making one start and finished the season making seven tackles.
Redshirt sophomore Jestin Gilmore contributed mostly as a reserve on special teams last season as a redshirt freshman. He saw action in a total of eight games and all three of his tackles for the 2023 season came in the FCS playoff loss to Furman.
Barkhole looks like he might be the player that, of the newcomers, might stand the best chance for seeing some significant time at defensive end along the defensive front for the Mocs this fall. The 6-4, 243-lb senior from Charlotte, N.C., saw action in nine games for the ULM Warhawks last season where he recorded 26 tackles, one tackle-for-loss and had a pair of QB hurries.
Stewart is a 6-0, 220-lb sophomore from Tennessee Martin, where he was a defensive end and he redshirted his only season with the Skyhawks. Stewart will give the Mocs both athleticism and quickness on the perimeter and like Barkhole, could have a decent shot at starting for Chattanooga this fall.
An out-of-the-box candidate to find his way onto the depth chart as a potential starter come the Aug. 31 opener against Tennessee is 6-2, 218-lb, Samari Brooks, who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after transferring in from Campbell. The Durham, N.C., spent four seasons with the Camels where he saw action in three games over four seasons in Buies Creek.
Gaines spent three seasons in the Eastern Michigan program where he saw action in 12 games in his career with the Eagles, registering a total of six tackles, a tackle-for-loss and a sack during his time with the Eagles. The 6-4, 256-lb native of Alpharetta, GA., remains in the running to see some significant time along the Mocs defensive front this fall.
Leroy Harris III is a true freshman that remains in the running to compete for a place on the depth chart at defensive end this fall. The 6-5, 230-lb, native of Brentwood, TN., comes to Chattanooga out of the highly successful football program of Christ Presbyterian Academy where Harris III starred for former Furman and Florida quarterback Ingle Martin, who is the head coach at CPA. Harris III was a three-star recruit coming out of CPA and ranked as the 52nd-best player in the state of Tennessee, according to 247Sports. He finished out his prep career with 110 total tackles, including 63 stops as a junior, which was his easily his best season. He had seven tackles-for-loss as a senior, and posted six INTs and nine pass breakups during his career. He gives the Mocs yet another excellent athlete as a pass-rushing presence off the edge.
Virginia Union transfer Noah Livingston rounds out the huge competitive collection of talent of Mocs on the roster competing for a spot on the depth chart, and the 6-2, 231-lb native of Queensbridge, NY, will have two years of eligibility remaining in the Scenic City. Livingston enrolled with the Chattanooga football program in January and joined the Mocs for spring camp. During his time at Virginia Union, Livingston helped the Panthers to a 19-4 overall record with a couple of playoff appearances in the process. During his final season with the Panthers, Livingston recorded 12 tackles, including one for a loss and a pair of quarterback hurries in seven games.
Overall, the Mocs defensive line looks to be in great shape to be a dominant force once again in both the Southern Conference and FCS this fall.
From a defensive front anchored by a pair of veterans, in Wiggles and Taylor, to a linebacking unit which will also have a pair of veteran anchors to look to, in returning starters Kobe Joseph (59 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 INTs) and Alex Mitchell (78 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 3 FFs, 4 PDs) who will be among the best at their respective linebacking positions entering the 2024 season.
Joseph was a physical force at middle linebacker for Chattanooga last season, and he was impressive in his first season after transferring in as a graduate student from Harvard. The 6-3, 241-lb senior from Sharpsville, PA., started seven of the 12 games for the Mocs last season, and he ended up ranking fourth on the team with his 59 tackles last season. His five tackles behind the line-of-scrimmage, which included a pair of sacks, led Mocs linebackers in 2023.
Mitchell comes into the 2024 season as a prime candidate to garner SoCon all-league plaudits this fall, and he led the Mocs in total tackles last season, and the 6-1, 230-lb linebacker is one of surest tacklers on the Mocs defense.
He was the SoCon Player of the Month for the month of September, and was seemingly able to build off that performance for the remainder of the 2023 season. He is a physical performer with overall good athleticism, and posted a pair of his best performances in games against Wofford and North Alabama last season, posting 11 tackles in each of those contests and his three forced fumbles led the defense last season. Mitchell also posted 10 tackles in UTC’s 17-14 home loss to Furman last season.
Also returning to add stability to the linebacking room this fall will be veterans Kameron Brown (30 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 1 PBU, 1 FF) and Zion Rutledge (9 tackles, 0.5 TFL), as well getting supplemental help from Kendall Jackson (1 tackle).
Brown logged action in all 13 games for the Mocs last season, and was a big contributor as a reserve and on the special teams unit as well. Nineteen of his 30 total tackles last season were of the solo variety, and he did his most effective work against conference foes last season, with a total of 22 of his 30 tackles came against league opposition. Brown originally came to UTC from Auburn and turned in a solid first season for the Mocs at linebacker.
Rutledge saw action in nine games last season as a freshman, and played a big role on special teams as well. Four of his nine tackles on the season came in the FCS Playoff loss at Furman. He also recorded a tackle-for-loss in that 26-7 road playoff loss at Furman. Rutledge also registered three tackles in the win over East Tennessee State.
Like Rutledge, Jackson saw a majority of his action on special teams last season, logging time in eight contests in that role. His lone tackle came in the lopsided win over The Citadel last season.
Others that figure to provide depth at linebacker this fall are a pair of true freshmen, in Landon Feggins and Amanuel Dickson. Redshirt freshman linebacker Connor Delashmitt, who was in line to provide some depth as a reserve, left the team at the start of fall camp.
While the front seven is a strong, formidable unit, it’s the secondary that is without question the strength of this defense in terms of what returns to the fold. That includes both in overall experience and talent entering the 2024 campaign, as the Mocs figure to have one of the top defensive backfields in all of FCS football this fall.
The Mocs employ a secondary that, under head coach Rusty Wright, will employ the use of three safeties and two corners as a part of the 4-2-5 alignment. To give you an idea of just how experienced the Mocs are, and how they have been able to retain talent in the defensive backfield over the past several seasons, a total of just six guys have made starts at three safety spots since the start of the 2019 season.
Leading that last line of defense this fall will be safety Reuben Lowery III (26 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 3 PBUs, 1 FF), and he’s been one of those guys that has seen this defense evolve over the past three seasons, particularly in the secondary where guys have worked while they have waited, and that’s what has made this unit extremely mature and extremely deep entering the 2024 season.
"It speaks to the patience and the work ethic that the young guys have in not only the secondary but in our defense as a whole," Lowery said at SoCon Media Day back in late July.
"They've all waited to get their opportunity and learned their role as a part of our defense and this team and while they have waited have continued to work for that just reward of an opportunity to see the field and they’ve all been able to excel and show they are ready when their time has come to lead this defense," Lowery added.
Lowery’s leadership has been notable both on and off the field during his time as a Moc. Once a team captain, Lowery III has now been called into a bigger leadership role that represents a broader collective for student-athletes throughout the NCAA, as it was announced in early August that he has been named to the prestigious NCAA Football Oversight Committee/Student-Athlete Connection Group. It’s a testament to the type of leader Lowery III has been throughout his career with the Mocs, and that’s both on and off the field.
Lowery anchors a secondary that should be among the most veteran in both the SoCon and FCS this fall, and the senior from Powder Springs, GA., led a unit that has intercepted 40 passes over the past four seasons, with double digit INT totals in every full 11-game season (excluding the COVID-19 Spring Season of 2020-21) since 2019. In fact, dating back to the start of the 2018 season, the Mocs have picked off a total of 58 passes, and over the past four seasons that the secondary has included Lowery III, the Mocs have been among the league leaders each season, thanks in large part to having ballhawks like Lowery III as a part of the unit.
All told, Lowery has logged action in 35-career games for the Chattanooga defense, which includes 18-career starts. He has seen action in virtually every game he’s ever suited up in a Chattanooga uniform, including seeing action in a total of 16 games in his freshman seasons, spanning the COVID-19 compromised 2020-21 campaign, as he saw action in all five followed by the 2021 campaign in which he logged action in all 11.
All told in his Mocs career, Lowery has racked up 104 total tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, and has defended nine passes. He has eight pass breakups and an INT during a standout career, returning his lone career pickoff 45 yards for a touchdown in the 2022 season opener against Wofford. He would eventually parlay that into second-team All-SoCon accolades by the end of the season.
Set to team with Lowery at safety this fall are two other veterans that give the Mocs plenty of poised confidence on the back line entering the 2024 campaign, as both Jordan Walker (73 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 3 INTs, 4 PDs, 1 FF) and Josh Battle (70 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 FR, 1 PD) are back in the fold.
Walker has started 21 of the 31 games he’s ever suited up in a Blue and Gold uniform, while having posted 117 total tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, picked off four passes, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and has a forced fumble. He started all 12 games last season, ranking second on the team with 73 total tackles and his three INTs were tied for most on the team. He posted his best performances in the regular-season win over Kennesaw State and the FCS Playoff loss at Furman, as he finished with 11 tackles in each of those games. Walker enters the season as a first-team All-SoCon selection according to the league’s head coaches.
Battle, like Walker, was a preseason All-SoCon selection, landing on the second team. As a sophomore last season, Battle started 10 of 13 games for the Mocs and contributed his two best performances against both Samford and Alabama, registering nine tackles in both of those games. His 70 tackles ranked third on the team last fall.
While safety will once again be a position of strength in the secondary for Chattanooga, cornerback is a bit more of a questionable experience with unquestioned talent. In other words, the cornerback spot lacks the reps, but it’s a spot that figures to be a strength for the team as the secondary gains experience with each passing game.
An extensive talent pool highlights the talent returning at the cornerback position, which includes players that are already a part of the Mocs roster entering the 2024 season, as well as some acquisitions made during the off-season via the transfer portal.
Juniors Jeremiah Batiste (3 tackles) and Demetrius Coleman (7 tackles) are experienced players that will likely be a part of the depth chart in some capacity this fall for Chattanooga, whether it be as a starter or reserve in the secondary. Other younger guys like sophomore DJ Adams (5 tackles) and redshirt freshmen Christian Harris and Martz Cooksey Jr are among those that are on the roster looking to make their impact this fall.
The Mocs went to the transfer portal to bring in Trayvon Hobbs from Brown and Rickie Davis Jr. from Western Kentucky during the early part of the summer. Another Hilltopper—Amaari Smith—joined the Mocs in time to take part in spring practice prior to the semester change, as did Lafayette transfer Taylor Smallwood.
Smallwood was a big part of the Leopards run to a Patriot League title last fall and appearance in the FCS Playoffs, as the Lawrenceville, GA., product posted 43 tackles in 23-career games for the Leopards. He had five tackles and an INT in Lafayette’s narrow playoff loss at Delaware last November. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Like Smallwood, Hobbs brings plenty in the way of experience to the fold to the cornerbacks room, and he will have one year of eligibility remaining. During his career with the Brown Bears, Hobbs registered action in 24 games over three seasons, posting 73 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 13 passes defended and an INT. He posted a total of 36 tackles last season, which included picking off his first pass in his career against Yale, while posting a career-high nine tackles in a loss at Penn. Hobbs and Smallwood could figure into the mix at both cornerback and safety this fall.
Coleman, who saw only limited action in 2023, logged action in nine games and made three starts for the Mocs at corner two years ago. He has been a leading candidate to garner one of the two starting spots when the Mocs head into Neyland Stadium to take on the Volunteers next week.
Batiste logged time in six games for UTC last season, posting his best performance in the win over The Citadel, as he made three tackles in that contest and had one stop in the home win over ETSU. Batiste originally transferred into UTC from Miami of Ohio, where he spent three seasons prior to his arrival at Chattanooga in 2023. Batiste was a wide receiver with the Redhawks, but made the transition to defensive side of the ball in the spring of 2023.
With the three returning safeties and one cornerback, in Coleman, the Mocs have a total of four returnees that have starting experience back in the secondary, and have made a combined 62 starts, with 59 of those being accounted for from the trio of returning safeties. I expect the Mocs to once again be strong in the defensive backfield, with some “chaos causers” whether that be coming up and making jarring hits against the run, or dropping into pass coverage. They’ll again be a reason this unit racks up a large number of turnovers caused this fall.
Chattanooga's special teams unit is the one that returns the least amount of experience from last season, and it's a unit that lists only one returning starter from a year ago, and that is Jude Kelley. Kelley, who originally transferred into the Chattanooga from Georgia Tech, however, suffered a season-ending injury.
The redshirt junior would be replaced by Clayton Crile in 2023, and he came in and did an outstanding job for Chattanooga, as he made several big kicks, including one that helped Chattanooga to its first road playoff win in school history in the process, with his 35-yard field goal as time expired proving to be the difference in a 24-21 win at Fortera Stadium over Austin Peay.
With that said, Crile, who also handled the punting duties for the Mocs last fall, has moved on. Before his injury last season, Kelley went 8-of-10 on his field goal attempts and connected on 17-of-18 PATs. He was a perfect 7-of-7 on kicks that were 20-29 yards last season.
Kelley will have some reputable company at kicker this season, with Jacksonville State grad transfer Alen Karajic, who is a Chattanooga native. During his career with the Gamecocks, he accounted for 293 points including going 48-of-67 on field goals during his four years as a Gamecock. He also had an impressive 130 touchbacks in his career at Jacksonville State.
As far as punter is concerned this season, the battle throughout camp has been a heated one between Kentucky transfer Heath Jehu and local product Pete Sesterhenn.
Ethan Myers, who was an all-conference long-snapper during his time at Austin Peay, and he will likely fill the void left by the departures of Cody Olszewski and Jake Hall, who helped tag-team the long-snapping duties in the punting and kicking games, respectively, last season.
The Mocs should be solid in the return game this fall, with wideout Sam Phillips likely to take over as the UTC punt returner after averaging 9.5 YPR on four attempts last season, while Javin Whatley is back to handle the kick return responsibilities after averaging 21.0 YPR last season.
Chattanooga is a team that values being a physical football team in the trenches above anything else. They aren't a team that is going to scheme you up on defense, however, they will just out-physical you. They're the type of defense that will challenge your manhood, and it doesn't take too terribly long to realize that you have to meet that level in the trenches on both sides to stay in the game with them, because if you don't, it's going to be a forgettable four quarters of football. Offensively, it's been a bit of a renaissance for a program known for having big, physical running backs dating all the way back to the Russ Huesman era, however, with Artopoues coming on board from UCLA last season, it was a bit of a changeup for most of us and what we are accustomed to when we think of Mocs football. The passing game was prolific, producing one of the best seasons in school history through the air. Nearly all that weaponry is back save one or two, and I look for the Mocs to only be even better throwing the ball this season. The names might not be as familiar to us at running back, but you can rest assured that Reggie Davis and Justus Durant, the Mocs should once again be talented and possess big-play ability there, even if the names aren't Ford and Appleberry. I think a run to the quarterfinals or dare I say the FCS semifinals this season are attainable goals for this Chattanooga team.
Games marked with an asterisk(*) are conference games.
