Mocs luxury: 'backer backups

When the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga took the field for pregame warmups last season, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller didn't often have a big crowd of linebackers in uniform.

In fact, there were games when just four were available. That won't be the case this season.

"It will make a big difference in pregame warmups, for sure," head coach Russ Huesman said. "Adam gets a few more guys to run around out there."

Ryan Consiglio, Shane Heatherly and Gunner Miller are the starters. Plus, there are Wes and J.D. Dothard, Keith Mayes and Muhasibi Wakeel.

They're all available to play this season, and that kind of bounty is almost hard to believe after last season, when the Mocs didn't have enough backups available for a second-team trio.

"It really will make a difference," said Consiglio, a senior preseason first-team All-Southern Conference selection. "Toward the middle of the season and at the end of the season, I think we were only traveling with like four linebackers. Right now I feel like we've got at least six that can play for sure."

Huesman said he wants to travel with seven linebackers, though only four would play a lot on defense. The rest, he said, would play mostly on special teams. Consiglio and J.D. Dothard are the only seniors in the group.

The past two seasons, when starters weren't on special teams such as the kickoff coverage unit, they were sometimes replaced with walk-on wide receivers or other players who might not be the best tacklers.

"Now you've got a redshirt freshman outside linebacker who's used to tackling running down," Huesman said following Thursday morning's practice. "That makes a big difference."

That depth also makes a difference during practice, because veterans such as Consiglio don't have to be on the field all the time.

"I think what it helps you do in practice is, Ryan's been in a lot of situations so you can start to take him out and put Shane and Wes on the field at the same time," Fuller said. "You're trying to get Gunner as many snaps as possible, and you're trying to bring Keith along, too."

Special focus

The second half of the Mocs' two-a-day Thursday was spent mostly on special teams. Along with practicing punt and kickoff returns and coverage, UTC also practiced onside kicks.

Cornerback Chaz Moore is expected to be the Mocs' primary kickoff returner, but he's out with a shoulder injury so running backs Chris Awuah and Kendrix Huitt and wide receiver Tommy Hudson did most of the returning.

Wideout Joel Bradford again will return punts, but he sat out Thursday with concussion-like symptoms after taking a hard hit from Miller on Wednesday.

Mayes gets his pants

While the rest of the Mocs began wearing full pads Monday, defensive tackle Chris Mayes had to wait until Thursday morning to practice in UTC's gold trousers.

The Navy transfer couldn't fit his 6-foot-3, 300-pound-plus body - with a lot of his bulk situated in the thighs/rump area - into the practice pants he was given when he reported to camp, so a new pair had to be ordered.

Extra points

Backup offensive lineman Omre Harris (foot) also sat out, as did Moore (shoulder), tight end Jarrod Coleman (shoulder) and linebacker Shane Heatherly (ankle). ... Former Mocs wide receiver Brian Sutherland, who left the team after spring semester, has transferred to Division II North Alabama. ... The Mocs will scrimmage at 2:30 today at Finley Stadium.

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