Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 4/8/16. Mocs wide receiver Bailey Lenoir (88) warms up with other University of Tennessee at Chattanooga teammates during a football scrimmage at Finley Stadium on April 8, 2016. POTENTIAL STAR
Duke Ethridge spent the past two school years punishing rims on the basketball court with vicious dunks for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Now he will try to punish opposing defenses with his addition to the UTC football team. Although it's been five years since he has played football, his list of interested schools as a high school recruit included Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State and Georgia, and he got an early offer from Marshall. In his lone week of spring practice for the Mocs, the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder created a buzz with his ability to make catches, a skill the Mocs missed last season with All-American Faysal Shafaat having departed. At one point, Ethridge sprinted down the middle of the field and laid out for a pass, bringing it in before hitting the ground. There are still some things to work on, but what Ethridge has shown so far has given coaches plenty to be excited about.
EXCELLENT DEPTH
Ethridge's absence for much of the spring - along with the transfer of 2015 starter Steve Pickren back to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he previously played - paved the way for a new full-time starter at the position. Malcolm Colvin, who is more of a blocker than receiver, has 25 games of college experience and started twice last season. He did have the position's lone catch in 2015, a 5-yard reception at Mercer. Bailey Lenoir and Bryce Miller had solid springs, with Lenoir taking a big step forward entering his sophomore season and Miller moving into his first season of on-field action after a redshirt last year. Both have displayed good hands and the ability to make something happen with the ball.
STRENGTHS
Most of the strength at this position is potential. Ethridge will be with the program for only one season but could provide some explosiveness, much as Shafaat did. Colvin is an experienced player and an excellent blocker, while Lenoir and Miller are big bodies who can make plays in the passing game, giving new starting quarterback Alejandro Bennifield added targets.
WEAKNESSES
There hasn't been a player to showcase the "total package" of both blocking and receiving. Only Colvin has any game experience at UTC, so there will have to be an adjustment period for the others, especially with a big conference test (Sept. 17 at Furman) so early on the schedule.