Editor’s note: This is the fourth part of a five-day series. UTC beat writer Gene Henley is tackling topics in countdown order prior to the Mocs’ first practice Monday.
Sema’je Kendall has a mission this football season to prove the doctors wrong.
In his mind, the lateral meniscus that was surgically repaired in his right knee is fine. At times it’s not 100 percent, but he feels fully capable of being the same University of Tennessee at Chattanooga player who picked off two passes and broke up three others from his defensive back position in 2014.
He spent spring practice going through noncontact workouts on the sideline, but he expects to be able to participate once preseason camp starts Monday.
“I just have to take it for what it is,” he said this week. “I want to get back healthy before I worry about anything else.”
Kendall said he feels the knee is around 65 percent when he works on it multiple days in a row but is “100 percent” when he’s had time to rest it. Doctors told him that he would be able to return to full activities four months after the surgery, but they also said he never would have the same range of motion or explosiveness that he had pre-surgery.
Of course, he feels he can get back to normal with no problem.
“There have been points during the summer when I’ve felt like I was 100 percent,” he said. “When it’s bad it’s bad, but when it’s good I moved like I did before I was hurt.”
Should he be able to return fully healthy, he’ll only add to what already has become a deep position for the Mocs this year – a complete turnaround from last season. Dee Virgin and Trevor Wright received postseason honors last year at cornerback, as did safeties Lucas Webb and Cedric Nettles. Tavon Lawson is Kendall’s backup at the dime position. Jeremiah Hay started six games last season at cornerback, and former walk-on Ryan Bossung once led the state in interceptions in high school.
Montrell Pardue and C.J. Fritz redshirted last season and will get their first taste of action this season, and LeVonte Larry, K.J. Roper and D.J. Williams came in the 2015 recruiting class.
“Last season everybody was worried about us, even during fall camp,” Kendall said. “The D-line would get on us, and everybody was on edge about the secondary. Come to find out we’re making plays, and making things happen, and next thing you know you look around and you’re confident about the playmakers. It’s a good feeling for me because I’ve been here a long time, and I’ve watched these guys grow and turn into real ballplayers.”
Without question, the defensive backfield is the one of the deepest positions on the UTC roster. The Times Free Press looks at the other place where the Mocs are blessed with a number of quality bodies – wide receiver.
Three starters return – C.J. Board, Xavier Borishade and Alphonso Stewart. The program received a boost with the addition of Drae Bowles, who transferred from Tennessee in the winter. There’s a trio of three-star prospects waiting in the wings in redshirts Bingo Morton and Wil Young, and incoming freshman Ke’Von Hall. James Stovall, Riley Davis and Kota Nix all are considered capable playmakers. Redshirt DeJuan McQuarters is one of the fastest players on the team.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.