Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 4/4/14. Mocs defensive end D.J. Prather (7) leaves the field during a scrimmage at Finley Stadium on April 4, 2014. D.J. Prather knew he was going to have to play a much bigger role on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defensive line in 2016.
So did Keionta Davis, a preseason All-American. And so did new defensive line coach Carey Bailey.
Collectively, they’ve put the 6-foot-4, 255-pound junior in a position to contribute.
Prather has settled into the third defensive end slot during preseason camp, in what technically is his second season on the field for the Mocs after a redshirt and an injury that caused him to miss the 2014 season. He had eight tackles and a sack last season, but with the graduation of Toyvian Brand, a second-team all-conference selection, there was a gap behind Vantrel McMillan, who split time with Brand.
Prather has made himself ready to fill that gap, with the help of Davis and Bailey. The former Gordon Central standout shadowed the SoCon preseason defensive player of the year throughout the summer, working to improve his game.
“I feel like KD made me get better,” Prather said. “He made me feel like I had to get better, so I had to go out there and play.”
Bailey said after Tuesday’s practice that Prather has “had a solid camp.”
“He’s improved tremendously from the spring to now,” the position coach said.
Prather said Bailey has helped him in a number of ways, including getting to know the defense better and adding the confidence to play faster while out on the field. The junior called it “Football 101.”
“He’s helped me with the ins and outs,” Prather said. “I feel he knew I had to play, knew I was a good player and took me under his wing.
“I’ve got better with him being here as my defensive line coach.”
Prather’s role could increase even more after this season, as Davis and McMillan will be gone. This could be a year for him to begin to make an impact, much as the two senior defensive linemen did in 2014, their first time in the rotation.
“I just want to help the team win,” Prather said. “I want to be the best player I can be as a teammate – make plays, do whatever the coaches want me to do.
“That’s what I want to do to help the team win.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @genehenleytfp.