Derek Mahaffey (5) and fellow talented senior Isaiah Mack, not pictured, are back for UTC’s defensive line this season, but the Mocs must replace Taylor Reynolds (94) and will have little depth to count on when preseason practices begin next week.The Times Free Press is taking a daily positional look at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team leading up to its first practice of the 2018 preseason next Wednesday. Today, we feature the defensive line:
M&M
The Mocs don’t have a ton of experience returning on the defensive front, but two key players are back for their senior seasons. Isaiah Mack and Derek Mahaffey were All-Southern Conference second-team selections in 2017 after combining for 105 tackles, including 12 for loss. Mack is a preseason All-SoCon selection this season, while Mahaffey is making a move from tackle to end. Junior Telvin Jones had 30 tackles last year in the most extensive action of his career, and sophomore Jonathan Decker will be asked to play a bigger role this season.
New faces
Redshirt freshman Devonnsha Maxwell could give the Mocs some additional athleticism on the outside and will be presented opportunities to make plays in his first collegiate season on the field. After that, there’s talent, albeit young. True freshmen Mychal Austin, Dre Butler (who could play some outside linebacker as well), Tavi McLean, Chandon Page and Josh Walker could be asked to contribute immediately, as could senior Tristan Mann, who most recently played for Georgia Southern in 2016.
Strengths
Jones, Mack and Mahaffey give the Mocs three players with knowledge of UTC’s schemes. After the team turned a corner last year in its first season under head coach Tom Arth, the UTC defense was salty against the run, allowing an average of 2.5 yards on 98 carries in the final three games. A lot of that started with Mack, Mahaffey and the departed Taylor Reynolds, but Jones was in that mix as well. The program needed a foundation, and Mack and Mahaffey provide that.
Weaknesses
Well, after the first three, who else is there? Decker hasn’t been on the field much due to injury. Maxwell hasn’t been on the field for the Mocs at all, nor have the highly regarded incoming freshmen. Arth pointed out defensive line as a position the team has to develop some depth at, along with linebacker. That won’t happen immediately, but it’s going to have to happen soon, giving new defensive line coach Davern Williams quite the task in his first season with the program.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.