Maybe it has just been the cut of his jib, but there’s something about junior defensive back C.J. Fritz that University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defensive coordinator Tom Kaufman definitely likes.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Fritz has made his mark in the Mocs’ secondary this preseason. The former McCallie School multisport star’s role has changed a lot from last season, when the guy with the Twitter handle “fritzisland” was left on one side of the field to attempt to take away an opposing team’s best receiver.
This season, with a new coaching staff and a new system, he’s just one piece of the puzzle, but according to Kaufman he’s a valuable one.
“He’s one of the guys I feel safe saying that he’s gotten better every day he’s out here,” Kaufman said. “He cares a lot and it shows. His actions speak louder than his words, and he takes a lot of pride in his craft.”
As Kaufman spoke, Fritz was still on the Finley Stadium field, getting some extra work.
One of the things he has worked on is becoming more of a student of the game. This offseason he spent a lot of time watching video and figuring out where he needed work so he could improve his skills.
He has one career interception – in the 2015 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs against Jacksonville State – but intends to have “five or more” this season.
“Last year’s defense was simple for me. I did one job and I didn’t rely on anything else,” Fritz said. “This defense, we’re all one unit, cohesive. We’ve got to know what everybody is doing, and it all comes together.
“With this new scheme you’ve got to come with the right frame of mind. I’m just learning everything I can at corner or any other position they want me to play. We’ve got a whole lot of DBs with a whole lot of talent, so if you’re not coming ready to compete, you’re not going to play. We all have the mindset to come out here, work every day and compete.”
Head coach Tom Arth said he feels good about both Fritz and senior Trevor Wright, the two returning starting cornerbacks, adding that both have improved a lot from the spring to now.
“They’re playing at such a high level,” Arth said. “They’re so reliable, so dependable, and they’re doing an absolute great job for us. Those guys have great experience, but they’ve improved and that’s going to be important for us to be successful.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.