UTC wide receiver Xavier Borishade catches a pass during football practice Friday at Scrappy Moore FieldThere were a few louder thuds during the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s 2 1/2-hour football practice Friday morning.
The Mocs won’t put on full pads until Sunday, but there were a few times during team drills and one-on-one line work when players’ helmets and shoulder pads were popping more than they had the first couple of days of preseason camp.
“I think a lot of the guys are getting anxious to really start hitting a little bit,” defensive end Keionta Davis said. “Everybody likes to compete.”
UTC also worked on kickoff returns, with four sets of two returners fielding kicks and following their blocks. Besides experienced kick returners Tommy Hudson, Xavier Borishade and C.J. Board, the Mocs also had true freshmen Richardre Bagley, C.J. Fritz, Bingo Morton and Dejuan McQuarters and junior college transfer Jeremiah Hay in the mix.
Fritz, a former two-time state champion sprinter at McCallie, also has impressed coaches in the secondary. On offense, Bagley has been the one freshman who’s tough to miss early on. Whether returning kicks, catching passes out of the backfield or in the few chances he’s gotten to work with the first- or second-team offense, Bagley is proving to have an impressive set of skills. So far in practice he catches the ball well, has very quick cuts and is explosive getting upfield.