C.J. Fritz hasn’t made much of an impact statistically for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defense this season.
But his presence has been more than important.
UTC football coach Russ Huesman scratches his head on the sidelines during the Mocs’ home football game against the Samford Bulldogs at Finley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn.The UTC coaches decided to make the 5-foot-11, 175-pound sophomore from McCallie School a press cornerback, focused primarily on taking his side of the field away from the opposing offenses. He has come away with 17 tackles, two pass deflections and a forced fumble for the third-ranked Mocs, who host Mercer this week for homecoming.
Head coach Russ Huesman said the staff came out of preseason camp feeling pretty good about Fritz’s ability in that regard, and he hasn’t disappointed.
“I think he handled our guys (receivers) fairly decent. We kind of thought we’d feel comfortable with this,” Huesman said. “You can play press and have somebody up top all day, but we press and give him no help. We saw in camp he could do it, and he’s just got better and better as the year has gone along.”
What the Mocs see now in Fritz they saw when he was a true freshman, when he was in position potentially to start until he tore his ACL late in camp, causing him to redshirt in 2014. He has great feet, he’s long and he’s fast, all traits that help him on the field.
The offseason loss of two-time all-Southern Conference corner Dee Virgin caused a little concern about what the Mocs would do at that position, but Fritz and junior Trevor Wright have solidified things there.
“He’s done a nice job,” defensive coordinator Adam Braithwaite said of Fritz. “C.J. is a good player, a competitive guy, a smart kid and a good athlete, so I think he’ll continue to get better. He’s done a nice job so far; he just has to stay hungry and keep working.”
Fritz said he “took the challenge to heart” entering the season. Taking a challenge and embracing it is the mantra of most any cornerback, and he is no different.
“If I play my game, it’s good for us,” Fritz said. “I think I’ve done pretty well so far; I’m just improving every week day in and day out so I can be one of the best corners in the league.
“To get there I have to be a student of the game – watch film, knowing my opponents’ techniques and tendencies and just learning how they do things so I can work on my technique and try to stop that.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.