The Times Free Press is taking a daily positional look at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team, leading up to the first practice on Aug. 1. Today, we feature the linebackers:
Those back
The Mocs have experience returning at linebacker and they don’t. On the outside of the 3-4 scheme, juniors Michael Bean, Khayyan Edwards and Hawk Schrider are back after getting their feet wet at a new position. The inside linebacker position is a different story, though. Tae Davis and Dale Warren are gone, with both pursuing professional careers, leaving senior Tavon Lawson as the senior-most member of the unit. Lawson was leading the team in tackles prior to an injury midway through the season, but after him, Marshall Cooper is the most experienced returner. Cooper played in 10 games last season and was named Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a punt that led to the go-ahead touchdown in the Mocs’ 10-3 win over East Tennessee State in the season finale.
New blood
It’s no surprise that head coach Tom Arth noted inside linebacker as a position that he worried about depth at in a Monday conversation with the Times Free Press. It’s an area they addressed in recruiting, signing three players – Soddy-Daisy product Ty Boeck, Simon Miskelly and Nyvin Nelson, all highly-touted prospects – but the coaching staff isn’t sure what those players will bring until they’ve been in camp. Long, rangy redshirt freshman C.J. Winston will get an opportunity as well. Outside linebackers Dre Butler and Ben Brewton, who average 6-foot-5 in height, could be potential redshirts as they learn from Bean, Edwards and Schrider.
Strengths
The group, at least with the first five, is pretty solid. Edwards and Schrider are capable of playing end-to-end, as well as rushing the quarterback, which is key for the outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. Lawson proved to be impactful prior to the injury, and Cooper has been a solid piece. Bean has experience at both inside and outside linebacker, giving the coaching staff an additional option to play with.
Weaknesses
The Mocs just don’t have the bodies at inside linebacker, yet. At least one of the three signees will be asked to step up, and if Bean gets moved to the inside, that leaves a depth concern on the outside because there’s no proven depth behind the first three.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfree press.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.