With the early signing period in college football -- which has become the actual "National Signing Day" with programs typically securing the majority of their prospects in December -- just eight days away, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been working to secure a class that can help the program continue its upward ascent.
This past season, Rusty Wright's team won seven games for the first time since 2016 and fell just short of reaching the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Mocs lost 15 players to graduation as well as three players -- tight end Keshawn Toney, receiver Tyler Walker and defensive back Kenneth Dicks III -- who either left the program during the season or entered the transfer portal after.
The Times Free Press looks at five positions the Mocs need to address in the current recruiting cycle.
Quarterback: Two players who started games for the Mocs -- 2021 primary starter Cole Copeland and 2022 starter Preston Hutchinson -- have graduated, leaving a huge hole at the most important position on the field, as those two were a combined 13-7 in games they started and threw for nearly 8,000 yards and 47 touchdowns in their respective careers. Entering 2023, the current roster will have two sophomores (Ty Gossett and Parker Brown) and freshman Lukas Schomburg, who primarily ran scout team in 2022, with only Gossett having any game action.
UCLA transfer Chase Artopoeus has committed to the program, but he will be a junior in 2023 with only two games of experience. Luckily -- barring any more transfers -- the Mocs will have enough back at the skill positions to ease the load for the 2023 starter, but that doesn't mean that if a player with starting experience becomes available after next week, the Mocs shouldn't kick the tires. Quarterback isn't a position you can afford to miss on.
Inside Linebacker: This may or may not be a position of need, as there is talent returning but not a ton of experience with seniors Ty Boeck and Kam Jones carrying most of the workload the past few seasons. The coaching staff has been high on Alex Mitchell, Justin Sanders and Bo Spearman, but it wouldn't hurt to add a bit more depth -- experienced depth -- at the position.
Cornerback: The Mocs only lost multi-year starter CaMiron Smith and have a lot of bodies they've brought in via transfer, but only Smith and Brown played meaningful snaps in 2022. To be fair, the secondary was crushed by injuries, with Demetrius Coleman, Nasir Howell and Telly Plummer missing either all or the majority of the year due to injury. Corner is a hard position to find ready-made guys for a system, but it's a position that will need to be addressed in some capacity.
Offensive line: The line was a work in progress for much, if not all, of 2022. Like the secondary, injuries played a part with starting right tackle Colin Truett -- a preseason All-Southern Conference pick -- missing most of the year, but it wasn't great before then and probably just okay by the end. Now this unit is replacing two starters, including potential NFL draft pick McClendon Curtis. Help could be on the way with Florida offensive lineman Griffin McDowell committing over the weekend, but one can't have enough quality offensive linemen.
Punter: This is just by default, as both punters in 2022 -- Gabe Boring and Jason Pierce -- are out of eligibility. Perhaps a transfer with multiple years of experience and a high school kid would be good in this spot.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC coach Rusty Wright argues a call at Finley Stadium on Saturday, November 12, 2022.