Rusty Wright and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coaching staff have a habit of pulling rabbits out of hats during National Signing Day.
Year in and year out since Wright's arrival as head coach in 2019, the Mocs have made it a habit to encourage some players committed to UTC to not post their commitments prior to NSD, instead choosing to announce their signings on the third Wednesday of December to prevent other schools from swooping in at the last moment and attempting to poach those players.
This season appears to be no different, as going into the three-day window of signing high school players and transfers, only 11 of the 17 players expected to sign with UTC during the first signing period have made their intentions known.
Among those is Cleveland athlete D.J. Adams, who officially announced his commitment last week after a senior season in which he had 630 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 28 catches, including a four-touchdown performance (three receiving, one on an 80-yard kickoff return) against East Ridge earlier in the year.
The Mocs have hit the transfer portal hard in recruiting, with UCLA quarterback Chase Artopoeus, Florida offensive lineman Griffen McDowell, Marist safety Clay Fields, Georgia Tech kicker Jude Kelley and, most recently, Tennessee State receiver Ziaire Thornton having made commitments.
Others having made commitments public are offensive lineman Aidan Donald, running back Malachi Jeffries, defensive end Isaiah Harvey, linebacker Zion Rutledge and junior college transfer defensive lineman EJ Thomas (a JuCo All-American in 2022).
The new players are expected to fill the void of 15 graduated players from a core that's gone 22-17 since Wright's arrival, including a 7-4 mark that fell just short of the playoffs this season.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.