University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo recently called sophomore Javin Whatley “a utility player” for the UTC offense.
The label makes sense because although Whatley, a 5-foot-10, 169-pound slot receiver, is not always a featured part of the passing game, he has a skill set that can be called into duty whenever necessary.
“He plays inside, he plays outside, he can carry the football if I need him to carry the football,” Pizzo said. “He can throw the football — he was a good quarterback in high school. He’s a quiet kid, about his business, but he shows up every Saturday, which is a real benefit.”
Whatley went over 1,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in each of his final two prep seasons as a quarterback at Rockmart in northwest Georgia, and he had spent little time at receiver before signing with the Mocs. However, UTC head coach Rusty Wright pointed out that playing receiver may have been the only thing Whatley didn’t do in high school a lot of, because he also played defense and was part of the kicking game.
Doing whatever the team needs just vibes with Whatley, who redshirted in 2021, earned Freshman All-America recognition in 2022 and has gotten off to a good start this season with 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 13 catches for the Mocs (2-1, 1-0 Southern Conference), who face Samford (1-2, 0-1) at 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday at Seibert Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.