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Mocs much better with Javin Whatley making catches

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC's Javin Whatley returns a kickoff 36 yards during the first half of Saturday night's game against Portland State at Finley Stadium. Whatley, a redshirt junior receiver, had three touchdowns among his eight catches for 108 yards in the Mocs' fourth game of the season after totaling eight catches for 105 yards over the first three games.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC's Javin Whatley returns a kickoff 36 yards during the first half of Saturday night's game against Portland State at Finley Stadium. Whatley, a redshirt junior receiver, had three touchdowns among his eight catches for 108 yards in the Mocs' fourth game of the season after totaling eight catches for 105 yards over the first three games. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC's Javin Whatley returns a kickoff 36 yards during the first half of Saturday night's game against Portland State at Finley Stadium. Whatley, a redshirt junior receiver, had three touchdowns among his eight catches for 108 yards in the Mocs' fourth game of the season after totaling eight catches for 105 yards over the first three games.

By Gene Henley 5 min read

Javin Whatley entered the 2024 season with all of the accolades befitting an elite wide receiver.

Preseason All-Southern Conference selection. Preseason All-American in the Football Championship Subdivision. His name on the Shrine Bowl 1000 watch list of players with NFL potential.

After finishing just 23 yards shy of 1,000 while scoring nine touchdowns last season, Whatley was primed for a big year as one of two primary options at the position for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, along with fellow redshirt junior Sam Phillips.

Over the first month, though, Phillips started hot with 300-plus yards on 19 catches (including an 84-yard touchdown against Georgia State) while Whatley struggled, with only eight catches and a couple of drops over the first three games as he adjusted to additional coverage being shifted in his direction.

When the Mocs returned from their open date for Saturday’s home game against Portland State, they appeared to be making a concerted effort to provide some early touches for the 5-foot-10, 167-pounder from Rockmart, Georgia. Whatley’s response to five targets in the first quarter was four catches, including a 28-yard touchdown for a 21-7 lead, and he also had a 36-yard kickoff return in the period that reminded people of just how talented he was.