The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s 2025 football season kicks off on Aug. 30 at Memphis, and beat writer Gene Henley is taking a positional look at UTC’s roster. After spending the past few days on the offense, we’ve moved onto the defense.
A day after spotlighting the defensive line, today we spotlight the linebacker position.
Who’s gone: Alex Mitchell (transferred to MTSU; 12 games, 12 starts, 101 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2 INT); Kobe Joseph (graduated, 12 games, 5 starts, 58 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 TFL, 2 INT); Kameron Brown (graduated, 11 games, 7 starts, 36 tackles, 2 TFL); Kendall Jackson (left team)
Who’s back: Zion Rutledge (junior, 5-11, 229; 12 games, 25 tackles, 4 TFL); Amanuel Dickson (sophomore, 5-10, 215; 12 games, 8 tackles); Landon Feggins (freshman, 6-0, 226, redshirted); Gavin Helton (freshman, 5-11, 215, redshirted)
Who’s in: Kristian Ozane (junior, transfer from Davidson, 5-11, 223; 11 games, 36 tackles, 5 for loss); Jonathan Hunter-Horton (senior, transfer from Virginia Military Institute, 6-1, 210; 8 games at safety and linebacker); Gunnar Clary (freshman, 6-1, 196)
The breakdown: The UTC linebacking corps were already going to look different entering 2025 with the graduations of Brown and Joseph, but Mitchell’s decision to enter the portal and head back to his hometown of Murfreesboro was really a hit to the position group. It’s become kind of a plug-and-play spot for the Mocs over the years, with talented players such as Nakevion Leslie, Tae Davis, Marshall Cooper and Ty Boeck leading the group over the past decade. Rutledge is expected to be the next player in line to lead the way, and it’s something he’s been gearing up for since he arrived on campus in 2023.
UTC doesn’t carry many linebackers, so it’s important to really hit on quality at the position. The Mocs didn’t do a ton in recruiting this season, leaning on the development of the 2024 recruiting class and guys like Dickson and Feggins could be ready to step into larger roles. But, if not, the Mocs brought experience in with Ozane — who was productive at Davidson and has gained over 20 pounds of muscle since his arrival — and Hunter-Horton, a versatile player who has graduated from VMI, making him eligible to compete for the Mocs despite the Southern Conference’s intraconference transfer rules forcing underclassmen to sit if they move within schools in the league.
The Mocs play four linebackers primarily, and it appears Rutledge will man one of the vacated spots. A couple of things in camp to watch will be who joins him and who is next in line.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.
