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 on to the defense.
After talking about both the defensive line and linebackers, we wrap things up with the secondary.
Who’s gone: Reuben Lowery III (graduated; 11 games, 11 starts, 62 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2 interceptions); Jordan Walker (transferred to West Virginia; 12 games, 12 starts, 60 tackles, 7 passes broken up); Josh Battle (transferred to Southern Miss; 12 games, 12 starts, 58 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1 interception); D’Arco Perkins-McAllister (transferred to Louisiana-Monroe; 12 games, 11 starts, 35 tackles, 3 interceptions); Beni Mwamba (transferred to Memphis; 7 games, 4 starts, 17 tackles, 2 interceptions); Rickie Davis Jr. (transferred; 9 games, 9 tackles); Demetrius Coleman (transferred to Division II Valdosta State; 12 games, 1 start, 7 tackles); Chayce Bishop (graduated; 11 games, 7 tackles); Amaari Smith (transferred to Division II Savannah State; 9 games); Christian Harris (transferred to Butler Community College; did not play); Jett Hood (left team; did not play).
Who’s back: Jeremiah Batiste (senior, 5-11, 183; 12 games, 5 starts, 21 tackles, 3 interceptions, 7 passes broken up); Martez Cooksey Jr. (sophomore, 5-9, 186; 12 games, 1 start, 18 tackles); Taylor Smallwood (junior, 6-0, 207; 3 games, 3 starts, 14 tackles); Kam Baah-Slay (junior, 6-3, 189; 12 games; 10 tackles, 2 passes broken up); D.J. Adams (junior, 6-0, 167; 10 games, 7 tackles); Josh Jones (senior, 5-9, 209); Jarian Dunlap, Jr. (senior, 6-3, 194).
Who’s in: Nick Coates (senior, transfer from Eastern Illinois, 5-9, 189; 4 games, 17 tackles); Jordan Davis (freshman, transfer from Ball State, 6-2, 197; redshirted); Kaelin Drakeford (senior, transfer from Eastern Illinois, 6-3, 201; 12 games, 10 starts, 63 tackles); Khari Gee (junior, transfer from Georgia Tech, 6-2, 199; did not play in 2024); Jonathan Harris, Jr. (junior, transfer from NAIA Taylor University, 5-10, 186; 11 games, 29 tackles, 4 passes broken up); Keyshawn Jackson (sophomore, transfer from East Carolina, 6-3, 189; redshirted); AJ Wallace (freshman, transfer from Arkansas State, 6-2, 183; redshirted); KJ Sejour (freshman, 5-9, 150); Austin Kent (freshman, 6-0, 180); Jaden Nelson (freshman, 5-11, 184); Kamari Todd (freshman, 6-1, 170)
The breakdown: There will never be a dearth of talent in the UTC secondary, and even as there was essentially a roster flip in the back end of the defense with four primary starters gone, the retooling suggests that the position group will be fine. If nothing else, it will be long as four of the six transfers UTC brought in are listed at 6-foot-2 at least, and will certainly add to the competition with the returning players, highlighted by Batiste, a former Tyner standout who tied for the team lead in interceptions last season. Smallwood also started the first three games in 2024 at corner before an upper-body injury sidelined him the rest of the way, and Adams, a former Cleveland standout, has been in the mix since he arrived two seasons ago. Jackson, the tallest of the transfers at 6-3, will be an intriguing option at cornerback.
Baah-Slay currently has the most experience of the returners at safety, but he will be pushed by a myriad of options that were brought in. Gee was a four-star prospect coming out of high school with stops at Notre Dame and Georgia Tech, while Drakeford has 20 career starts from his time at Eastern Illinois. Wallace, a Chattanooga native, and Davis are long, athletic players who both redshirted at their first stops, so it’s unclear where either figures in as of yet.
Cooksey leads the way at the nickel position to replace Lowery, while Coates, who was an All-Ohio Valley Conference pick in 2022 at EIU, will be his primary competition.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.
