There’s a sense of urgency for University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior cornerback D.J. Adams entering the 2026 season.
Although he’s been able to find roles on the team throughout his three-year career, he went to UTC to be a cornerback and prepare himself for the next step in life — on the field or off.
The former Cleveland High School standout didn’t really stand out until his final year of high school, when he had 630 yards and seven touchdowns on 28 catches (including a four-touchdown performance) and had three interceptions and three fumble recoveries on defense. Prior to that season, he had struggled to find a consistent spot in the rotation.
So, upon arriving at UTC he had to find his role. First he had to gain some weight — after arriving at around 140 pounds, he’s now up to almost 180 –and he began to make his way on special teams as a freshman before continuing to contribute there as a sophomore. Last season he started to get some real time at cornerback, starting the final three contests, a position he started at this spring.
“I feel like the coaches, they finally actually took a chance and trusted me in this position,” Adams said. “I obviously established my stripes last year playing in a lot of games and stuff like that, but coming in this year, I feel like the coaches just had a lot more trust in me.