The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team recently picked up a pair of commitments for its 2016 recruiting class, and each player spoke of something that seems to be building for the program.
Tradition.
The newest players pledged to the Mocs are linebacker Ben Schrider and cornerback Cortez Davis.
Schrider (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) is originally from Oakland, Calif. He played for Richmond this past season and had 12 tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and three quarterback hurries in 13 games as a freshman. He will begin classes at UTC this week but will sit out the 2016 season and have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
"UTC to me has the perfect setup," Schrider said Sunday. "The combination of football success and winning tradition with a great school location and academic support, I fell in love with UTC the moment I got here last week. It is the perfect setup, and the program has a bright future that I immediately wanted to be a part of."
Davis (5-11, 185) was on campus this weekend, spending time with the football team and taking in the men's basketball team's home win over East Tennesse State University. From Flowery Branch, Ga., he originally committed to Kennesaw State but de-committed recently and chose the Mocs after his visit.
"They're building a lot of tradition both on and off the field," Davis said. "I had a chance to check out the business school and meet the professors, and that was pretty cool.
"I think my speed and my ability to cover are a couple of my biggest traits, plus I have long arms that help me cover. It's a blessing really to have this chance, and I'm honored to be a part of the things they're doing. The program is headed in the right direction."
Huesman MVP of Tropic Bowl
Former Mocs quarterback Jacob Huesman, the three-time Southern Conference offensive player of the year who completed his senior season this past fall, was named MVP of the Tropic Bowl on Sunday in Miami, Fla.
Stats were not available, but Huesman reportedly threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the senior showcase as his team won 38-14.
The first-year game had representatives from the Power 5 conferences along with some of the top Football Championship Subdivision players, and there were reportedly 27 NFL teams scouting talent at the game.
Two other SoCon players were on the game's rosters: Samford kicker Anthony Pistelli and defensive end Mitchell Jeter of The Citadel.
"I had a blast," Huesman said in a release. "It was fun to get out there and compete. I enjoyed getting to know guys from the other teams and see how I measured up against players from the SEC and ACC."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.