Moments after the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's 2021 football season, once filled with so many expectations, came to a crumbling finish, coach Rusty Wright was pretty direct in his assessment of the Mocs' top priority this offseason.
"We've got to find a quarterback," he said after the Mocs lost 24-21 at home to The Citadel on Nov. 20 to finish the season 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Southern Conference.
"We've got to find somebody who can either run or push the ball downfield. We'll find a way to run the football, but we have to find a way to spread people out and make them defend the whole field."
It made sense that the Mocs would need to find at least one quarterback this offseason: It's not a group the coaching staff feels confident about.
Drayton Arnold had just one touchdown and four interceptions while appearing in six games this fall in his final season at UTC, and while McCallie graduate Robert Riddle returned to Chattanooga with some fanfare due to some success at his previous collegiate stop (SoCon member Mercer) and a prior relationship with offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo there, he was never able to get on the field due to injuries that occurred during his time with the Bears. In addition, reports around Ty Gossett haven't exactly inspired awe ahead of his sophomore season, and practice observations suggest he has a great arm that loves to throw deep passes but struggles to make some of the shorter ones.
That leaves rising senior Cole Copeland, and that's really where the conversation begins. The Bradley Central graduate was 6-3 as the primary starting quarterback this season and completed 59% of his passes for 1,555 yards, but he also had nine interceptions to just six touchdowns, and UTC coaches never really seemed to embrace him as the starter as much as they accepted he was the best option.
Copeland had his moments. He threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns against Samford; also reached 200 yards against Western Carolina (239) and Wofford (200); led a six-play, 39-yard drive at Virginia Military Institute to tie the game and force overtime; and was solid in the game at Kentucky, a 28-23 loss to a Southeastern Conference team that can reach 10 wins with a bowl victory.
UTC's staff believes it can do better at the position, though, based on how the Mocs have recruited since their season ended. They appear to be trying to bring in two quarterbacks - one from the high school ranks and one transfer - this recruiting cycle, which begins with the early signing period next week (Dec. 15-17). Perhaps three quarterbacks (two of them transfers) would be a better option based on how coaches seem to feel about their current group at the position, but the expectation is two.
The Mocs have been trying to make inroads with some prospects and have had some success. Northern Iowa transfer Will McElvain has already been on campus. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder received Freshman All-America recognition in 2019 after throwing for 2,778 yards and 20 touchdowns and setting the school's freshman passing record.
He's going to be a tough grab, having already reported 11 Division I offers - including from Football Bowl Subdivision member North Texas - since entering his name in the transfer portal, but UTC coaches felt his recent visit went well.
That would leave just the high school kid, and the Mocs feel as though they are in a good spot there. Lukas Schomburg, who prepped at Sparkman in Harvest, Alabama, is expected to be on campus this weekend. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, who also holds an offer from Georgia State and visited the Panthers last week, had three 200-yard passing performances in 2021 and finished with 14 touchdowns to just eight interceptions despite his offensive line struggling for much of the season.
If Wright and his staff don't feel good about Copeland, they have to find better.
It appears they are taking the steps to do so now.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.