UT MARTIN FOOTBALL LOOKS TO TALENTED AND DEEP ROSTER FOR HIGH HOPES IN 2021

UT MARTIN FOOTBALL LOOKS TO TALENTED AND DEEP ROSTER FOR HIGH HOPES IN 2021

8/28/2021 12:00:00 PM | Football

MARTIN, Tenn. - After the 2020 offseason for the University of Tennessee at Martin football squad marked the longest break between action since the program took a short pause during World War II, the Skyhawks now return to the gridiron in the shortest span in history when opening the season next week.

With the 2020 campaign postponed from the fall to spring last season because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Skyhawks went 472 days between regular season matchups before playing its abbreviated schedule beginning in March. Conversely, when UT Martin opens the 2021 season against Western Kentucky next Thursday, the program will have had the shortest turnaround time in program history as just 144 days have ticked off the calendar since a thrilling season-finale win over Tennessee Tech on Apr. 11.

At the helm of the Skyhawk program is head coach Jason Simpson who enters his 16^th season. With a career record of 90-77, Simpson is the longest tenured coach in the Ohio Valley Conference and just the sixth coach to spend 15 or more years at one school while his 90 victories rank sixth in league history.

"Martin is a special place because it is my home and the place where I have been able to raise my three children," Simpson said. "I love this community and what it does for our players and program. What we might not always have from a resource standpoint, we have from an emotional connection with our community and all the different things they do for our program and players. I have really enjoyed being a part of that for the last 16 years. The success we have had is because of this town. We have players from all over the country that come to Martin, have a safe place to live and find people that want to be a part of their lives, watch them development and see them grow into successful men."

While the turnaround has been short, the talent returning is plentiful within the Skyhawk roster featuring nine starters back on both sides of the ball along with 73 letter winners. The veteran roster is highlighted by eight players which garnered All-OVC honors last season in Colton Dowell (wide receiver), Donnell Williams (wide receiver), Rodney Williams II (tight end), Matthan Hatchie (offensive line), JaQuez Akins (rover), Jay Woods (defensive back), Deven Sims (safety) and Tyler Larco (place kicker).

"We finished last season on April 11 and then we gave the guys off the rest of April and May," Simpson said. "Some of these guys I couldn't keep out of here in June, but the rest of the team didn't get back until July because I think we really needed that mental and physical break before we got ready to go again."

"I'm really excited to see this team compete. We return a lot of players and have a special group when you think of all the guys that have been here five and six years. We have more depth than we have ever had because our backups are second and third-year players and we don't usually have that. Then we were also able to add to that with the transfer portal giving us a really quality team. I think there will be a high level of football this year because of the amount of talent every team has been able to accumulate without losing guys to graduation. We will just have to execute and consistently play at a higher level than our opponents."

UT Martin will bank heavily on its experience to carry a heavy load this season along with several key newcomers. The Skyhawks return nine starters on offense while looking to fill a hole on the offensive line and at quarterback. The team's most explosive offensive unit looks to be the receiving core which features a pair of All-OVC receivers in Dowell and Donnell Williams along with All-American tight end Rodney Williams II. As a whole, the squad returns 89 percent of its receiving output from the OVC's top passing offense from last season.

The running back group also features a key work horse in senior Peyton Logan who has ranked as one of the top all-around athletes in the league while accumulating 2,153 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns in the last three seasons. Along with Zak Wallace who tallied 39 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown last season in his first full season, the Skyhawks have added to their depth with two key FBS transfers in Tim Taylor (Memphis) and Jordan Castleberry (Maryland) to make the ground attack even more dynamic.

Fighting in the trenches will be an offensive line unit which returns four starters from last season. While Hatchie – an All-OVC performer – returns to his post at center, so does Michael Shanahan (left tackle), Chris Jackson (left guard) and Gavin Olson (right guard) along the front-five. Mid-year transfer Lamar Morgan won the starting spot at right tackle while graduates Malcolm Miller and Cru Birdyshaw feature starting experience at various positions in their careers as well.

"I think the main thing for us is that we have always had good skill with the running backs and receivers, but this is the first time in several years that we have an experienced offensive line," Simpson said. "The last couple of years we have been decimated by injuries and just had to fight through it. Now we have more depth and if that group with all the experience they have, can improve their level of play, then I think we can have a really good football team."

While the Skyhawks hope to find similar contributions from their skill positions and increased consistency on the line, a new quarterback will be in shotgun when the season opens. While veteran quarterback Dresser Winn is tabbed to play a role in the offense as the year goes along, rehab from a mid-season injury in the spring has delayed the start to his season. Meanwhile, the keys to the offense were officially handed to Tulane graduate transfer Keon Howard to start the season. The dual-threat quarterback brings 23 games of experience and nine starts from the FBS level.

Much like the offensive unit, UT Martin's defense also returns a large group of starters with nine players who started at least four games in the spring. Up front the Skyhawks boast a mix of veteran contributors in Austin Pickett, David DuBose and Korbin Harmon while also adding impact transfers in Eyabi Anoma (Alabama/Houston), Keion Willis (Missouri) and Jay Rogers (Northern Colorado). Pickett was an All-OVC first team selection in 2019 while DuBose and Harmon both posted nice seasons in the spring with 8.5 combined tackles for loss. Anoma looks to be a key component at the jack position as the nation's former No. 4 prospect and SEC All-Freshman performer returns to the gridiron after missing the previous two seasons due to transfer rules.

At linebacker the team returns both starters in graduates John Ford and D'Carrious Stephens. Ford ranked second on the team with 43 tackles along with two interceptions in seven games last season while Stephens is a three-year starter which led the team with 6.0 tackles for loss. The position has a lot of depth with the addition of Louisville transfer Robert Hicks along with returners Tevin Shipp and Chris Hunter who both posted nice debut seasons.

The secondary features three All-OVC selections in Akins (rover), Sims (free safety) and Woods (cornerback) who retained their respective starting roles. The other two starting spots will be held by senior safety Takeem Young and Tennessee transfer Shawn Shamburger at cornerback. Depth will be an asset to the unit as second-year freshmen Anthony Prospere, Oshae Baker, Alexander Andre, Carson Evans, Antonio Jackson and AJ Moss along with JUCO transfer Fahreed Cheeks claim roles on the depth chart.

On special teams, UT Martin returns multi-dimensional specialist Tyler Larco who was named a Freshman All-American last season along with receiving all-conference honors. Larco will carry a heavy load as he serves as the team's primary place kicker, punter and kickoff specialist this season after making 10-of-12 field goal attempts and averaging 41.8 yards per punt last season. The unit also is spotlighted by junior long-snapper Brock Powers who has started at that position in 29 consecutive games.

UT Martin has 11 regular season tests while vying for one of 24 FCS Playoff berths. The Skyhawks open the season at Western Kentucky on Sept. 2 while also playing three other FCS non-conference matchups against Samford, Northwestern State and Jacksonville State. Once entering the OVC schedule, the team will play each of the other six football members of the league while squaring off with Southeast Missouri in a home-and-home series with the first matchup officially counting as a non-conference matchup.