UT Martin Football Has Proven It Belongs, Now Its Time To Write Another Chapter in 2025
8/22/2025 8:00:00 AM | Football
MARTIN, Tenn. – With a new season on the horizon, the University of Tennessee at Martin football team is set to embark on its next chapter of a dynasty run for a program which has won its share of four consecutive conference championships.
The word dynasty in sports is thrown around frequently when discussing some of the great teams of an extended period of time. For the Skyhawks, the team's play on the gridiron has put them in that conversation among some of the best programs in Ohio Valley Conference history.
Three decades ago, the Skyhawks struggled to find their footing with their new Division I standing but have progressively taken incremental steps from a cellar dweller, to contender and now to a championship favorite. UT Martin has officially rewritten the narrative with its play on the field as the program has strung together four consecutive conference championships – with two in the OVC while adding a pair in the OVC-Big South Football Association – along with earning berths to two Division I Football Championships since 2021.
UT Martin's time is now! Whether it is a drive for five titles or trying to go 1-0 each week, the Skyhawks' stock has never been higher.
One of the key components of a championship pedigree is sustained success. The college landscape has shifted and with players ushering themselves in and out of programs around the country, the task of building a roster that can compete year-in and year-out has never been harder. For a program that has prided itself on developing high school players and finding impact transfers, UT Martin has found that consistency under the direction of head coach Jason Simpson.
Simpson enters his 20th season at the helm of the Skyhawks and has proved to be the lynchpin of a program transformation. Prior to his arrival, UT Martin won just 20 conference contests in 14 seasons. Since taking the reins of his program in 2006, Simpson and the Skyhawks have only soared higher with 124 career victories and 93 conference wins to rank third in OVC history in both categories.
The task in 2025 will be finding a way to mix a large group of newcomers into a championship recipe. UT Martin lost 17 starters from a roster which won nine games and picked up the program's second postseason victory during its Division I Era. Key transfers will look to fill voids atop the depth chart at most position groups while relying on the experience of the offensive line and in the secondary.
Eight players were named to the OVC-Big South Football Association Preseason Players to Watch team, highlighted by consensus All-American cornerback JaMichael McGoy, Jr., quarterback Jase Bauer, running back Armoni Goodwin, wide receiver Phaizon Wilson, tight end Drake Martinez, offensive lineman Josiah Tingley, linebacker Tah Mac Bright Banda and punter Jaren Van Winkle. While only McGoy, Tingley and Van Winkle have seen action for the Skyhawks in their careers, fellow returners including safeties Josh Hastings and Jacob Stevenson along with cornerback LaMarion Pierce are set to build off strong campaigns a season ago.
When asked about how this team has come together with so many new faces in key positions, Simpson said I think I am being realistic in our evaluation. We have had a good camp and I enjoy being around these kids. They have worked hard and have really improved. I think it will take a few weeks to really find out who we are, but I like where we are heading into the season.
UT Martin will be tested early and often in the opening weeks of the season. First on deck are back-to-back road matchups against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foes beginning with the season opener against Big 12 foe Oklahoma State (Aug. 28) and then traveling to Conference USA member UTEP (Sept. 6) for Week 2. The Skyhawks will then make their home debut on Saturday, Sept. 13 when playing host to Missouri Valley Football Conference foe and regional rival Southern Illinois. The non-conference slate then caps off the following week with the team's third FBS matchup of the campaign with a road trip to new Conference USA program and recent rival Missouri State (Sept. 20).
With non-conference play in the rearview mirror, UT Martin will turn its attention to the OVC-Big South Football Association action where it has won at least a share of four straight conference crowns. For the second straight season the conference opener will feature a matchup against bitter league rival Southeast Missouri (Sept. 27) before the team makes its first-ever trip to Lindenwood (Oct. 4). The final six games of the season see the Skyhawks take on Western Illinois (Oct. 11), Gardner-Webb (Oct. 18), Eastern Illinois (Nov. 1), Tennessee State (Nov. 8), Charleston Southern (Nov. 15) and Tennessee Tech (Nov. 22).
Quarterbacks
UT Martin went to the portal to find its next starting quarterback and cashed in with senior Jase Bauer who joins the Skyhawks after previous stops at both Central Michigan and Sam Houston at the FBS level. The dual-threat quarterback has played in 25 games in his collegiate career while tallying over 2,600 yards and 15 touchdowns. Pushing Bauer throughout camp was Julian Calvez who returns to a familiar role for his second season with the Skyhawks after playing in seven games in 2024 as the team's primary backup.
Jase will be our starter and I am excited to see him play, Simpson said. Part of his game is being able to move around and make some plays with his feet because his first couple steps get full speed very quickly. Then when you add in that he's a very accurate passer, it is something we are excited about.
Running Backs
The Skyhawks have turned into a running back factory during their championship run with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushers joining the record books recently. UT Martin is hoping it can continue that trend but will see multiple guys garner touches throughout the season. Bauer reunites with his fellow teammate as Sam Houston transfer John Gentry who is tabbed to take the bulk of the first team reps early in the season. Gentry played in 21 games for the Bearkats in two seasons while racking up 466 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore running back Chris Franklin is looking to take the next step as he climbs the depth chart and make a name for himself after his older brother Sam Franklin ate up opposing rushing defenses in 2023. After previous stops at LSU and UAB, Armoni Goodwin is expected to see action in the backfield while JUCO transfer Thomas Ansley is also fighting for carries.
JG brings experience to the group and some maturity, Simpson said. He has played in some big games and had some big days out here during camp. Chris has good size, can get to full speed pretty quickly, works hard and is a great teammate. Then with Armoni, he is built low to the ground and is very powerful. He is a lot faster than you think he is and is so hard to knock off his feet. Then you see Tommy getting better every day and is more of a power type runner. I think when you look at the group, we expect them to be a strength of this team.
Wide Receivers
The Skyhawks lost a pair of all-conference receivers off last year's team and went fishing in the portal to catch a couple impact performers. UT Martin came back with some added size with the addition of Phaizon Wilson (Akron), Keyshaun Pipkin (Northern Illinois) and Dazalin Worsham (West Georgia/UAB/Auburn) from the FBS level. Add the newcomers to a crop of returners which include Bryce Bailey, Scottie Alexander and Shawn Hardy II to create an intriguing wide receiver unit with big-play potential.
We have been able to add some size back to that group, Simpson said. We added Phaizon who is 6-3 and has outstanding hand-eye coordination. He is just trying to figure out our system and play at a high level consistently. Then Pipkin has probably flashed the most during camp as far as being able to stretch the field a little bit with some size and length which is exciting to see. Then Dazalin has shown the ability to consistently execute while our most consistent returning player has been Bryce. He is faster than you think and just runs past people while making some tough catches and is a good blocker. He leads that group, he really does.
Tight Ends
After leading the OVC-Big South with 10 receiving touchdowns from their tight ends last season, the Skyhawks have shown their desire to have well-rounded producers at the tight end position. Merging the need for pass catchers and impact blockers, the Skyhawks have added Houston Christian transfer Drake Martinez to the fold after tallying a pair of touchdowns for the Huskies last season. The group also features returners Hyatt Timosciek and Jaren Bowling after seeing limited action as redshirt-freshmen in 2024.
I know you look at last year's stats from this group, and its eye-catching, but I think we have improved the group, Simpson said. Tight end is a spot where we need willing blockers who can help us in the pass game as well. Drake has proven to be a steady, tough player who is also a great teammate. He can catch the ball in traffic, is a good route runner and a willing blocker. Hyatt is outstanding in the pass game and is an improved blocker while Jaren has really gotten better and improved as a third-year player for us. Those three guys have done a good job and I'm excited about watching them play.
Offensive Line
The bulk of the team's returning firepower on offense isn't at the skill positions, but rather with the group which labels itself the BossHogs – the offensive line. The Skyhawks return three players who played significant snaps for an offense which set school records for total offense (5,249 yards), first downs (255) and rushing touchdowns (28). It all starts at the center position where Josiah Tingley slides over from guard and spans out to Elijah Bowser (14 starts) and Jai'Lun Hampton (13 games played) to anchor a new-look offensive line. Fellow returners Mitchell Appleton, Preston Yarber, Andrew Smithberger and Dolapo Egunjobi will fight with newcomer Eric Lane for the other two starting spots on the line while providing rotational depth throughout the season.
We expect this group to be a strength of our team, Simpson said. The bulk of our returners come back in this group and we have raised our standard. In the past, we used to look for eight, nine bodies that were physically mature enough to be able to play in our league at a high level. Now we have raised our level where he can focus on who is playing at a high level in the run game, in the pass game, with the technique and movement to control a defense. Kevin Bannon does a nice job of evaluating our offensive line and developing a unit which plays winning football with a multiple offense.
Defensive Line
Arguably the group hardest hit by the outgoing transfer portal was the defensive line which lost six impact performers in the offseason. The Skyhawks had to find replacements and are looking from within to fill the void with Lebron Edmond, Toby Camp and Jabaree Dawkins slated to see heavy action on the front line. Joining that group is redshirt-freshman Chris Wilson, sophomore Broderick Tommie, Jr. and transfer Duston Chavis among others.
We got hit hard up front but are looking forward to seeing how this next wave performs, Simpson said. I think we have seen flashes. Flashes of athleticism and length, even though we aren't as girthy as we have been in the past. That front seven will have to play together as a unit because we don't necessarily have an eraser-type guy over there. We know it will look a little bit different, but we are hoping for comparable results.
Linebackers
The Skyhawks had three all-conference linebackers which left via graduation after last season – including one to NFL minicamps. The goal of the offseason was to solidify the critical group for the defense and the team did that through the transfer portal where they brought in two transfers in Tah Mac Bright Banda (Lamar/Marshall/Incarnate Word) and Iese Puni (West Georgia/Utah Tech). The duo brings a wealth of experience with 52 games of career appearances while sixth-year senior Shamari Weir boasts 39 games in his Skyhawk career. Then at outside linebacker, Keyshawn Johnson posted big performances in his debut season and is looking for a bigger role in 2025.
Puni and Tah are both experienced backers with really good size, Simpson said. Then when you add in Shamari and we have some nice depth. The thing is, this is still a new defense for them with just 15 practices in the spring and a little over 20 in fall camp. The biggest challenge will be seeing how long it takes them to come together. I think the talent is there, it just might take until game three to truly see that comfort level translate to game speed.
Cornerbacks
After leading the FCS in pass breakups for the past two seasons, UT Martin's cornerback group might be deeper that it ever has been. Consensus preseason All-American JaMichael McGoy, Jr. leads the group after setting school records in passes defended while fellow preseason All-American LaMarion Pierce returns following a breakout season of his own. Having a pair of All-Americans on the corners would be plenty for most teams, but the Skyhawks feel the depth has continued to grow with the return of Doug Newsome (Charlotte) and Chris Rhodes (Arkansas) after missing most (if not all) of last season with injury while a handful of young performers are climbing the depth chart.
We have seen a lot tighter coverage and pass breakups from this group all camp, Simpson said. We've got some length and some guys that care really run back there. There is probably more depth at the corner spot than we have had in a long time with a lot of competition. Even though we have J-Mike (McGoy) and LP (Pierce) back there, they have really had to play to keep their spot – because everyone is pushing each other – and that's great.
Safeties
While the corners have gotten a lot of the preseason buzz, the Skyhawks return three starters at safety in the form of Josh Hastings, Jacob Stevenson and Kaleb Almo. Hastings and Stevenson started the majority of contests for the Skyhawks at safety last season while combining for 116 tackles and 11 pass breakups in 2024. Almo returns from an injury which robbed him of his junior year after playing in 16 games his first two seasons. Behind that group is Southern Miss transfer Jordan Johnson and a pair of returners in Joel Castleberry and Zamaryion Farmer-McCray.
There is a lot of experience back there with Josh and Jacob headlining the unit and we will have to rely on those guys, Simpson said. We are looking at a luxury that we haven't always had in the past. In some years we would rush three and drop eight because we didn't feel like we could leave our corners and safeties by themselves. Now we think we are more comfortable where we could bring five-man pressures and play some more man coverage to help with the pass rush.
Specialists
After playing the role of three different specialists packaged into one in 2024 and winning a pair of OVC-Big South Specialist of the Week honors, Jaren Van Winkle returns for his second season to highlight the position group. This season will see Van Winkle serve as the team's primary punter and place holder while newcomers Cade Hechter (Bethune-Cookman) and Brandon Sims (Jacksonville High School) will compete for the place kicking and kickoff duties throughout the season.
We have seen a lot of positives out of our specialist throughout camp, Simpson said. Jaren did a good job for us last year, but doing all three jobs is tough, it really is. We wanted to make sure he could concentrate on punting and I think he is a very good punter who can flip the field for us and hold. Meanwhile, those other guys have been in a good competition, and we have probably made a lot more kicks this camp that in some years. I think the place-kicking will continue to be a battle throughout the season, but we like that we have good options.
UT Martin opens the season on Thursday, Aug. 28 when traveling to Big 12 foe Oklahoma State for a first-time meeting. Kickoff from Stillwater, Okla. is slated for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
