University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football head coach Russ Huesman announced another outstanding recruiting class today. The Mocs inked a 15-member group that is again considered to be among the best in the Football Championship Subdivision for the three-time defending Southern Conference Champions.
“I am really excited about this class,” stated Huesman, who guided Chattanooga to a 9-4 record and a second-straight trip to the FCS Playoffs. “We are filling a lot of needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
We are also going to be able to build some depth at other positions. We have some great athletes, and we are excited about it.”
Chattanooga had a balanced approach, taking five offensive players, nine on defense and one athlete that could play on either side of the ball. There are eight from Tennessee, four from Alabama, two from Georgia and one Californian.
“One of the big things we are excited about is the number of Tennessee players in this class,” added Huesman. “It doesn’t always happen that way, but we got on some of these guys really early in the process and that gave us a great opportunity to recruit who we felt like were the best players we could get it the state of Tennessee. I think we did a great job of winning a lot of recruiting battles with the kids in Tennessee.”
This is Huesman’s eighth recruiting class since taking over at his alma mater in December of 2008. It includes four transfers, which is the most for a single class in his tenure. It is also the first time Huesman has taken multiple junior college transfers in one year.
The four-year transfers include Thomas Richard (WR - Missouri) and Ben Schrider (ATH - Richmond). Both have three years of eligibility remaining, but Schrider has to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules. JUCO transfers Jalen Harvey (Northwest Mississippi JC) and Derek Mahaffey (East Central (Miss.) CC) are both defensive linemen with three years of eligibility.
For the third year in a row, 10 members of the class had FBS offers before choosing the Mocs. Also, for the fourth year in a row, at least nine student-athletes have earned academic honors along with their impressive athletic credentials.
Of the 15 newcomers, nine earned all-state honors in their prep careers. Two incoming freshman bring a three-star rating, including Joseph Richard (WR - Nashville, Tenn.) and Jerrell Lawson (DB - Brundidge, Ala.). Four other freshmen are two-star prospects, including Quintin Alibocas (DL - Johnson City, Tenn.), Jonathan Decker (DE - Alcoa, Tenn.), Rashun Freeman (DB - Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Zack Weatherly (QB - Nashville, Tenn.).
Others with all-state credentials are Demarcus Clarke (DE - Madison, Ala.) and Jack Keebler (TE - Chattanooga, Tenn.). The group is rounded out by three other impact freshmen in Cortez Davis (DB - Dekalb County, Ga.), Brian Marshall (OL - Marietta, Ga.) and Elijah Pankey (DB - Nashville, Tenn.).
Six of the Mocs seven previous classes were ranked in the top 10 in the FCS and this one should be no different. Chattanooga was second last season and held the top spot in 2014. The 2013 group was No. 5, followed by No. 10 in 2011, No. 8 in 2010 and No. 9 in 2009. Ironically, the 2012 class, which includes rising senior All-Americans Corey Levin and Keionta Davis, was not in the top 25 in the FCS that year.
Check out full bios, video highlights and comments from Coach Huesman in the chart below. Fans are encouraged to attend tonight’s Signing Day Celebration presented by Zaxby’s at the Stadium Club in Finley Stadium. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) with the program beginning at 5:45 p.m.
The flagship radio station of the Mocs Sports Network, 96.1 The Legend, is broadcasting live throughout the day from the Stadium Club. Tune in on your way to the party to hear interviews with UTC coaches during the breaks.