UTC's Strange Earns Jacobs Blocking Award, Eight Mocs Earn All-SoCon Honors

  • Thursday, April 22, 2021
UTC's Cole Strange was named the Jacobs's Blocking Award winner on this year's Coaches All-SoCon Team.
UTC's Cole Strange was named the Jacobs's Blocking Award winner on this year's Coaches All-SoCon Team.
photo by Laura O'Dell

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team had eight individuals take home Southern Conference postseason honors, the league office announced today.  Leading the way was senior Cole Strange, who became the third Moc to win the Jacobs Blocking Award. 

 

Junior offensive lineman McClendon Curtis made the coaches first team, while junior defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell was selected to the first team by the league’s coaches and media.

In an odd result of the voting, Strange was a second team selection by the coaches and media.

 

Senior wide receiver Reginald Henderson and junior linebacker Ty Boeck joined Strange on the coaches second team, while sophomore defensive lineman Jay Person made both the coaches and media second teams. Wrapping up the selections were fefensive linemen John Prince and Quay Wiggles who were both selected to the SoCon All-Freshman team by the league’s coaches.

 

Strange, a four-year starter at left guard and preseason All-American, joins Mike Nease (1983) and current New York Jet Corey Levin (2014-15) as the only Mocs to win the Jacobs Blocking Award.  Strange shares the 2021 spring honor with ETSU’s Tre’mond Shorts.   

 

The Jacobs Blocking Award originated in 1928 by Dr. William P. Jacobs II, who helped organize Presbyterian College’s first varsity football team in 1913. From 1928 to 1932, the Jacobs Award was presented to a player from the state of South Carolina. Dr. Jacobs had a duplicate award

made and began presenting it to a Southern Conference player in 1933. Additional awards were subsequently made for the Southeastern (1935) and Atlantic Coast (1953) Conferences.

 

The head-scratcher of the list was Strange’s selection to the coaches and media second teams.  He is not the only one to have this anomaly.  VMI’s Stone Snyder shared the coaches defensive player of they year honor with ETSU’s Jared Folks, but was also a second team pick by the coaches.

 

Curtis has started the last two seasons at right guard for the Mocs.  The 6-7, 325-pound Chattanooga native joins Strange on one of the most dominant and experienced lines in the conference.

 

Maxwell made the first team for the second year in a row after leading the Mocs with 5.0 sacks in four games played. That mark is even more impressive number considering two of those contests were against triple-option Wofford and The Citadel.  He tied for team-high with 7.0 tackles-for-loss, while forcing a pair of fumbles.  Maxwell’s 1.25 sacks-per-game and 1.75 TFLs per outing both led the SoCon.

 

Henderson led the team with 15 catches for 285 yards in four games for his first career postseason honors. He was third in the league with 71.2 receiving yards per game.  He also led the team and was No. 18 in the FCS with 19.0 yards per catch.  That is the eighth-highest yards-per-catch in a season in school history.

 

Person tied with Maxwell for the team lead with 7.0 TFLs.  He also played in four games and tied Maxwell for the SoCon lead with 1.75 TLFs per game.  He had 3.0 sacks and was third in the league in sacks-per-game. 

 

Boeck totaled 31 tackles in four games to earn his second All-SoCon honors.  He was the FCS National Player of the Week after posting a pair of takeaways in the Mocs’ win at Furman on March 20. 

 

UTC’s defensive line is in good hands for years to come, as evident by Prince and Wiggles selection to the all-freshman team.  Prince started four games and had 14 tackles, including 3.0 TFLs, a sack and two hurries.  Wiggles, a former three-star prep prospect, made one start in four games on the line. 

 

The Mocs finished the 2020-21 season second in the SoCon with a 3-2 overall record and a 3-1 league tally.  They now turn their attention to the fall season, which kicks off in 133 days.  Chattanooga hosts Austin Peay for the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 7:30 p.m. (E.D.T.) at Finley Stadium.  Season tickets are on sale now on GoMocs.com. 

 

2020-21 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team

Offensive Player of the Year – Liam Welch, Gr., QB, Samford

Offensive Player of the Year – Jakob Herres, Jr., WR, VMI

Defensive Player of the Year ¬ Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU

Defensive Player of the Year ¬ Stone Snyder, So., VMI

Freshman of the Year – Seth Morgan, QB, VMI

Jacobs Blocking Award – Tre’mond Shorts, R-Jr., OL, ETSU

Jacobs Blocking Award – Cole Strange, Sr., OL, Chattanooga

Coach of the Year – Scott Wachenheim, VMI

 

First team offense

QB          Liam Welch, Gr., Samford

RB           Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU

RB           Donnavan Spencer, R-Sr., Western Carolina

OL           Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU

OL           Anderson Tomlin, R-So., Furman

OL           McClendon Curtis, Jr., Chattanooga

OL           Marshall Gill, Jr., VMI

OL           Isaiah Helms, So., Western Carolina

TE           Nate Adkins, Jr., ETSU

WR         Ty King, So., Samford

WR         Jakob Herres, Jr., VMI

 

First team defense

DL           Armond Lloyd, Gr., Samford

DL           Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga

DL           Jordan Ward, Sr., VMI

DL           Micheal Mason, So., Wofford

LB           Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU

LB           Willie Eubanks III, Sr., The Citadel

LB           Donovan Manuel, R-So., ETSU

DB          Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU

DB          Lance Wise, So., Mercer

DB          Chris Edmonds, So., Samford

DB          AJ Smith, Sr., VMI

 

First team special teams

PK           Mitchell Fineran, Jr., Samford

P             Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel

RS           Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

 

Second team offense

QB          Reece Udinski, Sr., VMI

RB           Devin Wynn, Sr., Furman

RB           Deondre Johnson, R-So., Mercer

OL           Haden Haas, R-Jr., The Citadel

OL           Gavin Orr, Jr., Samford

OL           Mike Williams, Sr., Samford

OL           Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga

OL           Nick Hartnett, R-So., VMI

TE           Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman

WR         Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

WR         Reginald Henderson, Sr., Chattanooga

 

Second team defense

DL           Cameron Coleman, R-So., Furman

DL           DJ McDaniel, Jr., Mercer

DL           Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer

DL           Nelson Jordan, Jr., Samford

DL           Jay Person, So., Chattanooga

LB           Isaac Dowling, Fr., Mercer

LB           Nathan East, Gr., Samford

LB           Ty Boeck, Jr., Chattanooga

LB           Stone Snyder, So., VMI

DB          Parrish Gordon, Gr., The Citadel

DB          Yahsyn McKee, So., Mercer

DB          Ethan Caselberry, Jr., VMI

DB          Tahir Annoor, So., Wofford

 

Second team special teams

PK           Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU

P             Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman

P             Caleb Dowden, R-So., Mercer

RS           Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU

 

All-Freshman Offense

Ben Brockington, The Citadel

Nathan Storch, The Citadel

Fred Norman Jr., ETSU

Noah West, ETSU

Jacob Johanning, Furman

Ethan Dirrim, Mercer

Ty James, Mercer

Carter Peevy, Mercer

Cooper Frazier, Samford

Seth Morgan, VMI

Irvin Mulligan, Wofford

 

All-Freshman Defense

Carson Hatchett, The Citadel

Di'Andre Davis, ETSU

Max Evans, ETSU

Alijah Huzzie, ETSU

Nick Kuzemka, Furman

Isaac Dowling, Mercer

Noah Martin, Samford

John Prince, Chattanooga

Quay Wiggles, Chattanooga

Alex Oliver, VMI

Dorian Davis, Western Carolina

Jaquarius Guinn, Western Carolina

 

All-Freshman Special Teams

Chance Knox, VMI

Jerry Rice, VMI

Paxton Robertson, Western Carolina

 

*******************************************

 

2020-21 SCSMA All-Southern Conference Football Team

Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year – Jakob Herres, Jr., WR, VMI

Defensive Player of the Year ¬ Stone Snyder, So., LB, VMI

Freshman of the Year – Carter Peevy, QB, Mercer

Wallace Wade Coach of the Year – Scott Wachenheim, VMI

 

First team offense

QB          Liam Welch, Gr., Samford

RB           Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU

RB           Donnavan Spencer, R-Sr., Western Carolina

OL           Haden Haas, R-Jr., The Citadel

OL           Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU

OL           Mike Williams, Sr., Samford

OL           Marshall Gill, Jr., VMI

OL           Nick Hartnett, R-So., VMI

TE           Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman

WR         Ty King, So., Samford

WR         Jakob Herres, Jr., VMI

 

First team defense

DL           Dalton Owens, R-Jr., The Citadel

DL           Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer

DL           Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga

DL           Micheal Mason, So., Wofford

LB           Anthony Britton Jr., So., The Citadel

LB           Isaac Dowling, Fr., Mercer

LB           Stone Snyder, So., VMI

DB          Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU

DB          Darius Kearse, Sr., Furman

DB          Lance Wise, So., Mercer

DB          Chris Edmonds, So., Samford

 

First team special teams

PK           Mitchell Fineran, Jr., Samford

P             Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel

RS           Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

 

Second team offense

QB          Reece Udinski, Sr., VMI

RB           Devin Wynn, Sr., Furman

RB           Deondre Johnson, R-So., Mercer

OL           Anderson Tomlin, R-So., Furman

OL           John Harris, R-So., Mercer

OL           Gavin Orr, Jr., Samford

OL           Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga

OL           Isaiah Helms, So., Western Carolina

TE           Michael Vice, So., Samford

WR         A.J. Toney, So., Samford

WR         Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

 

Second team defense

DL           Carson Hatchett, Fr., The Citadel

DL           Nelson Jordan, Jr., Samford

DL           Armond Lloyd, Gr., Samford

DL           Jay Person, So., Chattanooga

DL           Jordan Ward, Sr., VMI

LB           Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU

LB           Connor Riddle, R-Sr., VMI

LB           Ty Harris, Sr., Western Carolina

DB          Alijah Huzzie, R-Fr., ETSU

DB          AJ Smith, Sr., VMI

DB          Ethan Caselberry, Jr., VMI

DB          Ronald Kent Jr., Jr., Western Carolina

 

Second team special teams

PK           Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU

P             Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman

RS           Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU

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