Georgia Sports Edition
Bears With Bite?
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As Mercer enters its sixth season of play since reviving its football program in 2013, the biggest question is whether the Bears can get over the hump.
After bursting onto the scene with a 10-2 record in their first season back on the field, Mercer made the jump from the Pioneer League to the much more challenging Southern Conference. For the last four seasons, the Bears have shown their teeth at times, but have always settled near the middle of the pack.
Mercer has finished a combined total of 8-8 in league play over the last two seasons, but with plenty of question marks around the SoCon outside of prohibitive favorite Samford, 2018 seems to be the perfect time for the Bears to make a move.
As the season begins, the most dependable facet of the team remains its head coach.
Serving as the head Bear since the team’s return to competition, Bobby Lamb – formerly of Furman – has been a steadying force. He faced the steep task of starting a program from scratch and has quickly made the Bears a concern on any team’s schedule.
So, when it comes to 2018, the question remains the same as the last couple of years. Can the Bears take the next step?
To ask the SoCon media that question, you’ll get the same, tepid maybe? Mercer didn’t get a first-place vote in the preseason poll and is picked to finish fourth – right in the range of another 4-4 conference mark.
But the Bears have plenty of reasons to hope for more than that. First and foremost, in that optimism is the return of quarterback Kaelan Riley. Pressed into action as a redshirt freshman last season, Riley responded with over 2,000 yards of offense, including 13 touchdown passes and four more rushing touchdowns.
Riley will continue to lead the Bears’ shotgun, no-huddle attack that will be further balanced out by the return of 2017 leading rusher Tee Mitchell.
Experience across the board will be Mercer’s biggest offensive asset as Lamb’s years of guidance, Mitchell’s seniority, and Riley’s proven leadership will have the Bears confident in any situation.
The defensive side of things also hints at an upward trend for Mercer. The Bears allowed a respectable 23.4 points per game last season and return six of their eight leading tacklers from the 2017 squad.
Highlighting the returners on defense is Will Coneway who was involved on 66 tackles last season, with six of those tackles going for a loss and three fumbles forced.
Mercer should continue to put up workable offensive numbers each week. The Bears’ ultimate fate this season will lie in how well its defense can adjust and perform from week to week.
Pass-heavy Samford and run-heavy Furman are the favorites in the SoCon. Running down the preseason rankings, the conference is full of teams whose offensive attacks will force defensive coordinators to vary their schemes wildly from week to week.
With the Southern Conference strong enough to send two or three teams to the playoffs, this will be a barometer season for Mercer. The Bears have been and should continue to be playoff-caliber on certain Saturdays.
The next step is to keep it consistent through an entire season and clinch the Bears’ first FCS playoff appearance.
Return Of The Chomp?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida is one of the premier jobs in the nation. They have a great recruiting base as well as tradition. For some reason the Gators have been struggling since Tim Tebow left campus after the 2009 season.
The Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain eras had some success but nothing consistent. They had a dismal 2017, finishing 4-7. A coaching change had to be made so McElwain was relieved of his duties. Florida had their eyes on Chip Kelly but he chose UCLA over the Gators.
Dan Mullen was named the head coach and I think was a great hire. Mullen coached at Mississippi State from 20009 – 2017 and he led the Bulldogs to a 69-46 record.
As you know, the SEC West is the much tougher division and Miss State does not attract top talent so that is impressive. Mullen also coached at Utah (03 – 04) and Florida (05 – 08) under Urban Meyer so he already understands the fan base.
Right now, Florida has discipline problems because it seems like a player is arrested every week. Freshman and four-star cornerback Justin Watkins was arrested for his second time in three months recently on a felony charge of strangulation. The team has suspended him. Last September nine players were arrested and faced felony charges for an alleged fraud ring.
Mullen is a good offensive coach but Florida has lacked talent on that side of the ball. His biggest challenge will be developing a quarterback. Redshirt sophomore and four-star recruit Feleipe Franks will likely win the starting job. He played in 6 games in 2017 and threw for 1,438 yards, 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Kyle Trask is also competing for the job.
“I watched Feleipe Franks throw the ball 75 yards against Tennessee. The last quarterback I saw that could throw the ball that far was Cam Newton,” Mullen said. “The last quarterback I coached that had that arm talent was Cam Newton.”
Last year’s recruiting class was ranked in the top 15 and featured 14 four-star recruits. There will be some talent arriving on campus this Fall. The highest rated recruit is wide receiver Jacob Copeland who was ranked 69th nationally.
I feel UF is about a year away from a breakout season but with their schedule, they will go back to a bowl. The first three games are all at home against Charleston Southern, Kentucky and Colorado State. These are all easy wins. Kentucky could possibly put up a fight; they only lost by one-point last year.
The next two games are on the road at Tennessee and Mississippi State. The game against the Vols should be a win. Miss State will be the first loss on the season.
October 6th is at the Swamp versus LSU. The Tigers will win this game. A much-needed trip to Nashville the following week will snap this two-game losing streak. Then the Gators head into the bye week before the showdown against Georgia.
I cannot see UGA losing this game. Barring injury, the Bulldogs should win this game handily.
UF has three more home games against Mizzou, South Carolina and Idaho. I think the only game in this stretch they will lose is against the Game Cocks.
The season finale is at Tallahassee against Florida State. The Seminoles also have a first-year head coach in Willie Taggart so we don’t know how good they will be. I’m going to give the edge to FSU for now but clearly that can change.
Florida should win 7-8 games in 2018 and set up a big 2019 season.
The Tiger’s Stripes
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Prior to the 2015 college football season, you could argue the perception of Clemson Tigers achievements was more hyperbole than anything.
Despite a raucous fan base, a fantastic tradition and reputation for being a big-time program they had only one Top 5 finish in school history; their championship season of 1981.
After three straights playoff appearances, two championship games and another National Championship the Tigers are finally cashing the checks their fans and reputation have been writing; and things don’t look to be slowing down.
Behind Alabama, Clemson has become one of the premier programs within college football. Last season, one that was considered to be somewhat of a rebuilding year, resulted in a 10-1 regular season record, an ACC Championship title and that third straight playoff appearance that I mentioned.
If you’re waiting for trend to be broken, don’t get your hopes up it will take place this season.
Clemson will be one of the deepest and most talented teams entering the 2018 campaign.
Normally people look at the offensive side of the ball in the same my wife looks at Chris Hemsworth when he’s shirtless in any Thor movie. In this particular case it’s Clemson’s defense that give football fans the googly eyes.
Usually, when people debate about whether or not a college team could actually compete with a professional one it’s completely ridiculous. It’s no so farfetched if you focus in on strictly Clemson’s defensive line.
The Tigers had three defensive linemen on last year’s squad- Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant-that would have been high draft picks had they entered the 2018 NFL Draft; none of them did. When you hear analysts talk about Clemson having an NFL defensive front, and trust me you will, it won’t be an exaggeration.
Include some of the returning players they have at linebacker and in the secondary and you’re looking at possibly the nation’s best defense.
Even if the Tigers defensive side of the ball is the stronger of the two, their offense won’t be any slouch, either. Kelly Bryant, who exceeded expectations last year, returns at quarterback, along with Trevor Lawrence who will almost certainly see time under center.
Much like Georgia’s situation with Fromm and Fields, it will be difficult for the Tigers to keep both of their young quarterbacks off the field.
Clemson also returns it’s top three running backs and a deep receiving core, including Hunter Renfrow, college’s version of Cris Carter; all he does is catch touchdowns.
Clemson’s schedule sets up nicely for a championship run, too. There’s always a chance for a slip-up against an inferior team but if they are able to avoid the bump in the road, their two biggest games will be back to back against NC State and Florida State, respectively.
The Wolfpack, a team that has caused the Tigers issues in the past, visit Death Valley, while Clemson travels to Tallahassee.
Top to bottom, Clemson may be the most complete team in the country and that’s including Alabama. Barring any major injury, or a widespread case of complacency, Clemson is almost a sure bet to make it to their fourth straight playoff appearance.
It’s taken decades for the production on the field to match the high expectations. Now that Clemson has finally arrived, I wouldn’t be looking for them to relinquish that elite status anytime soon. They certainly don’t seem to be slowing down.
Spurring To 2018
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s a little strange to consider that a team that won 9 games to 4 losses in 2017 had an underwhelming season but the South Carolina Gamecocks managed to pull off just such an unexpected feat last year.
Will Muschamp led a team that did not put up a lot of big point totals or make lots of flashy plays, which probably has a lot to do with it. Add that to a couple of surprising losses to Kentucky and to Texas A&M and there were a lot of people writing them off.
The question is, how will South Carolina follow up an underwhelming/pretty good season in 2018?
They will almost certainly be a better team on the field and they should be confident of that.
Deebo Samuel is a huge reason for that confidence. The wide receiver successes have been rightfully celebrated and he gives veteran quarterback Jake Bentley a target that other teams would love to have.
Breaking his leg after putting up 474 all-purpose yards and scoring 6 touchdowns last season postponed his coronation as possibly the best player in the SEC but if he can stay on the field in 2018 he has got a great chance of being crowned.
Speaking of offensive weapons with broken legs, Rico Dowdle should be healthy and running with the ball for the entire year as well, giving the Gamecocks yet another option to boost those scores.
On the other side of the ball, South Carolina needs to step up their game on the pass rush. Twenty-six sacks in 2017 will not cut it, though six of those sacks came from the returning D.J. Wonnum. If he can lead the other tackles and put more pressure on opposing QBs, then the secondary will benefit in a big way.
There is also the matter of the schedule, it can be taken advantage of. Georgia and Clemson loom large up ahead and will be looked at as major challenges for South Carolina. However, the rest of the reason looks favorable Muschamp and company.
Perhaps the biggest plus is the absence of LSU and Alabama. Luck of the draw, but it is still something they need to appreciate and make the most of.
Florida and Tennessee are usually powerhouses, but they look like they might continue their recent struggles in the near future.
Texas A&M is on the schedule again and the Gamecocks should be primed to take their revenge after being embarrassing defeated by the Aggies last year.
Another positive is that this team is already better than last year’s and there are still positional battles to be worked out.
Muschamp has called on his defensive line to step up this year and it is down to Keir Thomas or Kobe Smith to grab the bull by the horns at defensive tackle. Thomas has bulked up and Smith has two seasons’ worth of game under this belt, so there are good options here.
Jamyest Williams is competing with Jaylin Dickerson, with the latter returning from an injury. Tavyn Jackson is also in the mix here, moving from cornerback. Dickerson had the most notable spring and Williams could essentially trade slots with Jackson and go back to his natural position at cornerback. It remains to be seen how this one will shake out.
Tight end is another one to watch, with K.C. Crosby and Jacob August vying to replace Hayden Hurst, who was snatched up in the first round. Both could be reliable but one will need to step up. Of note, Crosby also broke his leg last year.
A 9-4 team that should be significantly better is going to make some real waves in 2018. That is what the South Carolina Gamecocks are looking to be this season.
Tigers On The Hunt
By: Josh Aubrey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After watching their in-state conference rival capture another National Championship, the Auburn Tigers are hungry to get back in the title hunt.
On the heels of a 10-4 season that saw the Tigers drop their final two games of the year, Auburn will be setting their sights a lot higher than last year’s SEC West division crown.
The No. 10 ranked Tigers return one of the top defenses in the country, as well as one of the most important positions to return on offense, quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Stidham became the Tigers second ever 3,000 yard passer in 2017.
“Jarrett is definitely a strength, and we will lean on him this year,” said Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. “He is ready for us to turn him loose this fall. He is ready for that, and he wants that.”
While Stidham gives the Tigers some stability, the loss of the last two year’s leading rushers – Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway – give the Tigers reasons to be apprehensive.
Trying to fill the void will be junior Kam Martin, who was the Tigers second leading rusher last year. Auburn also has sophomore Malik Miller, redshirt freshman JaTarvious Whitlow, and true freshman Asa Miller.
“We have running backs that we feel good about,” Malzahn said. “Kam Martin is the guy that will be the guy that, as of right now, would start out. And then we have a handful of other guys we feel really good about.”
Up front the Tigers return three players who logged significant playing time last year in left tackle Prince Tega Wanogho Jr., left guard Marquel Harrell and right guard Mike Horton. Much of the rest of the line is up for grabs with some key injuries in the spring opening things up.
Ryan Davis anchors a solid group of receivers. Davis had 84 receptions for 815 yards and 5 touchdowns last season. Junior Darius Slayton returns as well, as do Will Hastings and Eli Stove, who are both coming back from torn ACL’s.
As for the Tiger defense, they return key players on each level of defense but face key losses at pass rushing with Sensei Mud, and Jeff Holland who are now both in the NFL.
The defensive backs also lost two key starters but return corners Javaris Davis and Jamel Dean. Look for the versatile Nick Coe to emerge as one of the leaders on the defensive line.
“I feel like our strength, once again, will be our front seven, like it was last year,” Malzahn said. “I think big picture wise, we have a chance to be as good defensively or possibly better.”
The trouble this year for Auburn doesn’t end with the Crimson Tide, as their opponent in the championship game was another SEC team on the rise in the Georgia Bulldogs.
Auburn has some key matchups throughout the year including their season opener in Atlanta against Washington.
The front end of the Tiger schedule looks promising after the Washington game, as five of their next six games are at home. The second part of the schedule is when things get dicey as that includes road trips to the two teams in the 2017 national title game, Georgia on November 10th and Alabama on November 17th.
Knights’ Quest
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A handful of ‘Group of Five’ teams have been able to make runs that put them into the national title discussion over the years but the 2018 edition of Central Florida will be the first of its kind since the Boise State squads of the mid-2000’s with a legitimate shot of making a second consecutive Cinderella run.
The Golden Knights checked off nearly every box in the ‘exciting dark-horse’ checklist last season. They had a young, explosive, dual-threat quarterback. They had a young head coach with name recognition. They had one of the most explosive and high-scoring teams in the country. And they had a linebacker with only one hand who was better than 99 percent of other collegiate defenders with two hands.
That took care of all of the talking points but UCF also backed it up with its play on the field, rolling to the only perfect record in FBS.
But now everything resets back to 0-0. Scott Frost and his staff set sail for Nebraska while NFL draftee Shaquem Griffin and some other key components from last season are gone.
Many G5 titans would be set up for a big fall with those losses but the Knights are still set up for more success.
The key to bridging the winning streak into the new season will focus on quarterback McKenzie Milton. Pressed into action as a freshman in 2016, Milton had a trial by fire that prepared him for a 2017 campaign that saw him put up over 4,500 yards of total offense. Still just a junior, Milton has already proven to be a leader that can will his team to wins.
Also providing a potential path to more success is a schedule that bodes well for the Knights.
Of Central Florida’s two games against Power Five schools, both are very winnable. The Knights take on a North Carolina squad that was just slapped with 13 suspensions midway through September and will host a Pittsburgh team that isn’t projected to be much of an ACC contender to close out the month.
Looking at UCF’s American Athletic Conference schedule brings more good news.
Those stepping up to fill holes in the depth chart will face the conference’s weaker teams throughout the first two months of the season, with the Knights’ biggest division rivals filling out the month of November.
There is enough continuity on both sides of the ball to believe that the Knights can contend again this season but the biggest question will be how the team adjusts to an overhaul on the coaching staff.
Taking the reins of the program after the departure of Frost is former Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel. The 2000 AP Player of the Year didn’t accomplish much in the NFL but began his coaching career at Oklahoma in 2004 and has been rising ever since.
Heupel coached Sam Bradford to a Heisman trophy at Oklahoma and worked his way up to offensive coordinator. He spent a year each at Utah State and Missouri before landing what is his first head coaching gig.
There are sure to be some growing pains with new starters and a new coaching staff but there is no reason to think that the Knights aren’t a contender for another AAC title and – with a little luck – another run at a New Year’s Day bowl.
After all, if UCF can go from 0-12 to 13-0 in just two years, anything seems possible.
Panthers Ready To Pounce
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The college football season is approaching fast. The major programs in the state are normally talked about consistently like Georgia, Georgia Tech or Georgia Southern. Georgia State often flies under the radar. We’re going to take a look at the Panthers and see what they will do in 2018.
This is a pretty new program considering they started playing in 2010. They only spent two seasons at the FCS level before moving up to Division 1 or the FBS level. They are a member of the Sun Belt Conference which is competitive.
They also used to play in the Georgia Dome, which used to look empty during games. Last season they converted Turner Field into Georgia State Stadium. Attendance not only improved by 5 percent in the first year (despite the home-opener loss to Tennessee State), but with a capacity of 24,333, the stadium actually fit the fan base.
Last season was the first year for head coach Shawn Elliott. It started off poorly with a season opening loss then a 56-0 drubbing by Penn State. Then they ripped off 6 wins in 7 games and won the first bowl game in program history. They won the Cure Bowl 27-17 over Western Kentucky and finished the year 7-5.
That momentum has carried over into recruiting because Elliott’s first full-year recruiting class ranked third in the Sun Belt and averaged a three-star rating. His staff is full of hungry young assistants like 33-year old offensive coordinator Travis Trickett and 37-year old defensive coordinator Nate Fuqua.
GSU may take a step backwards in 2018. The run game was maybe the worst in FBS last year and isn’t guaranteed to improve much. The defense returns several playmakers and the receiving corps is exciting.
Quarterback Connor Manning played well last season, completing 64% of his passes. He graduated so junior Aaron Winchester will likely be the starter. Winchester nearly saved GSU against Tennessee State in the opener, leading a fourth-quarter scoring drive before throwing a pick in the final minute. Winchester has mobility (not including sacks, he carried 17 times for 101 yards last year).
Penny Hart was the leading receiver with 74 catches, 1,121 yards and 8 touchdowns. I expect him to be just as explosive this season. GSU adds two SEC transfers, 6’4 South Carolina receiver Christian Owens and 6’3 Florida tight end Camrin Knight.
There’s minimal guarantee that the run game will improve, though it can’t get worse. The line does return four starters and seven players with starting experience.
The defense was able to stop the run, ranking 41st nationally in run defense. Fuqua gets four of his top five linemen and five of seven linebackers back in 2018. The secondary is the weakest position group and they ranked 110th in passing defense. They also allowed a 63% completion rate with a 23-10 TD-to-INT ratio.
The schedule is tough; they open against Kennesaw State who is ranked No.3 in the FCS preseason poll. I think the Owls will pull off the upset and beat GSU.
The schedule features road trips to NC State, Memphis, and all three of last year’s Sun Belt heavyweights (Arkansas State, Appalachian State, Troy), which means there will be almost no margin for error.
The best chances to win are against Louisiana-Monroe, Texas State, Western Michigan, Coastal Carolina and Louisiana-Lafayette. I think the Panthers will win 5 games in 2018.
War Chant
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When the clock struck midnight and the year rolled over to 2018, I’m sure there were a lot of people happy to leave 2017 in the rear-view mirror. A certain fan base emanating from Tallahassee, FL would fall under that category.
To proclaim that the 2017 college football season didn’t turn out quite the way the Florida State Seminoles had anticipated is a bit of an understatement.
For a team that started the season with the goal of a National Championship, they finished with a 7-6 record (relying on a makeup game against Louisiana-Monroe and a technicality ruling concerning the number of scholarships awarded by Delaware State just to become bowl eligible) and lost their head coach when Jimbo Fisher pulled a “Lane Kiffin” on his way to Texas A&M.
Like every team heading into the season, there are few things to keep an eye on; in Tallahassee, it starts with the new man in charge.
Willie Taggart, who has changed coaching jobs so much over the past nine years that he had a forwarding address for his forwarding address, was brought in to replace the aforementioned Fisher.
And yes, it’s easy to joke about the number of head coaching jobs he has had during this nine years (four) but to Taggart’s credit they have all been a step up in prominence; Western Kentucky- South Florida- Oregon- Florida State. He is regarded as a very good coach and an excellent recruiter but he has yet to win a bowl game and arrives at FSU with an overall losing record of 47-50.
With all the uncertainty surrounding Taggart, I will say he is just as deserving of this opportunity, if not more so, than other coaches who have been given this chance- here’s looking at you Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain.
It should help things that he’ll have Deondre Francois back under center. I say “should” because after suffering from a season ending injury in the first game last year, you don’t know how Francois will be once he comes back. I imagine the 2016 ACC Rookie of the Year will be more than capable of regaining his prior form but until he’s able to prove it, you would understand if there’s some skepticism.
There’s plenty of talent on this year’s squad, too- something Florida State never seems to be in short supply of- especially on the defensive line and at running back.
However, even though I believe they return four starters on the offensive line, that is their area of weakness; another reason to temper expectations on Francois’ return.
If Francois is healthy and the offensive line is able to help keep him upright, things could be very promising.
However, if neither of those things take place, I do believe this team is more capable of holding things together better than they were last year.
Francois’ injury became a convenient excuse for last year’s troubles, but there’s a team in Athens that may have a different opinion on whether your season is over when it comes to losing your starting quarterback.
Florida State doesn’t necessarily have an easy schedule either, with road games against Miami, NC State, and Notre Dame. But, they do get Clemson at home, which I guess is a plus?
Regardless of the questions entering this season there’s a new era beginning in Tallahassee, and with it comes a renewed sense of optimism.
After last season, what other choice do they have?
Rebuilding Rocky Top
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A new era has begun at the University of Tennessee: the Jeremy Pruitt era. After five years of varying success under Butch Jones (and two games under interim coach Brady Hoe), the Volunteers are hoping to see a resurgence under this new leadership.
Pruitt comes from the winning ways of FSU, UGA and Alabama and has already begun to make his mark, shaking up the way the Vols are going to play football and shaking up the roster as well.
After the chaos of 2017, it seemed like Pruitt was being brought in to lead Tennessee through a rebuilding period but Pruitt, apparently has other plans. With fall camp finally upon us, let’s dive in and look at a preview of things to come for this new head coach and his team as the season’s first kickoff rapidly approaches.
The first thing to watch will be seeing how the team adapts to a new style of offense.
The spread style that Butch Jones implemented worked with Joshua Dobbs but no one else. With a cadre of passers on the roster and more traditional, a pro-type offense could see success. There will also be a heavier reliance on backs for big plays, with the hope that Madre London and Ty Chandler will step up and be big pieces of the puzzle for the Vols.
Preseason should be an intriguing time in Tennessee, as the transition to this new style will be more telling than it was in the spring.
A key piece to the success of the offense will be whoever wins the positional battle for quarterback. Sophomore Will McBride and freshman JT Shrout are competing for the slot but the competition is really between sophomore Jarrett Guarantano, who made six starts in 2017, and senior graduate transfer Keller Chryst, incoming from Stanford.
Guarantano has an arm to be excited about but the offense faltered under his guidance last year.
Chryst brings a leadership presence to the locker room and, perhaps just as important, a familiarity with the pro-style offense the Vols will be using. Either young man could see the majority of snaps this year.
QB is far from the only position battle the Vols will be hosting during camp this year: tight end will pit incumbent sophomore Eli Wolf (brother of the NFL’s Ethan) against 4-star JUCO transfer Domick Wood-Anderson.
Wood-Anderson came with much fanfare, having been courted by the likes of Nick Saban at Alabama but Wolf comes with experience.
One of the most intriguing differences between the Vols’ squad from last season until now is the number of upper classmen transfer that have showed up on the roster. By bringing in these players it seems clear that Pruitt doesn’t want to settle for a rebuilding season and is ready to win often in 2018.
The dynamic of the locker room is sure to be shaken up compared to where it was in the spring, especially with so many of these transfers being looked at for starting roles. It remains to be seen how the returning players will react to this mass immigration.
Another big change comes in the form of a shift to a 3-4 defense after five years at 4-3.
This might be a tough pill to swallow (just look at the struggles of recent teams who’ve made this change like UGA under Mark Richt or even Tennessee under Derek Dooley).
The defense implemented this change in the spring and looked bad doing it. If Pruitt and Kevin Sherrer plan to stick to it, expect some growing pains in Rocky Top.
The New Buzz
By: Josh Aubrey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets enter the 2018 football season with their third coach in three years.
Barrett Davis takes over after Steve Pennington filled in on an interim basis in 2017 and inherits a Yellow Jacket team that lost a few key contributors but return 19 seniors for the 2018 campaign.
“We are extremely excited about this year’s Southeast Bulloch football team,” Davis said. “We have a great senior class and a lot of versatility, so we are ready to pull up our sleeves and get to work.”
The Yellow Jackets will have a new look on offense this season and for the first time in four years it will not revolve around fullback Chase Walker, who left Southeast Bulloch with over 6,000 yards rushing and 91 career touchdowns.
“Replacing someone like Chase Walker will be tough to do but we feel like we are going to be able to take advantage of what we do have talent wise,” Davis said. “We will be running our offense out of the wishbone but we will be throwing the ball a little more and not be quite as reliant on the fullback position.”
This year’s offense may not have Walker – or much of his talented offensive line – but they do return a talented trio of skill position threats in quarterback Blaize Minick, running back Jontrell Wells and receiver Tyler Bailey.
“We’ve got a quarterback in Blaize, who is pretty versatile,” Davis said. “Tyler has done a great job at receiver, but it also solid in the secondary, and Jontrell is a great athlete who can not only help us running the ball, but also at outside linebacker. Our offensive line will be doing different little things scheme wise, and we are stressing technique with them.”
Defensively the Jackets return eight starters from a year ago anchored by linebacker Logan Gomez, and quite a few players playing on both sides of the ball.
“Defensively we will work out of a 3-5 stack, allowing us to send pressure from different directions,” Davis said. “Logan has been doing a great job as well as Jabari Daniels, Rashode Hobbs, as well as a few other guys that will be counted on to go both ways.”
The previous two coaches each led the Jackets to the state playoffs but were unable to do something that still hasn’t been accomplished since 1974, and that is win a state playoff game.
“With us having 19 seniors that were around last year we are hoping they understand what it takes to win a state playoff game,” Davis said. “I think last year was a wakeup call for them to really see what it takes and I feel they have been putting in the work.”
While this may be the third head coach in three years for the players, there are a few familiar faces on the coaching staff as Brandon Peterson returns on offense, along with Chris Pye, while Jeremy Gantt returns to SEB after a year at Lincoln County.
“Jeremy Gant is back and will be joining coach Chris Pye and Brandon Peterson in running our offense, while I will be heading up the defense,” Davis said. “I feel like, along with our other coaches, we have really started to come together and are on the same page.”
Not only will coach Davis have to deal with the growing pains of being a first-year head coach at a new school but he will also have to deal with the new kid on the block in Region 3 AAA, the former AA state champion Cadets of Benedictine.
“The guys started off a little slow last year with a tough schedule and then built up some confidence and finished strong,” Davis said. “We know the kind of talent and tradition a team like Benedictine brings to our region and it will be a challenge but I feel our team is hungry and ready for a challenge.”
The Yellow Jackets open the 2018 season at home Friday August 24th as they host the Screven County Gamecocks.
