It's not a definitive list of everything that was said in media scrums over the past four or so weeks. I cut a question here, a line there, to make the note more focused. But taken as a whole, it's a good slice of what's been on the team's mind this past month.
There's some of the usual suspects when you run the pages of quotes through a word cloud. The word "good," was mentioned at least 131 times. "Want," at least 30 times. "Football," at least 22. Even offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon's favorite word, "Tempo," has been mentioned at least ten times.
But the word that has stuck the most through camp ahead of the season opener this Saturday?
Competition (15 times, for those who are counting).
Alongside its relatives (compete, eight times; competitive, four times; and depth, five times), competition is the topic I continue to hear the most about this camp. Twelve different players and coaches brought it up in their interviews. And it's not hard to see why. The extra year of eligibility afforded by the COVID-19 pandemic has given the Blue Raiders unprecedented depth throughout the roster, which has led to the battles for starting spots being especially fierce, and particularly less clear cut.
"We're encouraging those guys that maybe in their mind might be a two right now, that you've got to keep pushing," offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon said. "You push to make the guy in front of you better, but you're pushing to try to win a spot, too. We've got a couple guys that are doing that, that are making us go back in and have tough conversations as an offensive staff."
Head coach Rick Stockstill has yet to name starters at many of the positions on his squad going into Saturday's season opener at Monmouth. As he often says, he's "not in a hurry" to have his guys separate until he has to make a decision.
With that in mind, however, given what I've seen at camp, and what has been talked about in my interviews this past month, here's a breakdown of who Blue Raider fans might see at each position when the ball is kicked at 6:00 p.m. at Floyd Stadium.
Quarterback
We'll lead with the one question on everyone's mind this offseason: who takes over for Asher O'Hara at starting QB?
The short answer? I'm not even sure the coaching staff knows who will start between Bailey Hockman, Chase Cunningham, or Mike DiLiello. On this week's depth chart in the game notes, the three players are all listed with "OR" in between their names.
The long answer? The three quarterbacks have all shown the ability to successfully pilot Brent Dearmon's offense at times during fall camp, making the coaching staff's decision on who to name the signal caller much much tougher. They've all had their struggles too, no quarterback looked particularly strong after the team's first scrimmage, for instance. But, taken their camp work as a whole, and it's been a positive arc for all three.
The differences between the three quarterbacks are mostly style over execution at this point. Each brings something a little different to how the offense might run.
"We've got a room full of different tools," Dearmon said. "What you've got to do is to figure out what that tool can be used for. So we're trying to mold their plays to best fit them. Instead of asking them to do something they're not great at, so they can go out there and be the most successful."
Hockman has the best arm talent of the three, which comes with the ability to make throws that other quarterbacks around the country just can't make. Cunningham has the most mobility out of the pocket of the trio, and the benefit of the most familiarity with the Blue Raider receiver core as the longest tenured Blue Raider. DiLiello, meanwhile, is probably the best pure running threat at the quarterback position.
A good problem to have, some might say. Overall, though, I think unless something changes dramatically in practice this week, we'll likely see at least two of the three on the field at some point on Saturday. And whoever is out there has the ability to lead this new look offense to new heights.
Running Backs
For my money, this is the group I'm most excited to see play this season. In large part because the RPO offense installed this year will call for more of an emphasis on running back runs than the offenses of years prior in Murfreesboro, which often had a quarterback lead the team in rushing. I don't think that will be the case this year, unless coach Jeff Beckles needs to give all of his guys touches in one of the deepest rooms on the roster.
Four of the team's running backs, redshirt seniors Amir Rasul and Martell Pettaway, senior Brad Anderson and redshirt junior Chaton Mobley, have extensive collegiate experience at tailback, with freshman Frank Peasant also having a lot of playing experience after stepping up after some injuries in 2020.
It's an exciting group, Beckles said, in large part because of the lack of ego among them.
"When one's doing well, you don't see the other one pouting, you see the other one jumping up and down, running down the sideline getting excited," Beckles said. "And that's what they like. When they talk, they say 'we need all of us. We're all in this together.' And I truly feel they mean that."
Expect running backs to be a bit of a, to steal a fantasy football term, "RB by committee" approach, particularly early on. While all five have do-it-all ability, each has certain traits that pop off more than others (Anderson's ability to catch or split out into the slot, Mobley's power, Rasul's pure speed, as examples). Those tools will help the offense be able to adapt to each situation.
Wide Receivers
Rick Stockstill has said multiple times that he thinks this might be the best group of receivers he's had in his 16 years as head coach at Middle Tennessee. And it is not hard to see why.
CJ Windham, Jarrin Pierce and Jimmy Marshall bring years of experience and leadership into the first unit, with plenty of veteran depth behind them from players like Yusuf Ali and DJ England-Chisolm. And then, once you go through the veterans, you have strong newcomers like Izaiah Gathings and Elijah Metcalf, alongside young standouts like Jaylin Lane and JaMichael Thompson.
It's an embarrassment of riches for receivers coach Brent Stockstill. But that high level of competition hasn't affected the way his guys treat one another in the receiver room.
"I've got a really good group," Brent Stockstill said. "I'm extremely fortunate to have a group of guys with the maturity, the professionalism that they carry themselves with. They come to work every day. They make it fun."
Expect the names Blue Raiders fans have been hearing the past couple of seasons—Windham, Pierce, Marshall, Ali—to continue to boom over the Floyd Stadium speakers in the weeks to come. But, don't be surprised to see a few of the newer faces work their way into certain formations. It's a truly deep group that will be exciting to watch week in and week out.
Offensive Line
The youngest group on the offense also shares the fluidity of the previous three units on their side of the ball. With only one listed senior on the two deep (Eric Magwood), it's a group that has a lot of college eligibility remaining, but not one that lacks collegiate experience.
"We're really fortunate, because we do have a lot of guys with a lot of experience," offensive line coach Rick Mallory said. "They've had playing experience in some adverse conditions. It's a young group of guys, and I can't say what the other schools around the conference have, but all I know is we feel really good about what we have coming back and playing for us, and potentially being here for another four years, which is incredible."
Keep an eye on Georgia transfer Netori Johnson at right guard, as well as redshirt freshmen Dorian Hinton and Steven Losoya, who look to hold down the left side of the offensive line. At center, Jordan Palmer has shown good progress during camp, particularly with his snap back in shotgun or pistol formations.
Overall, though, it's another deep group, and the unit's most veteran leader will share.
"I've never been a part of an offensive line group that has this many guys that can just run out there and go play if they needed to," Magwood said. "I love it. I think it makes us all better."
Tight End/H-Back
This is a hard position to read, simply because a lot of who is going to be on the field will likely be dictated by the specific formation or concept the team is running. Sometimes a player who's more of a slot back in a traditional option offense might fill this role, other times a larger receiver might line up a little tighter to the line.
When a traditional H-back is out on the field, however, expect to see Will Gilchrist in that role more often than not. The former offensive lineman has solidified his blocking credentials, and has shown the ability to be a receiving threat when asked of him as well.
Defensive Line
One of two defensive units to lose a starter from a season ago (Rakavian Poydras), the defensive line mirrors it's offensive counterpart in many ways, in that both units feature a lot of younger players who got experience in their COVID year, and now are ready to the next step together.
"This might be one of the most fun rooms I have had, and I've been doing this a long time," defensive line coach Tommy West said. "This is a great room, because it's full of achievers. I don't have an underachiever I've got to get going in the room. So it's really fun, and I think they're having a good time."
Anchored by long-time defensive end Jordan Ferguson, the veteran leader as a redshirt junior, expect to see Richard Kinley, JR Bivens and Jorden Starling rotate through at end, while Zaylin Wood, Jordan Branch, Marley Cook and Ja'Kerrius Wyatt rotate through at defensive tackle.
That depth, alongside the physical toll a defensive lineman can take during the game, will likely result in many of those guys getting snaps in key spots throughout the season.
"It's real fun, because you never know what's going to happen with all the stuff going on, you never know who's going to play," Ferguson said. "Somebody can drop, somebody can get COVID. Everybody needs to be ready, so everybody has an equal opportunity, everybody has the same amount of film that we get to watch, to get corrected and to get better."
Linebackers
The linebackers, despite losing former starter Brett Shepherd to graduation, are one of the more stable groups on the Blue Raider defense this season, with senior DQ Thomas, redshirt junior Cody Smith and true junior Johnathan Butler having a plethora of experience in coordinator Scott Shafer's squad and will lead the group out on Saturday.
But the added depth from the development of Wayne Parks, Devyn Curtis, Drew Francis and Jurriente Davis have given the linebackers a new level of comfort heading into the season.
"We've got depth for the first time in a while," Smith said. "I feel like we've got a two-deep that can actually play. We're competing, we keep changing rotations, seeing who can fit where. But I'm excited for the season for sure."
The rotations within this position group will be key, as the variety of spread offenses this team will face will likely force at least one of the linebackers off the field each drive. Smith says they've had all of their guys work in at both Mike and Sam, to be ready at a moment's notice if need be.
"We preach preparation everyday," linebacker coach Siriki Diabate said. "It doesn't matter who you are, you can be the fourth guy on the depth chart, you can be the starter on the depth chart, you've got to go out there and perform at the standard we believe in as a defense. So I'm on them every single day about their preparation, because when the time comes and you're called upon, you've got to be ready to go."
Cornerbacks
Coach Kenneth Gilstrap's group looks to be one of the youngest, but like many other units, has some extra experience under their belt due to the changes in redshirting rules and the extra year of eligibility afforded in 2020.
"I'm actually impressed with the whole group," Gilstrap said. "Those guys have been through a lot. Been through a lot of losing seasons, been through a lot of growing pains being young guys. But now they're matured and they're the upperclassmen. They're technically juniors, they've been here three years. And I've seen the maturity in the time I've spent with those guys."
Quincy Riley, Decorian Patterson, Jalen Jackson and Teldrick Ross will likely get the nods early on this season, with players like Raheme Fuller and Deonte Stanley offering back up, alongside back up safeties who can play nickel like Tra Fluellen and James Shellman IV.
"Those guys know 'I have to make plays,'" Gilstrap said. "Our graduate assistant, Nic Woodley, does a great job of grading practice, pushing those guys, charting those plays that's being made. When he does that, and shows it to the guys, they just want to come out and push. 'Hey Coach Woodley, what do I have? What do my points look like today?' And that's the key."
Safeties
Certainly the easiest position to project on the roster, thanks to having two all-conference safeties available to make plays on defense. Thanks to Reed Blankenship returning for a sixth year and Gregory Grate's emergence at free safety, barring any injury issues for the pair, the safety slots are locked down for the Blue Raider defense.
But that hasn't stopped guys like Tra Fluellen and James Shellman IV from pushing for time on the field. The safety position often is filled with players who have some "multiplicity," as safeties coach Scott Shafer likes to say. Where they can play at both nickel and safety, or even as a boundary corner and safety, in the case of Teldrick Ross.
"In the back end, it's really essential that those kids understand," Shafer said. "That multiplicity is important, because those guys have to have that do it all mindset, whatever's asked in any given situation."
Special Teams
On special teams, only place kicker and kickoff duties are in question heading into Saturday, following the departure of Crews Holt after last season. Both Zeke Rankin and Charleston Southern transfer Alex Usry have been neck-and-neck for the placekicker spot, while Usry has been pushing Scott Payne for kickoff duties.
Elsewhere, all-conference punter Kyle Ulbrich continues to hold down the starting punter job, alongside being the holder for field goals, and Brody Butler remains a strong long snapper for the Blue Raiders.
In the return game, Blankenship and Grate look to be two likely candidates to return punts, and guard against fakes, when the MT defense forces opposing offenses off the field this season. And while changes to kickoff rules in recent seasons have limited the chances for kick returns, speedsters like Jaylin Lane, Quincy Riley and Amir Rasul have been rotating through, among others.
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