Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Raiders to begin spring drills Tuesday
3/11/2018 9:00:00 AM | Football
Welcome back 17 starters
MURFREESBORO – The 2017 Camellia Bowl champion Blue Raiders will step back on the field for the first time since bringing home the trophy on Tuesday for the start of spring drills. The 15 spring practices will begin on March 13 and conclude with the Spring Festival on April 14.
The Blue Raiders return 17 starters and 47 total lettermen from a team that won four of their last five games in 2017 to go along with a road upset of Syracuse.
"We are all excited to get back on the field and build on the way we finished 2017," said Head Coach Rick Stockstill. "We have great leadership at critical positions on both sides of the ball and I feel good about this team. We have people that we redshirted last year and six mid-year signees that I am anxious to coach and see how much they have improved and what kind of impact they will have on our team.
"This is a great time for players and coaches as we can slow down our teaching, implement new schemes, improve fundamentally and find out who we can depend on next fall. Our players have had a great winter conditioning phase as Matt Hickman, Lance Campbell, Jake Beckett and Zach Willis have done an outstanding job. Spring ball is phase 2 and our players are ready to get going."
Offensively, Middle Tennessee brings back eight starters including all-star quarterback Brent Stockstill, leading rusher Tavares Thomas and leading receiver Ty Lee.
Stockstill already owns nearly every passing record at Middle Tennessee and will now look to put some dents in the NCAA record book. He returns ranked third among the NCAA's active leaders in passing yards and first in passing yards per game.
Stockstill's backup will be walk-on Chase Cunningham with the departure during the offseason of Kyle Banks.
"Kyle came to me in the middle of February and told me he did not love football and wanted to go to a smaller school closer to home and play lacrosse," added Stockstill. "I appreciate his contributions to the team and wish him all the best."
Thomas, who made the move from linebacker to running back in week six, led the team in rushing to go with nine touchdowns.
Lee led Conference USA with 79 receptions last season and will enter 2018 ranked fifth in total catches at MT. Second leading rusher Brad Anderson also returns.
Up front, all five players who started the Camellia Bowl return in 2018. The unit will be led by seniors Chandler Brewer, Carlos Johnson and Robert Behanan.
Eight starters are also back on the defensive side of the ball, including Camellia Bowl MVP Darius Harris, linebacker Khalil Brooks, safety Jovante Moffatt and linemen Malik Manciel.
Harris had 64 stops and a career-best 4.5 sacks a year ago and appears poised for a great season. He turned in a personal-high 12 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two pass breakups in the Camellia Bowl.
Brooks, a second team all-conference pick, enjoyed a career year with 76 tackles while leading the team in tackles for loss (17.0) and sacks (7.5).
Moffatt, who will not go through spring while recovering from shoulder surgery, led the team with a career-best 101 tackles on his way to honorable mention all-conference recognition.
Manciel, known for his relentless motor, had 11 starts in 2017 to go with his 29 tackles and five TFLs.
Also back on defense are ends Walters Brady and Jahmal Jones to go with safety Reed Blankenship and cornerback Darryl Randolph. Brady had 3.5 sacks last year and Jones was granted a sixth year of eligibility after posting a career-best 33 tackles in 2017.
Blankenship made the C-USA All-Freshman team and led the team in interceptions while Randolph added 48 stops and ranked third nationally in blocked kicks.
The Blue Raiders lost specialists Canon Rooker and Jim Cardwell but welcome back punter Matt Bonadies. Redshirt sophomore Crews Holt will get his chance to win the place-kicking job.
SPRING PRACTICE DATES
March 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31
April 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14
The Blue Raiders return 17 starters and 47 total lettermen from a team that won four of their last five games in 2017 to go along with a road upset of Syracuse.
"We are all excited to get back on the field and build on the way we finished 2017," said Head Coach Rick Stockstill. "We have great leadership at critical positions on both sides of the ball and I feel good about this team. We have people that we redshirted last year and six mid-year signees that I am anxious to coach and see how much they have improved and what kind of impact they will have on our team.
"This is a great time for players and coaches as we can slow down our teaching, implement new schemes, improve fundamentally and find out who we can depend on next fall. Our players have had a great winter conditioning phase as Matt Hickman, Lance Campbell, Jake Beckett and Zach Willis have done an outstanding job. Spring ball is phase 2 and our players are ready to get going."
Offensively, Middle Tennessee brings back eight starters including all-star quarterback Brent Stockstill, leading rusher Tavares Thomas and leading receiver Ty Lee.
Stockstill already owns nearly every passing record at Middle Tennessee and will now look to put some dents in the NCAA record book. He returns ranked third among the NCAA's active leaders in passing yards and first in passing yards per game.
Stockstill's backup will be walk-on Chase Cunningham with the departure during the offseason of Kyle Banks.
"Kyle came to me in the middle of February and told me he did not love football and wanted to go to a smaller school closer to home and play lacrosse," added Stockstill. "I appreciate his contributions to the team and wish him all the best."
Thomas, who made the move from linebacker to running back in week six, led the team in rushing to go with nine touchdowns.
Lee led Conference USA with 79 receptions last season and will enter 2018 ranked fifth in total catches at MT. Second leading rusher Brad Anderson also returns.
Up front, all five players who started the Camellia Bowl return in 2018. The unit will be led by seniors Chandler Brewer, Carlos Johnson and Robert Behanan.
Eight starters are also back on the defensive side of the ball, including Camellia Bowl MVP Darius Harris, linebacker Khalil Brooks, safety Jovante Moffatt and linemen Malik Manciel.
Harris had 64 stops and a career-best 4.5 sacks a year ago and appears poised for a great season. He turned in a personal-high 12 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two pass breakups in the Camellia Bowl.
Brooks, a second team all-conference pick, enjoyed a career year with 76 tackles while leading the team in tackles for loss (17.0) and sacks (7.5).
Moffatt, who will not go through spring while recovering from shoulder surgery, led the team with a career-best 101 tackles on his way to honorable mention all-conference recognition.
Manciel, known for his relentless motor, had 11 starts in 2017 to go with his 29 tackles and five TFLs.
Also back on defense are ends Walters Brady and Jahmal Jones to go with safety Reed Blankenship and cornerback Darryl Randolph. Brady had 3.5 sacks last year and Jones was granted a sixth year of eligibility after posting a career-best 33 tackles in 2017.
Blankenship made the C-USA All-Freshman team and led the team in interceptions while Randolph added 48 stops and ranked third nationally in blocked kicks.
The Blue Raiders lost specialists Canon Rooker and Jim Cardwell but welcome back punter Matt Bonadies. Redshirt sophomore Crews Holt will get his chance to win the place-kicking job.
SPRING PRACTICE DATES
March 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31
April 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
S
/ Football
P
/ Football
OL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
H
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DE
/ Football
DT
/ Football
S
/ Football
CB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballMTSU Football at Nevada highlights – 9/13/25
Sunday, September 14
MTSU Football at Nevada Full Game Highlights – 9/13/25
Saturday, September 13
MTSU Football Postgame Press Conference @ Nevada on 09-13-25
Saturday, September 13
Raider Report Week 3 - MTSU vs. University of Nevada
Friday, September 12
