Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Spring Position Update: Quarterbacks
3/15/2018 5:00:00 PM | Football
Stockstill back for senior campaign
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – As Middle Tennessee's spring practice gets underway, the Blue Raiders will get the added benefit of having their starting quarterback under center, but the rest of the position will have a new flavor.
Redshirt senior Brent Stockstill didn't participate in 2017 spring practice because of offseason shoulder surgery, but this year No. 12 is a full go. Behind him on the roster, though, new names fill in the backup roles.
Last season's top two backups, John Urzua and Kyle Banks, are no longer on the team. That's opened the door for walk-on redshirt freshman Chase Cunningham to grab onto the lead backup spot during spring drills.
With the position behind Stockstill in a little bit of flux, third-year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin knows what he wants to see this spring from the backups.
"I want to see if they can play," he said. "We have two freshmen coming in that can hopefully play, but I think Chase also has a chance to be a good player."
Here are the quarterbacks on the roster:
Brent Stockstill, R-Sr., 6-0, 215
Stockstill is Middle Tennessee's all-time career leader in touchdown passes (77), 300-yard passing games (14), 400-yard passing games (2), passing yards per game (288.7) and completions (729). He's also 15th nationally among active players in passing yards, sixth in passing yards per game, 15th in total offense and 16th in passing efficiency.
The Murfreesboro native and Siegel High School product has been named a Conference USA Honorable Mention All-Conference the past two seasons and was the C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2015. But, injuries have sidelined him for nine games over the past two years.
Tony Franklin: "Usually, the third year you can do a whole lot more with him changing things and checking stuff and audibilizing and tagging things. That's what I'm expecting him to do this spring."
Chase Cunningham, R-Fr., 5-11, 187
Cunningham, a Knoxville native, took a redshirt season in 2017 in his first year at Middle Tennessee.
The Knoxville Catholic High School graduate finished his senior season with a 66 percent completion percentage (103-of-155), 2,358 yards passing and 30 touchdowns to earn his second all-state honor. He was also all-state as a junior in 2015 after leading Knox Catholic to a Class 4A state title and was named the state championship game MVP.
The primary backup spot to Stockstill will be Cunningham's to lose through spring drills and into the season.
Tony Franklin: "He just needs reps. He's a really smart kid and a tough kid who moves around well with a good arm. He's a good pickup for us as a walk-on."
John Turner, Fr., 6-1, 215
Turner is also a Middle Tennessee native, graduating from Smyrna High School after a successful football and basketball career there.
He finished his high-school career with 5,654 passing yards and 54 touchdowns to go with a 62 percent completion percentage. As a senior, Turner led Region 2-6A with 2,244 passing yards and 26 TDs and won seven different player of the week awards during the year.
Davis Witt, R-So., 6-2, 204
Witt is a redshirt sophomore from Clewiston, Florida. He hasn't seen any action in games for the Blue Raiders but in 2017 was named the team's Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year.
At Clewiston High School, Witt lettered in football, soccer and baseball. He was named an all-state honorable mention his senior season and ended his high-school career as Clewiston's leader in every passing category.
Jordan Middleton, R-So., 6-1, 200
Middleton, like Stockstill, is a Siegel High School graduate who excelled for the Stars on both the football and baseball fields. The redshirt sophomore started as a walk-on for the Blue Raiders and hasn't seen action in any games.
At Siegel, Middleton earned all-region as a senior and was all-district as a junior and senior. His senior-year highlights included throwing for 321 yards and two TDs against top-10 ranked Blackman and 304 yards and another two scores against also-ranked Hendersonville. He was also an all-region and all-district recipient his senior year on the Siegel baseball team.
Chance Nolan, Fr., 6-2, 195*
Nolan is traveling a long way from home to attend Middle Tennessee.
The Menifee, California, native was a rock star on the football field for Paloma Valley High School, finishing his career with school records in passing yards (9,000) and TD passes (104). He was named the league's offensive MVP as a junior and senior along with All-CIF honors both years.
It isn't just the football field where Nolan excels, either. He graduated in the top-10 in his class and intends to major in actuarial science at Middle Tennessee.
Luke Shiflett, Fr., 6-2, 185*
Shiflett was the second quarterback brought in by Middle Tennessee in this year's recruiting class. He's a three-star recruit according to 247sports.com.
The Dalton, Georgia, native and Northwest Whitfield County High School product is a dual-threat QB who entered Middle Tennessee's radar after attending multiple Blue Raider high school summer camps. He lettered in football, basketball and track and field at Northwest Whitfield, earning Class 4A all-state honors his senior year in football and being named the Region 6-AAAA Offensive Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. He was also all-state in basketball.
In his high-school career, Shiflett finished with over 5,000 yards passing, 2,000 yards rushing and 77 total TDs (52 passing) while also being an honor student and scholar athlete.
* denotes freshmen not yet on campus
Redshirt senior Brent Stockstill didn't participate in 2017 spring practice because of offseason shoulder surgery, but this year No. 12 is a full go. Behind him on the roster, though, new names fill in the backup roles.
Last season's top two backups, John Urzua and Kyle Banks, are no longer on the team. That's opened the door for walk-on redshirt freshman Chase Cunningham to grab onto the lead backup spot during spring drills.
With the position behind Stockstill in a little bit of flux, third-year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin knows what he wants to see this spring from the backups.
"I want to see if they can play," he said. "We have two freshmen coming in that can hopefully play, but I think Chase also has a chance to be a good player."
Here are the quarterbacks on the roster:
Brent Stockstill, R-Sr., 6-0, 215
Stockstill is Middle Tennessee's all-time career leader in touchdown passes (77), 300-yard passing games (14), 400-yard passing games (2), passing yards per game (288.7) and completions (729). He's also 15th nationally among active players in passing yards, sixth in passing yards per game, 15th in total offense and 16th in passing efficiency.
The Murfreesboro native and Siegel High School product has been named a Conference USA Honorable Mention All-Conference the past two seasons and was the C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2015. But, injuries have sidelined him for nine games over the past two years.
Tony Franklin: "Usually, the third year you can do a whole lot more with him changing things and checking stuff and audibilizing and tagging things. That's what I'm expecting him to do this spring."
Chase Cunningham, R-Fr., 5-11, 187
Cunningham, a Knoxville native, took a redshirt season in 2017 in his first year at Middle Tennessee.
The Knoxville Catholic High School graduate finished his senior season with a 66 percent completion percentage (103-of-155), 2,358 yards passing and 30 touchdowns to earn his second all-state honor. He was also all-state as a junior in 2015 after leading Knox Catholic to a Class 4A state title and was named the state championship game MVP.
The primary backup spot to Stockstill will be Cunningham's to lose through spring drills and into the season.
Tony Franklin: "He just needs reps. He's a really smart kid and a tough kid who moves around well with a good arm. He's a good pickup for us as a walk-on."
John Turner, Fr., 6-1, 215
Turner is also a Middle Tennessee native, graduating from Smyrna High School after a successful football and basketball career there.
He finished his high-school career with 5,654 passing yards and 54 touchdowns to go with a 62 percent completion percentage. As a senior, Turner led Region 2-6A with 2,244 passing yards and 26 TDs and won seven different player of the week awards during the year.
Davis Witt, R-So., 6-2, 204
Witt is a redshirt sophomore from Clewiston, Florida. He hasn't seen any action in games for the Blue Raiders but in 2017 was named the team's Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year.
At Clewiston High School, Witt lettered in football, soccer and baseball. He was named an all-state honorable mention his senior season and ended his high-school career as Clewiston's leader in every passing category.
Jordan Middleton, R-So., 6-1, 200
Middleton, like Stockstill, is a Siegel High School graduate who excelled for the Stars on both the football and baseball fields. The redshirt sophomore started as a walk-on for the Blue Raiders and hasn't seen action in any games.
At Siegel, Middleton earned all-region as a senior and was all-district as a junior and senior. His senior-year highlights included throwing for 321 yards and two TDs against top-10 ranked Blackman and 304 yards and another two scores against also-ranked Hendersonville. He was also an all-region and all-district recipient his senior year on the Siegel baseball team.
Chance Nolan, Fr., 6-2, 195*
Nolan is traveling a long way from home to attend Middle Tennessee.
The Menifee, California, native was a rock star on the football field for Paloma Valley High School, finishing his career with school records in passing yards (9,000) and TD passes (104). He was named the league's offensive MVP as a junior and senior along with All-CIF honors both years.
It isn't just the football field where Nolan excels, either. He graduated in the top-10 in his class and intends to major in actuarial science at Middle Tennessee.
Luke Shiflett, Fr., 6-2, 185*
Shiflett was the second quarterback brought in by Middle Tennessee in this year's recruiting class. He's a three-star recruit according to 247sports.com.
The Dalton, Georgia, native and Northwest Whitfield County High School product is a dual-threat QB who entered Middle Tennessee's radar after attending multiple Blue Raider high school summer camps. He lettered in football, basketball and track and field at Northwest Whitfield, earning Class 4A all-state honors his senior year in football and being named the Region 6-AAAA Offensive Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. He was also all-state in basketball.
In his high-school career, Shiflett finished with over 5,000 yards passing, 2,000 yards rushing and 77 total TDs (52 passing) while also being an honor student and scholar athlete.
* denotes freshmen not yet on campus
Players Mentioned
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