Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Spring Position Update: Offensive Line
3/27/2018 5:30:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After sporting one of Conference USA's better offensive lines for a few seasons in a row, Middle Tennessee's big nasties up front had a bit of a struggle in 2017.
Injuries riddled the line for what seemed like the whole season, and inconsistent play led to 25 sacks of Blue Raider quarterbacks, some of which caused injuries to starter Brent Stockstill and backup John Urzua.
Sixth-year offensive line coach Rick Mallory and head coach Rick Stockstill would like to see the line get back to its form from 2016, when the Raiders gave up just 14 sacks to rank as one of the best units in the country. That starts with this year's spring drills.
"We need to improve daily as individuals, which will only make us improve as a group," Mallory said. "That's what spring ball is about, is making improvements in your game. It's a toughness deal, and it's hard."
Here are the linemen on the roster:
Returning Contributors
While the returners have plenty of playing time under their belts, Mallory wants to see them take even another step starting this spring.
"It's always a work in progress," he said. "When it comes to offensive linemen, you never arrive. There's always something to get better at and there's always flaws in your game. That's just the nature of the business, and why they say offensive line coaches die young."
Left Tackle
Carlos Johnson, R-Sr., 6-3, 338
Over the past three seasons, Johnson has been one of the consistent guys Mallory has been searching for.
The Nashville native and Pearl Cohn High School product has compiled 26 starts combined the last three seasons, including 13 in 2017. He made eight starts last season at tackle and five more at guard, finishing the year with four straight at left guard, and averaged 73 snaps per game to lead all Blue Raider linemen.
This spring, Johnson will move back to the left tackle position, where one of his starts came in 2017. He'll be one of the cornerstones of the line this season no matter where he lines up.
Robert Behanan, R-Sr., 6-3, 298
Behanan was awarded Most Improved Lineman following MT's spring drills last season and turned that into an Honorable Mention All-Conference USA year.
He had only started two games in two years before making 11 in 2017, 10 coming at the center position, where he moved during fall camp.
Behanan moved to left tackle and started there in Middle Tennessee's Camellia Bowl victory, but during the game he was injured and forced to have surgery this offseason. He won't go through spring drills because of it.
Center
Josh Fannin, R-Jr., 6-3, 279
Fannin, a Hoschton, Georgia, native, came on strong late in the year for Middle Tennessee a season ago and earned the starting center spot.
After taking a redshirt in 2015, Fannin was injured and missed all of 2016 and wasn't on a lot of fans' radars to crack the starting lineup as last season got started. When Behanan went down with an injury in MT's 10th game, though, Fannin stepped in at center and never gave up his spot.
The Mill Creek High School product made starts at center in the Blue Raiders' last three games and figures to have control of the starting spot through this year's spring drills.
Right Guard
Chandler Brewer, Sr., 6-6, 312
It's clear who the leader along the offensive line is for the Blue Raiders, and you can find him at right guard.
Brewer, a former All-C-USA Freshman Team member and two-time all-conference honorable mention, has been an instrumental piece of Middle Tennessee's line the past three seasons, and that won't change this year. He's made 36 starts combined the past three seasons, six more than the next closest Raider.
He did miss one game last season with some nagging injuries, so keeping Brewer healthy will be a key focus for the Blue Raider line this season.
Right Tackle
Amir Luckett, Jr., 6-2, 265
Luckett came to Middle Tennessee last season as a sophomore after spending a year at Scottsdale Community College.
The Waddell, Arizona, native and Shadow Ridge High School product came along nicely in his sophomore season, making six starts and playing in 11 games. He was the starter at right tackle for the Blue Raiders' last five games, including the Camellia Bowl victory.
Mallory would like to see a little more consistency from Luckett this season but expects him to get a lot of time at the right tackle spot.
Other Returners
The returning starters may still have something to prove, but it doesn't come close to some of the other returners who've yet to grasp significant playing time.
If Middle Tennessee wants to get better up front this season, quality play from guys in this group will be the key, most notably because of depth purposes.
"We have a clear delineation right now," Mallory said. "The ones are doing pretty good and they are improving daily, but we have to get those twos to buy in and do what we're trying to get them to do. They're kind of kicking and screaming right now.
"We're teaching and giving them every opportunity to learn. They have an opportunity to change the way they look at themselves and how other people evaluate them."
Left Tackle
Luke Harris, R-So., 6-4, 301
Harris is entering just his third season on Middle Tennessee's campus, but he'll be 22 years old when the season starts, making him one of the older players on the team.
The former Lafayette High School graduate from Lafayette, Indiana, spent the 2015 season playing prep football at Fork Union Military Academy, where he was named a team captain. He then used a redshirt in 2016 before entering the fold last season, playing in 12 games mostly on special teams.
DJ Delfendahl, R-Fr., 6-4, 294
Like Behanan, Delfendahl won't participate in this spring's drills because of a knee injury he suffered in practice before MT's second-week matchup with Syracuse.
Delfendahl was turning heads before his injury and could be a heavy factor on the line this season. He's a former Tennessee Mr. Football finalist from Mt. Juliet High School and was voted all-state, all-region and USA Today 2nd Team All-USA Tennessee as a senior.
Left Guard
Angelo Owens, R-Sr., 6-4, 298
Owens is attempting a comeback of sorts after not seeing the field the last two seasons for Middle Tennessee.
He transferred to MT in 2016 from Dodge City Community College, and after redshirting the 2016 season he appeared primed to get a starting spot going into 2017. A preseason injury derailed those plans, though, and now Owens is a senior ready to get into the action at Floyd Stadium.
Jack Mitchell, R-Sr., 6-2, 300
Mitchell saw action in seven games a season ago for Middle Tennessee, being active on 65 total snaps.
The Murfreesboro native and Riverdale graduate could see some more time this season at a guard spot if he can find more consistency.
Eric Seay, R-Fr., 6-1, 315
An Albany, Georgia, native, Seay is hoping to crack the lineup this season after taking a redshirt a season ago.
The Monroe High School product lettered in football, wrestling and track and field in high school and as a senior earned first team all-region and all-area his senior year.
Center
Jared Roberts, R-Fr., 6-2, 279
Roberts, another Tennessee native along the Middle Tennessee line, took a redshirt last season in his first year in Murfreesboro.
The Lynnville native and Giles County High School alum earned all-region honors in 2015 and 2016 and was a team captain as a senior. He also sported a 4.0 GPA in high school.
Right Guard
Eric Golston, R-Jr., 6-3, 305
Early on in fall camp last season, Golston looked to be making a push at significant playing time. Inconsistent play eventually pushed him down the depth chart, though, and he took a redshirt as a result.
The Cerritos College transfer from Long Beach, California, will have another shot at cracking the lineup this season. If anything, he has great size to be a guard for the Blue Raiders.
Ty Watkins, R-Sr., 6-1, 300
Watkins played in all 13 games for Middle Tennessee a season ago and made two starts, both coming as a tight end.
The former Northeast Oklahoma A&M transfer scored his first collegiate touchdown against Charlotte last year and will likely see time as a tight end again this season for the Blue Raiders.
Right Tackle
Cole Kirby, R-Fr., 6-4, 304
Kirby may make a strong push for playing time in his second season with Middle Tennessee.
He saw action in one game a year ago, playing in four snaps against Bowling Green before taking a redshirt. He's a former second team all-state recipient in the state of Kentucky while playing for Simpson High School and was also an academic all-state member.
Newcomers
Will Gilchrist, Jr., 6-3, 295
Ryles brings a winning pedigree to Middle Tennessee from Central High School in Phoenix City, Alabama, where he helped the team to an 11-1 record as a senior.
He was a four-year letter winner in football at Central, earning all-state honors in both his junior and senior seasons.
Matt Martin, R-So., 6-3, 285
Martin, who transferred this season to Middle Tennessee from Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, could be a great find for Mallory and the Blue Raiders.
A Pasadena, Texas, native, Martin was named NJCAA First Team All-American last season after redshirting as a true freshman. He's currently listed in the second center spot behind Fannin.
Marcus Greer, Fr., 6-3, 297*
Noted as a very tough lineman, Greer comes to Middle Tennessee fresh off an all-state senior year at Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis, Missouri.
In addition to being named all-state, Greer was also all-conference and all-district his senior season and also was honored as St. Louis offensive lineman of the year.
Tyler Falvey, Fr., 6-4, 310*
Falvey brings both good size and great smarts to the Blue Raiders.
The Altamonte Springs, Florida, native was a star on and off the field at Lake Brantley High School, lettering in football, wrestling and weight lifting. He was all-district and all-conference as a senior and a member of the National Honor Society. He's also an Eagle Scout.
Dawson Bragg, Fr., 6-6, 285*
Bragg may not have as much experience as other linemen in the class, but his size and athleticism are hard to ignore.
The Goodlettsville, Tennessee, native lettered in football and basketball at White House High School but didn't play football his junior year. He then rejoined the team as a senior and was named all-state and all-region.
*denotes freshmen not yet on campus
Injuries riddled the line for what seemed like the whole season, and inconsistent play led to 25 sacks of Blue Raider quarterbacks, some of which caused injuries to starter Brent Stockstill and backup John Urzua.
Sixth-year offensive line coach Rick Mallory and head coach Rick Stockstill would like to see the line get back to its form from 2016, when the Raiders gave up just 14 sacks to rank as one of the best units in the country. That starts with this year's spring drills.
"We need to improve daily as individuals, which will only make us improve as a group," Mallory said. "That's what spring ball is about, is making improvements in your game. It's a toughness deal, and it's hard."
Here are the linemen on the roster:
Returning Contributors
While the returners have plenty of playing time under their belts, Mallory wants to see them take even another step starting this spring.
"It's always a work in progress," he said. "When it comes to offensive linemen, you never arrive. There's always something to get better at and there's always flaws in your game. That's just the nature of the business, and why they say offensive line coaches die young."
Left Tackle
Carlos Johnson, R-Sr., 6-3, 338
Over the past three seasons, Johnson has been one of the consistent guys Mallory has been searching for.
The Nashville native and Pearl Cohn High School product has compiled 26 starts combined the last three seasons, including 13 in 2017. He made eight starts last season at tackle and five more at guard, finishing the year with four straight at left guard, and averaged 73 snaps per game to lead all Blue Raider linemen.
This spring, Johnson will move back to the left tackle position, where one of his starts came in 2017. He'll be one of the cornerstones of the line this season no matter where he lines up.
Robert Behanan, R-Sr., 6-3, 298
Behanan was awarded Most Improved Lineman following MT's spring drills last season and turned that into an Honorable Mention All-Conference USA year.
He had only started two games in two years before making 11 in 2017, 10 coming at the center position, where he moved during fall camp.
Behanan moved to left tackle and started there in Middle Tennessee's Camellia Bowl victory, but during the game he was injured and forced to have surgery this offseason. He won't go through spring drills because of it.
Center
Josh Fannin, R-Jr., 6-3, 279
Fannin, a Hoschton, Georgia, native, came on strong late in the year for Middle Tennessee a season ago and earned the starting center spot.
After taking a redshirt in 2015, Fannin was injured and missed all of 2016 and wasn't on a lot of fans' radars to crack the starting lineup as last season got started. When Behanan went down with an injury in MT's 10th game, though, Fannin stepped in at center and never gave up his spot.
The Mill Creek High School product made starts at center in the Blue Raiders' last three games and figures to have control of the starting spot through this year's spring drills.
Right Guard
Chandler Brewer, Sr., 6-6, 312
It's clear who the leader along the offensive line is for the Blue Raiders, and you can find him at right guard.
Brewer, a former All-C-USA Freshman Team member and two-time all-conference honorable mention, has been an instrumental piece of Middle Tennessee's line the past three seasons, and that won't change this year. He's made 36 starts combined the past three seasons, six more than the next closest Raider.
He did miss one game last season with some nagging injuries, so keeping Brewer healthy will be a key focus for the Blue Raider line this season.
Right Tackle
Amir Luckett, Jr., 6-2, 265
Luckett came to Middle Tennessee last season as a sophomore after spending a year at Scottsdale Community College.
The Waddell, Arizona, native and Shadow Ridge High School product came along nicely in his sophomore season, making six starts and playing in 11 games. He was the starter at right tackle for the Blue Raiders' last five games, including the Camellia Bowl victory.
Mallory would like to see a little more consistency from Luckett this season but expects him to get a lot of time at the right tackle spot.
Other Returners
The returning starters may still have something to prove, but it doesn't come close to some of the other returners who've yet to grasp significant playing time.
If Middle Tennessee wants to get better up front this season, quality play from guys in this group will be the key, most notably because of depth purposes.
"We have a clear delineation right now," Mallory said. "The ones are doing pretty good and they are improving daily, but we have to get those twos to buy in and do what we're trying to get them to do. They're kind of kicking and screaming right now.
"We're teaching and giving them every opportunity to learn. They have an opportunity to change the way they look at themselves and how other people evaluate them."
Left Tackle
Luke Harris, R-So., 6-4, 301
Harris is entering just his third season on Middle Tennessee's campus, but he'll be 22 years old when the season starts, making him one of the older players on the team.
The former Lafayette High School graduate from Lafayette, Indiana, spent the 2015 season playing prep football at Fork Union Military Academy, where he was named a team captain. He then used a redshirt in 2016 before entering the fold last season, playing in 12 games mostly on special teams.
DJ Delfendahl, R-Fr., 6-4, 294
Like Behanan, Delfendahl won't participate in this spring's drills because of a knee injury he suffered in practice before MT's second-week matchup with Syracuse.
Delfendahl was turning heads before his injury and could be a heavy factor on the line this season. He's a former Tennessee Mr. Football finalist from Mt. Juliet High School and was voted all-state, all-region and USA Today 2nd Team All-USA Tennessee as a senior.
Left Guard
Angelo Owens, R-Sr., 6-4, 298
Owens is attempting a comeback of sorts after not seeing the field the last two seasons for Middle Tennessee.
He transferred to MT in 2016 from Dodge City Community College, and after redshirting the 2016 season he appeared primed to get a starting spot going into 2017. A preseason injury derailed those plans, though, and now Owens is a senior ready to get into the action at Floyd Stadium.
Jack Mitchell, R-Sr., 6-2, 300
Mitchell saw action in seven games a season ago for Middle Tennessee, being active on 65 total snaps.
The Murfreesboro native and Riverdale graduate could see some more time this season at a guard spot if he can find more consistency.
Eric Seay, R-Fr., 6-1, 315
An Albany, Georgia, native, Seay is hoping to crack the lineup this season after taking a redshirt a season ago.
The Monroe High School product lettered in football, wrestling and track and field in high school and as a senior earned first team all-region and all-area his senior year.
Center
Jared Roberts, R-Fr., 6-2, 279
Roberts, another Tennessee native along the Middle Tennessee line, took a redshirt last season in his first year in Murfreesboro.
The Lynnville native and Giles County High School alum earned all-region honors in 2015 and 2016 and was a team captain as a senior. He also sported a 4.0 GPA in high school.
Right Guard
Eric Golston, R-Jr., 6-3, 305
Early on in fall camp last season, Golston looked to be making a push at significant playing time. Inconsistent play eventually pushed him down the depth chart, though, and he took a redshirt as a result.
The Cerritos College transfer from Long Beach, California, will have another shot at cracking the lineup this season. If anything, he has great size to be a guard for the Blue Raiders.
Ty Watkins, R-Sr., 6-1, 300
Watkins played in all 13 games for Middle Tennessee a season ago and made two starts, both coming as a tight end.
The former Northeast Oklahoma A&M transfer scored his first collegiate touchdown against Charlotte last year and will likely see time as a tight end again this season for the Blue Raiders.
Right Tackle
Cole Kirby, R-Fr., 6-4, 304
Kirby may make a strong push for playing time in his second season with Middle Tennessee.
He saw action in one game a year ago, playing in four snaps against Bowling Green before taking a redshirt. He's a former second team all-state recipient in the state of Kentucky while playing for Simpson High School and was also an academic all-state member.
Newcomers
Will Gilchrist, Jr., 6-3, 295
Gilchrist brings experience and toughness after playing two years at Blinn College. He loves contact and is always searching to get to the second level of defenders. Was a teammate of fellow signee Matt Martin at Deer Park High School where he lettered four years for Coach Chris Massey.
Jahlil Ryles, Fr., 6-3, 305*Ryles brings a winning pedigree to Middle Tennessee from Central High School in Phoenix City, Alabama, where he helped the team to an 11-1 record as a senior.
He was a four-year letter winner in football at Central, earning all-state honors in both his junior and senior seasons.
Matt Martin, R-So., 6-3, 285
Martin, who transferred this season to Middle Tennessee from Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, could be a great find for Mallory and the Blue Raiders.
A Pasadena, Texas, native, Martin was named NJCAA First Team All-American last season after redshirting as a true freshman. He's currently listed in the second center spot behind Fannin.
Marcus Greer, Fr., 6-3, 297*
Noted as a very tough lineman, Greer comes to Middle Tennessee fresh off an all-state senior year at Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis, Missouri.
In addition to being named all-state, Greer was also all-conference and all-district his senior season and also was honored as St. Louis offensive lineman of the year.
Tyler Falvey, Fr., 6-4, 310*
Falvey brings both good size and great smarts to the Blue Raiders.
The Altamonte Springs, Florida, native was a star on and off the field at Lake Brantley High School, lettering in football, wrestling and weight lifting. He was all-district and all-conference as a senior and a member of the National Honor Society. He's also an Eagle Scout.
Dawson Bragg, Fr., 6-6, 285*
Bragg may not have as much experience as other linemen in the class, but his size and athleticism are hard to ignore.
The Goodlettsville, Tennessee, native lettered in football and basketball at White House High School but didn't play football his junior year. He then rejoined the team as a senior and was named all-state and all-region.
*denotes freshmen not yet on campus
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