Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Spring Position Update: Wide Receivers
4/8/2019 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A new quarterback will be under center for Middle Tennessee in 2019, and he'll need everything he can get from a talented group of wide receivers.
Led by senior Ty Lee, the receivers feature a little bit of diversity, with some bigger guys mixed with plenty of smaller speedsters. They're all competitive and tough, though, at least from what third-year MT receivers coach Austin Silvoy has seen so far through spring drills.
"Those guys are playing hard and fighting with everything they've got," he said. "That's kind of the standard that we've set … and the guys have really bought into it."
Lee is the clear leader of the group, and for good reason. Through three seasons, he's established himself as one of the best Blue Raider wideouts of all-time, ranking third in program history in career receptions, fifth in receiving yards and tied for third in touchdown grabs. He's on pace to shatter each record.
Middle Tennessee will need starters to emerge alongside Lee with a new quarterback and the departure of graduates Patrick Smith and Gatlin Casey. Silvoy and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin are looking to juniors CJ Windham and Jimmy Marshall; seniors Jocquez Bruce and Isaiah Upton; sophomore Zack Dobson; and others to fill those holes.
"We've seen some really good stuff from Jimmy [Marshall] … Isaiah Upton has done a great job … and Ty Lee and CJ [Windham], those experienced guys, have kept that same energy and competitiveness and also elevated their game," Silvoy said. "Everybody is constantly getting better each day."
The Blue Raiders will add three wideouts from their recruiting class: freshmen DJ Chisolm and Marquel Tinsley and junior transfer Jarrin Pierce. All three have loads of potential and could fight for immediate playing time, but won't be on campus until the summer.
Here are some names to focus on this spring:
Ty Lee, Sr., 5-9, 178
CJ Windham, R-Jr., 6-2, 200
Zack Dobson, So., 5-8, 170
Jimmy Marshall, Jr., 6-5, 227
Jocquez Bruce, R-Sr., 5-10, 177
Isaiah Upton, R-Sr., 6-0, 199
Tyrese Johnson, R-So., 5-8, 168
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
Led by senior Ty Lee, the receivers feature a little bit of diversity, with some bigger guys mixed with plenty of smaller speedsters. They're all competitive and tough, though, at least from what third-year MT receivers coach Austin Silvoy has seen so far through spring drills.
"Those guys are playing hard and fighting with everything they've got," he said. "That's kind of the standard that we've set … and the guys have really bought into it."
Lee is the clear leader of the group, and for good reason. Through three seasons, he's established himself as one of the best Blue Raider wideouts of all-time, ranking third in program history in career receptions, fifth in receiving yards and tied for third in touchdown grabs. He's on pace to shatter each record.
Middle Tennessee will need starters to emerge alongside Lee with a new quarterback and the departure of graduates Patrick Smith and Gatlin Casey. Silvoy and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin are looking to juniors CJ Windham and Jimmy Marshall; seniors Jocquez Bruce and Isaiah Upton; sophomore Zack Dobson; and others to fill those holes.
"We've seen some really good stuff from Jimmy [Marshall] … Isaiah Upton has done a great job … and Ty Lee and CJ [Windham], those experienced guys, have kept that same energy and competitiveness and also elevated their game," Silvoy said. "Everybody is constantly getting better each day."
The Blue Raiders will add three wideouts from their recruiting class: freshmen DJ Chisolm and Marquel Tinsley and junior transfer Jarrin Pierce. All three have loads of potential and could fight for immediate playing time, but won't be on campus until the summer.
Here are some names to focus on this spring:
Ty Lee, Sr., 5-9, 178
- 3rd all-time in rec., 5th in rec. yards, tied for 3rd in rec. TDs
- Two-time All-C-USA Honorable Mention (2016, 2018), 2017 Second Team All-C-USA
- 2016 FWAA and Athlon Sports Freshman All-American
- 71 rec., 883 yards, 7 TDs in 2018
CJ Windham, R-Jr., 6-2, 200
- Missed 10 games in 2018 due to injury
- In 4 games, had 6 rec., 111 yards, 3 TDs, 3 starts in 2018
Zack Dobson, So., 5-8, 170
- 15 rec., 171 rec. yards, 214 rushing yards, 5 total TDs in 2018
- Played in 9 games with 3 starts in 2018
Jimmy Marshall, Jr., 6-5, 227
- 5 rec., 107 yards, played in 12 games in 2018
Jocquez Bruce, R-Sr., 5-10, 177
- Missed 9 games due to injury in 2018
- 6 rec., 85 yards in 2018
Isaiah Upton, R-Sr., 6-0, 199
- 4 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD, played in all 14 games in 2018
Tyrese Johnson, R-So., 5-8, 168
- Played in 4 games and took a redshirt in 2018
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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