Camp Position Breakdown: Running Backs & Receivers

8/11/2019 6:00:00 PM | Football

By: Josh Vardaman

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — With a new starting quarterback entering the fold at Middle Tennessee, it's crucial the Blue Raiders get quality play from their running backs and wide receivers.

Luckily for whoever that quarterback ends up being, plenty of experienced talent surrounds him to help make his job easier.

"We have to be a major part in getting our quarterback comfortable," redshirt senior running back Terelle West said. "We have plenty of guys so we can stay fresh and stay healthy, and I think that'll help us out."

Middle Tennessee returns its top two rushers from a season ago — Chaton Mobley and West — and all-time great receiver Ty Lee, along with several other wideouts who appear to be ready for a step up in production. A few guys — namely, Brad Anderson and CJ Windham — are also coming back from injury and look healthy and explosive.

Third-year wide receivers coach Austin Silvoy is excited for the depth at both positions, and hopes they'll make the QB transition a little smoother. He's also anxious to see how the Blue Raiders can use their unique mix of speed and size on the outside.

"We're preaching consistency and earning that guy's trust," Silvoy said. "It's not their job to give us a perfect ball, it's their job to give us a catchable ball, and it's our job to make a play.

"We have a lot of parity in our talent level. We can put guys at all different kinds of positions, and every guy has a little niche. It's great to have all those different skillsets."

Here are the running backs and wide receivers on the roster:

RBs

Chaton Mobley, R-So., 6-1, 233
• 2018 C-USA All-Freshman team member
• Led team in 2018 with 613 rushing yards, 5 total (4 rushing) TDs; 19 receptions, 153 yards
• Knoxville native (Fulton High School)

Terelle West, R-Sr., 5-10, 193
• Played in all 14 games in 2018 with 3 starts
• Second on the team in 2018 with 298 rushing yards, 1 TD; career-high 21 catches, 170 yards
• Pinson, Alabama native

Maurice Gordon, R-Sr., 5-10, 202
• Earned most-improved running back award in the spring
• Played in 9 games in 2018
• Denton, Texas native

Jayy McDonald, Jr., 5-9, 196
• Laney College transfer
• Rushed for 1,313 yards, 10 touchdowns in 2018
• Oakland, California native

RB/WR

Brad Anderson, Jr., 5-8, 166
• Missed spring drills while recovering from injury
• Played in 6 games with 4 starts in 2018
• 122 rushing yards, 332 receiving yards, 27 receptions in 2018
• Huntsville, Alabama native

WRs

Ty Lee, Sr., 5-9, 186
• MT career ranks: 3^rd in receptions, 5^th in receiving yards, 3^rd in TD receptions
• 2017 Second Team All-C-USA, two-time Honorable Mention
• Team-highs 71 receptions, 883 receiving yards, 7 TDs in 2018
• Moultrie, Georgia native

Zack Dobson, So., 1-8, 184
• Played in 9 games with 3 starts in 2018
• 214 rushing yards, 171 receiving yards, 4 total TDs in 2018
• Knoxville native (Fulton High School)

CJ Windham, R-Jr., 6-2, 207
• Played in 4 games with 3 starts in 2018; missed 9 games due to injury
• 6 catches, 111 yards, 3 TDs in 2018
• Powder Springs, Georgia native

Jimmy Marshall, Jr., 6-5, 215
• Earned most-improved receiver and grinder awards in the spring
• Played in 12 games in 2018; 5 catches, 107 yards
• Macon, Georgia native

Jocquez Bruce, R-Sr., 5-10, 178
• Played in 5 games in 2018; missed rest of season with injury
• Knoxville native (South Doyle High School)

Isaiah Upton, R-Sr., 6-0, 198
• Played in all 14 games in 2018; 4 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD
• Nashville native (East Nashville Magnet)

Ruben Garnett, R-Sr., 5-9, 170
• Played in 2 games in 2018; missed rest of season with Achilles injury
• Hepzibah, Georgia native

Zeke Cobb, R-So., 6-3, 211
• Played in 4 games in 2018
• Dalton, Georgia native

Tyrese Johnson, R-So., 5-8, 168
• Played in 4 games and took a redshirt in 2018
• Halls, Tennessee native (Halls High School)

Devon Jackson, Sr., 6-2, 198
• Played in 10 games in 2018
• CCCFCA First Team All-American in 2017 at Santa Ana College
• Renton, Washington native

Yusuf Ali, R-So., 5-9, 173
• Played in 5 games in 2018
• Detroit, Michigan native

Jarrin Pierce, R-Jr., 5-11, 184
• Transfer from College of the Canyons; led team in 2018 with 52 catches, 770 yards, 5 TDs
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• Los Angeles native

Davis Witt, R-Jr., 6-2, 200
• Made switch from QB to WR in 2018
• Clewiston, Florida native

John Turner, So., 6-1, 215
• Played in 9 times in 2018
• Murfreesboro native (Smyrna High School)

DJ England-Chisolm, Fr., 5-7, 150
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• All-state in 2018; invited to South Carolina Shrine Bowl
• Moncks Corner, South Carolina native

Marquel Tinsley, Fr., 6-2, 205
• Led state of Kentucky in receiving 3 years; 6A Player of the Year in 2018
• Had over 200 receptions, 4,000 receiving yards and 69 TDs in high school
• Morganfield, Kentucky native

Luke Bolger, Fr., 6-2, 222
• Preferred walk-on
• Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky native

Parker Bullion, R-Fr., 6-4, 209
• Redshirted in 2018
• Brentwood, Tennessee native (Brentwood High School)

HBs

Dalton Frantz, R-So., 6-0, 236
• Missed all of spring while recovering from surgery
• Murfreesboro native (Siegel High School)

Joeseph Sewell, R-So., 6-2, 246
• Played in 9 games and had 2 starts in 2018
• Murfreesboro native (Blackman High School)

William Wilcox, R-Jr., 6-6, 231
• Moved to HB in the spring
• Clarksville native (Clarksville Northeast)