Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Offseason football position breakdown: Receivers
5/24/2020 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — In his first year as Middle Tennessee's starting quarterback in 2019, Asher O'Hara completed passes to 17 different players, racking up 2,616 yards through the air.
While those passing yards were plenty respectable for the redshirt sophomore, as were his 20 passing touchdowns, it's easy to see how he could've had more had a couple of the Blue Raiders' biggest weapons stayed healthy.
If MT is granted a better bill of health for those wideouts in 2020, O'Hara could be in for a big redshirt junior season, and the Blue Raiders might fly high yet again in the passing game.
"We're continuing to modify practice and monitor our workload … and we'll continue to find advantages and ways to keep them healthy," receivers coach Austin Silvoy said. "We just pray we don't have any more strings of bad luck.
"The list goes on and on with the guys we have. I'm extremely excited about the depth we'll have and the experience we'll have coming back."
Middle Tennessee's wide receiver corps in 2019 looked to be one of the team's strengths, with all-time great Ty Lee back for his senior year, a couple of talented juniors with size in CJ Windham and Jimmy Marshall, young speedsters in Zack Dobson and Yusuf Ali, and a promising junior college transfer in Jarrin Pierce.
Lee, Marshall and Pierce were the only three of the group to play all 12 games, however, as Windham, Dobson and Ali each missed time — for Windham and Dobson, extensive time — because of injuries. Despite those ailments, though, the Blue Raiders still finished the season ninth on the program's all-time single-season passing yardage list.
Even with Lee graduated and gone in 2020, having a healthy year from the rest of the group will give O'Hara plenty of options. Not to mention, because of the injuries in 2019, a lot of different wideouts had an opportunity to get their feet wet in games, like freshman standout DJ England-Chisolm, who played in nine games before an injury also forced him out.
"I think it's an advantage of having a lot of guys you can rotate onto the field," Silvoy said. "You can't game plan for just one or two guys. We can rotate those guys, and it gives us the advantage of keeping everyone fresh. It doesn't matter who's in the game … anyone can be a playmaker."
Windham, Marshall and Pierce will be the leaders of the group as seniors, but look for contributions from veterans and newcomers alike in 2020.
"We have a lot of really good young guys, and they've made it easy to step into a leadership role because of their attitude and the way they work," Windham said. "I have a bunch of respect and confidence in the guys we have here. … We're excited to get the season going."
Here are the receivers on the roster:
Upperclassmen
CJ Windham, R-Sr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-2/204
Hometown: Powder Springs, Georgia
• Had 13 receptions, 233 yards, 4 TDs in 6 games in 2019
• In 10 games the last 2 seasons, had 7 TDs
• Missed 16 games the last 2 seasons due to injuries
• For more on Windham: Windham eager for special senior season
Jimmy Marshall, Sr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-5/226
Hometown: Macon, Georgia
• Played in all 12 games in 2019 with 7 starts
• Career-best 35 receptions, 513 yards, 6 TDs (team high) in 2019
• Had a career game against Rice in 2019: 7 catches, 112 yards, TD
• Owns school record for receptions, yards at Tattnall Square Academy
Jarrin Pierce, R-Sr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-11/194
Hometown: Los Angeles
• Played in all 12 games in 2019 with 10 starts
• 42 receptions (second on team), team-high 562 yards, 4 TDs in 2019
• Transferred in 2019 from College of the Canyons (CA)
Zack Dobson, Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-8/175
Hometown: Knoxville (Fulton High School)
• Played in 8 games with 4 starts in 2019
• 16 receptions, 242 yards, 3 TDs, 113 rushing yards in 2019
• Shoulder injury forced him out of final 3 games in 2019
Yusuf Ali, R-Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-9/179
Hometown: Detroit (Maplewood High School, TN)
• Played in 11 games with 3 starts in 2019
• 19 receptions, 190 yards in 2019
Tyrese Johnson, R-Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-8/168
Hometown: Halls, Tennessee (Halls High School)
• Played in all 12 games in 2019
• 3 receptions, 37 yards in 2019
Underclassmen
DJ England-Chisolm, So.
Ht./Wt.: 5-7/150
Hometown: Moncks Corner, South Carolina
• Played in 9 games in 2019
• 6 receptions, 162 yards, TD in 2019
• 80-yard TD against TSU is longest catch by a true freshman in MT history
Marquel Tinsley, R-Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-2/209
Hometown: Morganfield, Kentucky
• Played in 3 games, took a redshirt in 2019; had 1 catch for 13 yards
• Led the state of Kentucky in receiving 3 years at Daviess County High School
• 200 receptions, more than 4,000 yards, 69 TDs rank in top 10 all-time in Kentucky high school football
Cole Jacobs, R-Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-10/173
Hometown: Canton, Georgia
• Took a redshirt in 2019
• All-state and Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 at Sequoyah High School
Newcomers
Bryce Bailey, Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-9/165
Hometown: Cochran, Georgia
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• 74 catches, 8 TDs, 789 rushing yards, 7 TDs in last 2 years at Bleckley High School
Jaylin Lane, Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-8/166
Hometown: Clover, South Carolina
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• All-state in 2019; 76 receptions, 1,611 yards, 30 TDs
• 14 catches, 281 yards, 4 TDs in state playoff loss to top-ranked Dorman
• Owns every receiving record at Clover High School
JaMichael Thompson, Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-1/176
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• Named to the 2019 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game from Clay-Chalkville High School
Kenneth Mangrum, Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-10/168
Hometown: Smyrna (Stewarts Creek High School)
While those passing yards were plenty respectable for the redshirt sophomore, as were his 20 passing touchdowns, it's easy to see how he could've had more had a couple of the Blue Raiders' biggest weapons stayed healthy.
If MT is granted a better bill of health for those wideouts in 2020, O'Hara could be in for a big redshirt junior season, and the Blue Raiders might fly high yet again in the passing game.
"We're continuing to modify practice and monitor our workload … and we'll continue to find advantages and ways to keep them healthy," receivers coach Austin Silvoy said. "We just pray we don't have any more strings of bad luck.
"The list goes on and on with the guys we have. I'm extremely excited about the depth we'll have and the experience we'll have coming back."
Middle Tennessee's wide receiver corps in 2019 looked to be one of the team's strengths, with all-time great Ty Lee back for his senior year, a couple of talented juniors with size in CJ Windham and Jimmy Marshall, young speedsters in Zack Dobson and Yusuf Ali, and a promising junior college transfer in Jarrin Pierce.
Lee, Marshall and Pierce were the only three of the group to play all 12 games, however, as Windham, Dobson and Ali each missed time — for Windham and Dobson, extensive time — because of injuries. Despite those ailments, though, the Blue Raiders still finished the season ninth on the program's all-time single-season passing yardage list.
Even with Lee graduated and gone in 2020, having a healthy year from the rest of the group will give O'Hara plenty of options. Not to mention, because of the injuries in 2019, a lot of different wideouts had an opportunity to get their feet wet in games, like freshman standout DJ England-Chisolm, who played in nine games before an injury also forced him out.
"I think it's an advantage of having a lot of guys you can rotate onto the field," Silvoy said. "You can't game plan for just one or two guys. We can rotate those guys, and it gives us the advantage of keeping everyone fresh. It doesn't matter who's in the game … anyone can be a playmaker."
Windham, Marshall and Pierce will be the leaders of the group as seniors, but look for contributions from veterans and newcomers alike in 2020.
"We have a lot of really good young guys, and they've made it easy to step into a leadership role because of their attitude and the way they work," Windham said. "I have a bunch of respect and confidence in the guys we have here. … We're excited to get the season going."
Here are the receivers on the roster:
Upperclassmen
CJ Windham, R-Sr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-2/204
Hometown: Powder Springs, Georgia
• Had 13 receptions, 233 yards, 4 TDs in 6 games in 2019
• In 10 games the last 2 seasons, had 7 TDs
• Missed 16 games the last 2 seasons due to injuries
• For more on Windham: Windham eager for special senior season
Jimmy Marshall, Sr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-5/226
Hometown: Macon, Georgia
• Played in all 12 games in 2019 with 7 starts
• Career-best 35 receptions, 513 yards, 6 TDs (team high) in 2019
• Had a career game against Rice in 2019: 7 catches, 112 yards, TD
• Owns school record for receptions, yards at Tattnall Square Academy
Jarrin Pierce, R-Sr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-11/194
Hometown: Los Angeles
• Played in all 12 games in 2019 with 10 starts
• 42 receptions (second on team), team-high 562 yards, 4 TDs in 2019
• Transferred in 2019 from College of the Canyons (CA)
Zack Dobson, Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-8/175
Hometown: Knoxville (Fulton High School)
• Played in 8 games with 4 starts in 2019
• 16 receptions, 242 yards, 3 TDs, 113 rushing yards in 2019
• Shoulder injury forced him out of final 3 games in 2019
Yusuf Ali, R-Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-9/179
Hometown: Detroit (Maplewood High School, TN)
• Played in 11 games with 3 starts in 2019
• 19 receptions, 190 yards in 2019
Tyrese Johnson, R-Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-8/168
Hometown: Halls, Tennessee (Halls High School)
• Played in all 12 games in 2019
• 3 receptions, 37 yards in 2019
Underclassmen
DJ England-Chisolm, So.
Ht./Wt.: 5-7/150
Hometown: Moncks Corner, South Carolina
• Played in 9 games in 2019
• 6 receptions, 162 yards, TD in 2019
• 80-yard TD against TSU is longest catch by a true freshman in MT history
Marquel Tinsley, R-Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-2/209
Hometown: Morganfield, Kentucky
• Played in 3 games, took a redshirt in 2019; had 1 catch for 13 yards
• Led the state of Kentucky in receiving 3 years at Daviess County High School
• 200 receptions, more than 4,000 yards, 69 TDs rank in top 10 all-time in Kentucky high school football
Cole Jacobs, R-Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-10/173
Hometown: Canton, Georgia
• Took a redshirt in 2019
• All-state and Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 at Sequoyah High School
Newcomers
Bryce Bailey, Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-9/165
Hometown: Cochran, Georgia
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• 74 catches, 8 TDs, 789 rushing yards, 7 TDs in last 2 years at Bleckley High School
Jaylin Lane, Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-8/166
Hometown: Clover, South Carolina
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• All-state in 2019; 76 receptions, 1,611 yards, 30 TDs
• 14 catches, 281 yards, 4 TDs in state playoff loss to top-ranked Dorman
• Owns every receiving record at Clover High School
JaMichael Thompson, Fr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-1/176
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
• 3-star recruit by 247Sports
• Named to the 2019 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game from Clay-Chalkville High School
Kenneth Mangrum, Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 5-10/168
Hometown: Smyrna (Stewarts Creek High School)
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