Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
COLUMN: Five players that have stood out early in camp
8/14/2022 6:30:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — With Scrimmage No. 1 completed on Saturday, and Practice No. 10 finished on Sunday, MTSU football is just over a third of the way through fall camp ahead of their season opener at James Madison on Sept. 3.
There's still plenty of time for depth charts to be finalized and shuffled, new schemes to be installed and new players to break out in the weeks to come. But already, new and returning players have started to make their mark across practice and particularly yesterday's scrimmage.
Here are five players that I've been impressed by early on in the Blue Raiders' season preparation.
No. 24, Darius Bracy, Running Back
Even the most engaged Blue Raider fans might only know of Bracy by watching to the end of this past week's episode of The Countdown, where he makes a cameo with running backs coach Jeff Beckles at the end. But the Central Michigan transfer, who averaged 5.9 yards a carry while backing up the NCAA's leading rusher last season (Lew Nichols) for the Chippewas, has shown many of the traits that will make him thrive in the MT offense.
He has good running back size, standing at 5-10, 214, giving him the ability to break through some tackles. He's shown good speed in space, as well as the ability to catch quick check downs when the quarterback is facing the rush. And when he's in to block, I've even seen Bracy hold his own.
In Saturday's scrimmage, he was the only Blue Raider back to the find the endzone on the ground, getting the ball past the goalline with three straight red zone runs. His well-rounded skillset reminds me a lot of Martell Pettaway's last year, a graduate transfer who ended up being the team's leading rusher by the season's end. In another camp where it appears to be running back by committee early on, this former Alabama all-state option QB has potential to be used in a lot of different situations within that committee.
No. 40, Drew Francis, Linebacker
Coach Dustin Royston, who took over as the linebackers' position coach, highlighted Francis as a good example of several different players he's working with to figure out a starting group ahead of the season opener. He was a big contributor on special teams his first two seasons with MT, playing 156 special teams snaps a season ago, but is getting an extended look for a starting job at his listed position this camp.
Alongside Devyn Curtis, who played in four games with one start at LB last season, Francis has gotten praise for his football IQ throughout camp, showing great knowledge in getting his side of the ball in the right look for what the offense is showing. There's some versatility to his skillset as well, with his football knowledge helping him succeed both as an outside, an inside and a nickel linebacker as the situation requires.
The depth chart will likely remain fluid at this position for a while the rest of camp, though Francis took many snaps with the ones during Saturday's scrimmage. But I wouldn't be surprised to hear his number called many times over the Floyd Stadium PA system this fall.
No. 86, Jeremy Tate Jr, Wide Receiver
A converted tight end coming to Murfreesboro by way of the Memphis Tigers, Tate is the most intriguing offensive weapon on Mitch Stewart's chess board. He's a massive target in the passing game, standing at 6-5, 259, but his tight end skillset makes him a bigger threat in the slot than many other receivers at his size. With MT's wide variety of speedsters usually lining up in the opposite slot to Tate, his presence on the field quickly becomes a matchup nightmare for the defense.
Of course, that tight end background also makes him no slouch in the running game, or as a blocker on the many screens that make up the Air Raid playbook's bread and butter. And while an air raid very rarely uses formations that feature a tight end, having a player like Tate does give coaches the option to line him up alongside the tackle, or even in the backfield as a lead blocker or additional pass protector.
Tate has a lot of competition for playing time at wide receiver, which is probably the deepest position MT has at this point in camp. But his unique skillset will open doors for him others can't even reach, and I'm very excited to see the ways he might be used in schemes week to week depending on matchups or just increasing familiarity between players and coaches.
No. 6, Deidrick Stanley II, Safety
If there's one thing I've learned Scott Shafer loves in his defensive backs, it's guys that can play multiple positions well. Stanley, an All-C-USA Freshman last year as a defensive back, certainly can play both safety positions, as well as guard receivers one-on-one in the nickel. But it was his performance at safety in the team's first scrimmage that opened my eyes to his potential.
Namely, No. 6 was all over the field early on during Saturday. Every time we looked up, it looked like he was breaking up another pass, or there to help bring down a tackle. And as pressure was dialed up on the quarterbacks as the scrimmage rolled on, he held his own one on one at times when the situation called for it. In a back-seven that'll be forced to start a lot of new faces, Stanley's steady hand will keep him on the field in some capacity.
What I'm most interested to see from him is whether his turnover ability, with one pick and two forced fumbles last season, continues to show up in 2022. Turnovers can be a bit luck-based, no doubt, particularly game to game. And the Blue Raider offense took care of the ball well during Saturday's scrimmage. But with Stanley's success last season, and likely ability to show up all over the field, I'm hopeful he can have a big year in secondary for MT.
No. 7, Zeke Rankin, Placekicker
It took until MTSU's fourth game last season for Zeke Rankin to attempt his first field goal, a 26-yarder at Charlotte he drilled through the uprights. The then-freshman kicker only ended up attempting 14 field goals on the season, making all seven within 29 yards of the goalposts, but going 3-for-7 from 30 yards and beyond, including a 1-for-3 clip from beyond 40 yards.
He was near perfect on PATs though, 44-for-45, with only a miss in a massive rainstorm against Marshall. And that level of consistency showed up in the first big test this weekend, as Rankin drilled five of six kicks from 40+ yards at the end of Saturday's fall scrimmage, as well as his one "live" kick within the redzone during the scrimmage period.
If Rankin can continue to kick at that level, it'll give MT a better chance to pick up more points on more drives this season. And with as many tight games, particularly early in the season, expected to be on the schedule, three points on a field goal could prove to be the difference to getting off to a hot start for the Blue Raiders.
There's still plenty of time for depth charts to be finalized and shuffled, new schemes to be installed and new players to break out in the weeks to come. But already, new and returning players have started to make their mark across practice and particularly yesterday's scrimmage.
Here are five players that I've been impressed by early on in the Blue Raiders' season preparation.
No. 24, Darius Bracy, Running Back
Even the most engaged Blue Raider fans might only know of Bracy by watching to the end of this past week's episode of The Countdown, where he makes a cameo with running backs coach Jeff Beckles at the end. But the Central Michigan transfer, who averaged 5.9 yards a carry while backing up the NCAA's leading rusher last season (Lew Nichols) for the Chippewas, has shown many of the traits that will make him thrive in the MT offense.
He has good running back size, standing at 5-10, 214, giving him the ability to break through some tackles. He's shown good speed in space, as well as the ability to catch quick check downs when the quarterback is facing the rush. And when he's in to block, I've even seen Bracy hold his own.
In Saturday's scrimmage, he was the only Blue Raider back to the find the endzone on the ground, getting the ball past the goalline with three straight red zone runs. His well-rounded skillset reminds me a lot of Martell Pettaway's last year, a graduate transfer who ended up being the team's leading rusher by the season's end. In another camp where it appears to be running back by committee early on, this former Alabama all-state option QB has potential to be used in a lot of different situations within that committee.
No. 40, Drew Francis, Linebacker
Coach Dustin Royston, who took over as the linebackers' position coach, highlighted Francis as a good example of several different players he's working with to figure out a starting group ahead of the season opener. He was a big contributor on special teams his first two seasons with MT, playing 156 special teams snaps a season ago, but is getting an extended look for a starting job at his listed position this camp.
Alongside Devyn Curtis, who played in four games with one start at LB last season, Francis has gotten praise for his football IQ throughout camp, showing great knowledge in getting his side of the ball in the right look for what the offense is showing. There's some versatility to his skillset as well, with his football knowledge helping him succeed both as an outside, an inside and a nickel linebacker as the situation requires.
The depth chart will likely remain fluid at this position for a while the rest of camp, though Francis took many snaps with the ones during Saturday's scrimmage. But I wouldn't be surprised to hear his number called many times over the Floyd Stadium PA system this fall.
No. 86, Jeremy Tate Jr, Wide Receiver
A converted tight end coming to Murfreesboro by way of the Memphis Tigers, Tate is the most intriguing offensive weapon on Mitch Stewart's chess board. He's a massive target in the passing game, standing at 6-5, 259, but his tight end skillset makes him a bigger threat in the slot than many other receivers at his size. With MT's wide variety of speedsters usually lining up in the opposite slot to Tate, his presence on the field quickly becomes a matchup nightmare for the defense.
Of course, that tight end background also makes him no slouch in the running game, or as a blocker on the many screens that make up the Air Raid playbook's bread and butter. And while an air raid very rarely uses formations that feature a tight end, having a player like Tate does give coaches the option to line him up alongside the tackle, or even in the backfield as a lead blocker or additional pass protector.
Tate has a lot of competition for playing time at wide receiver, which is probably the deepest position MT has at this point in camp. But his unique skillset will open doors for him others can't even reach, and I'm very excited to see the ways he might be used in schemes week to week depending on matchups or just increasing familiarity between players and coaches.
No. 6, Deidrick Stanley II, Safety
If there's one thing I've learned Scott Shafer loves in his defensive backs, it's guys that can play multiple positions well. Stanley, an All-C-USA Freshman last year as a defensive back, certainly can play both safety positions, as well as guard receivers one-on-one in the nickel. But it was his performance at safety in the team's first scrimmage that opened my eyes to his potential.
Namely, No. 6 was all over the field early on during Saturday. Every time we looked up, it looked like he was breaking up another pass, or there to help bring down a tackle. And as pressure was dialed up on the quarterbacks as the scrimmage rolled on, he held his own one on one at times when the situation called for it. In a back-seven that'll be forced to start a lot of new faces, Stanley's steady hand will keep him on the field in some capacity.
What I'm most interested to see from him is whether his turnover ability, with one pick and two forced fumbles last season, continues to show up in 2022. Turnovers can be a bit luck-based, no doubt, particularly game to game. And the Blue Raider offense took care of the ball well during Saturday's scrimmage. But with Stanley's success last season, and likely ability to show up all over the field, I'm hopeful he can have a big year in secondary for MT.
No. 7, Zeke Rankin, Placekicker
It took until MTSU's fourth game last season for Zeke Rankin to attempt his first field goal, a 26-yarder at Charlotte he drilled through the uprights. The then-freshman kicker only ended up attempting 14 field goals on the season, making all seven within 29 yards of the goalposts, but going 3-for-7 from 30 yards and beyond, including a 1-for-3 clip from beyond 40 yards.
He was near perfect on PATs though, 44-for-45, with only a miss in a massive rainstorm against Marshall. And that level of consistency showed up in the first big test this weekend, as Rankin drilled five of six kicks from 40+ yards at the end of Saturday's fall scrimmage, as well as his one "live" kick within the redzone during the scrimmage period.
If Rankin can continue to kick at that level, it'll give MT a better chance to pick up more points on more drives this season. And with as many tight games, particularly early in the season, expected to be on the schedule, three points on a field goal could prove to be the difference to getting off to a hot start for the Blue Raiders.
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