Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
2020 Football Roster
Roster
Blankenship, Reed
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Jersey Number 12
Reed Blankenship
- Position:
- S
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 200
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Athens, AL
- High School:
- West Limestone
Bio
Career
• Became Middle Tennessee’s all-time leader in tackles during the Charlotte game in 2021
2021 (Senior)
• Started all 13 games
• Finished season as the team’s leading tackler with 110 stops to go with a career-best 10.0 TFLs, nine pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles
• Ranked third nationally in fumble recoveries with three and was eighth in solo tackles per game (5.8)
• Led team with 1,030 snaps played and graded out a winner all 13 games
• Had double digit tackles three times
• Voted First Team All-C-USA
• Invited to play in the 2022 East-West Shrine Game
• Earned the team’s Defensive Ironman of the Year award at the team banquet
• Named to the PFF All-Conference USA Third Team
• Named to the C-USA Preseason Watch List
• Named to the Bednarik Award Watch List
• Named a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
• Named to the Senior Bowl Watch List
• Named to NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Preseason Big Board Team
• Named to C-USA All-Academic Team
• Named a C-USA Fall Spirit Service Award winner
• Voted a permanent team captain for 2021
• Turned in eight tackles, including a TFL against Virginia Tech
• Registered 13 stops to go with a TFL and a pass breakup at UTSA
• Led team with 13 tackles at Charlotte
• Had seven stops to go with a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup in win over Marshall. Returned one fumble 90 yards for a touchdown.
• Named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4 following the Marshall game
• Announced as a 2021 Senior CLASS Award candidate on Oct. 6
• Led team with nine tackles (all solos), 2.0 TFLs, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups at UConn to earn team’s defensive player of the week award
• Had eight stops, including 2.0 TFLs and two pass breakups in win over USM
• Led team with nine tackles, including a sack, an interception and a pass breakup against FIU
• Turned in 10 stops, including a TFL in win at FAU
2020 (Senior)
• Played and started all nine games
• Led the team with 76 tackles
• Led entire team with 717 snaps played while grading out a winner eight times
• Had eight or more stops five times
• Named a permanent team captain for 2020
• Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
• Named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
• Senior Bowl Watch List
• Named to Bruce Feldman’s “Freak” List
• Earned first team preseason all-conference honors from Phil Steele
• Led team with nine tackles and a TFL at Army
• Turned in 14 tackles in win at Rice
• Led team with 11 stops at Marshall and also led team at Troy with eight stops
2019 (Junior)
• Earned Second Team All-C-USA honors
• Started all seven games he played
• Finished the year fourth on the team in tackles with 58 to go with two interceptions, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble
• Blocked two kicks during the year to tie for the national lead
• Was not involved in any contact drills during spring practice while recovering from off-season surgery
• Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
• Named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
• Voted Preseason All-C-USA
• Named to the College Football America Yearbook’s 2019 Preseason Dream Second Team
• Named to the College Football America Yearbook’s 2019 Group of 5 Preseason Starting Lineup
• Voted a team captain
• Led team with nine tackles in win over TSU to go with two interceptions and the first blocked kick of his career and went on to earn C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors
• Led team with nine stops and a forced fumble against Duke
• Recovered his first career fumble in win over Marshall
• Turned in a game-high 13 tackles, including a personal-high 11 solos, to go with a pass breakup, blocked PAT and a hurry at FAU
• Had six tackles and a pass breakup at UNT before leaving the game and seeing his season end with a broken leg
2018 (Sophomore)
• Earned First Team All-C-USA honors
• Played in 13 games and had 12 starts
• Led defense with a career-best 107 tackles on the season to go with a personal high 8.0 TFLs, four interceptions and seven pass breakups
• Ranked 16th nationally in interceptions with four
• Recorded six double-digit tackle games
• Named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 30 and the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 29
• Missed the last half of spring drills with a knee injury but is expected to be ready to go for fall camp
• Suffered a hamstring injury against UT-Martin and missed the Georgia game
• Returned to the lineup against FAU and had 10 tackles, including 1.5 TFLs
• Turned in 14 tackles in win over Marshall
• Led team with 11 stops at FIU
• Had a monster game at ODU with 17 tackles (9 solos), a sack, 3.0 TFLs and an interception he returned a record-tying 100 yards for a touchdown. His INT play earned the No. 2 spot on ESPN’s Plays of the Day
• Led the Blue Raiders with eight tackles against WKU, including a TFL, interception and two pass breakups
• Registered nine stops and two pass breakups at UTEP
• Had 10 tackles, including a TFL at Kentucky
• Only played one snap in win over UAB while recovering from a leg injury
• Led team with 11 tackles, including a TFL, in C-USA title game against UAB
• Had six solo stops and two interceptions in the New Orleans Bowl
2017 (Freshman)
• Named Honorable Mention All-C-USA
• Named to C-USA All-Freshman Team
• Played in all 13 games and had nine starts
• Finished fourth on the team with 68 tackles, including 7.0 TFLs, a sack, two interceptions and three hurries
• Made his first career start at safety against Syracuse and responded with five tackles and a key late interception
• Added six stops in win over Bowling Green
• Registered a career-high 13 tackles, including a TFL against FAU
• Returned punts for the first time in his brief career in win over FIU
• Collected two TFLs against UAB (5 total stops)
• Had a sack and two hurries against UTEP while returning five punts for 56 yards
• Added four tackles, including a TFL and an interception at Charlotte
• Turned in 11 tackles at WKU
High School
• Lettered in football and basketball at West Limestone High School
• Earned all-state, all-region, all-area, all-county and was named the Player of the year in 2016
• Was all-state, all-region, all-area, all-county and voted the Limestone County Player of the Year in 2015
• Career statistics were 3,192 rushing yards, 1,056 passing yards, 1,004 receiving yards, 46 total touchdowns, 295 tackles and 10 interceptions
• Served as team captain two years
• Member of the 2015 4A State Championship basketball team and was all-area and all-county in 2016
• Played for Coach Jordan Cantrell
Personal
• Full name: Reed Scott Blankenship
• Parents: Troy and Sandra Blankenship
• Born: 3/2/99
• Major: Exercise Science
• Became Middle Tennessee’s all-time leader in tackles during the Charlotte game in 2021
2021 (Senior)
• Started all 13 games
• Finished season as the team’s leading tackler with 110 stops to go with a career-best 10.0 TFLs, nine pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles
• Ranked third nationally in fumble recoveries with three and was eighth in solo tackles per game (5.8)
• Led team with 1,030 snaps played and graded out a winner all 13 games
• Had double digit tackles three times
• Voted First Team All-C-USA
• Invited to play in the 2022 East-West Shrine Game
• Earned the team’s Defensive Ironman of the Year award at the team banquet
• Named to the PFF All-Conference USA Third Team
• Named to the C-USA Preseason Watch List
• Named to the Bednarik Award Watch List
• Named a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
• Named to the Senior Bowl Watch List
• Named to NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Preseason Big Board Team
• Named to C-USA All-Academic Team
• Named a C-USA Fall Spirit Service Award winner
• Voted a permanent team captain for 2021
• Turned in eight tackles, including a TFL against Virginia Tech
• Registered 13 stops to go with a TFL and a pass breakup at UTSA
• Led team with 13 tackles at Charlotte
• Had seven stops to go with a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup in win over Marshall. Returned one fumble 90 yards for a touchdown.
• Named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4 following the Marshall game
• Announced as a 2021 Senior CLASS Award candidate on Oct. 6
• Led team with nine tackles (all solos), 2.0 TFLs, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups at UConn to earn team’s defensive player of the week award
• Had eight stops, including 2.0 TFLs and two pass breakups in win over USM
• Led team with nine tackles, including a sack, an interception and a pass breakup against FIU
• Turned in 10 stops, including a TFL in win at FAU
2020 (Senior)
• Played and started all nine games
• Led the team with 76 tackles
• Led entire team with 717 snaps played while grading out a winner eight times
• Had eight or more stops five times
• Named a permanent team captain for 2020
• Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
• Named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
• Senior Bowl Watch List
• Named to Bruce Feldman’s “Freak” List
• Earned first team preseason all-conference honors from Phil Steele
• Led team with nine tackles and a TFL at Army
• Turned in 14 tackles in win at Rice
• Led team with 11 stops at Marshall and also led team at Troy with eight stops
2019 (Junior)
• Earned Second Team All-C-USA honors
• Started all seven games he played
• Finished the year fourth on the team in tackles with 58 to go with two interceptions, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble
• Blocked two kicks during the year to tie for the national lead
• Was not involved in any contact drills during spring practice while recovering from off-season surgery
• Named to Bednarik Award Watch List
• Named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
• Voted Preseason All-C-USA
• Named to the College Football America Yearbook’s 2019 Preseason Dream Second Team
• Named to the College Football America Yearbook’s 2019 Group of 5 Preseason Starting Lineup
• Voted a team captain
• Led team with nine tackles in win over TSU to go with two interceptions and the first blocked kick of his career and went on to earn C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors
• Led team with nine stops and a forced fumble against Duke
• Recovered his first career fumble in win over Marshall
• Turned in a game-high 13 tackles, including a personal-high 11 solos, to go with a pass breakup, blocked PAT and a hurry at FAU
• Had six tackles and a pass breakup at UNT before leaving the game and seeing his season end with a broken leg
2018 (Sophomore)
• Earned First Team All-C-USA honors
• Played in 13 games and had 12 starts
• Led defense with a career-best 107 tackles on the season to go with a personal high 8.0 TFLs, four interceptions and seven pass breakups
• Ranked 16th nationally in interceptions with four
• Recorded six double-digit tackle games
• Named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 30 and the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 29
• Missed the last half of spring drills with a knee injury but is expected to be ready to go for fall camp
• Suffered a hamstring injury against UT-Martin and missed the Georgia game
• Returned to the lineup against FAU and had 10 tackles, including 1.5 TFLs
• Turned in 14 tackles in win over Marshall
• Led team with 11 stops at FIU
• Had a monster game at ODU with 17 tackles (9 solos), a sack, 3.0 TFLs and an interception he returned a record-tying 100 yards for a touchdown. His INT play earned the No. 2 spot on ESPN’s Plays of the Day
• Led the Blue Raiders with eight tackles against WKU, including a TFL, interception and two pass breakups
• Registered nine stops and two pass breakups at UTEP
• Had 10 tackles, including a TFL at Kentucky
• Only played one snap in win over UAB while recovering from a leg injury
• Led team with 11 tackles, including a TFL, in C-USA title game against UAB
• Had six solo stops and two interceptions in the New Orleans Bowl
2017 (Freshman)
• Named Honorable Mention All-C-USA
• Named to C-USA All-Freshman Team
• Played in all 13 games and had nine starts
• Finished fourth on the team with 68 tackles, including 7.0 TFLs, a sack, two interceptions and three hurries
• Made his first career start at safety against Syracuse and responded with five tackles and a key late interception
• Added six stops in win over Bowling Green
• Registered a career-high 13 tackles, including a TFL against FAU
• Returned punts for the first time in his brief career in win over FIU
• Collected two TFLs against UAB (5 total stops)
• Had a sack and two hurries against UTEP while returning five punts for 56 yards
• Added four tackles, including a TFL and an interception at Charlotte
• Turned in 11 tackles at WKU
High School
• Lettered in football and basketball at West Limestone High School
• Earned all-state, all-region, all-area, all-county and was named the Player of the year in 2016
• Was all-state, all-region, all-area, all-county and voted the Limestone County Player of the Year in 2015
• Career statistics were 3,192 rushing yards, 1,056 passing yards, 1,004 receiving yards, 46 total touchdowns, 295 tackles and 10 interceptions
• Served as team captain two years
• Member of the 2015 4A State Championship basketball team and was all-area and all-county in 2016
• Played for Coach Jordan Cantrell
Personal
• Full name: Reed Scott Blankenship
• Parents: Troy and Sandra Blankenship
• Born: 3/2/99
• Major: Exercise Science
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