New players could take MT to next level

MeanGreen61 · June 29, 2005

From the MUTS board. Student news article

New players could take MT football to next level

Sports Commentary

By Jonathan Hutton

Published: Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Article Tools: Page 1 of 1

Head coach Andy McCollum has recruited some good athletes to mix well with the team. Fans will not be disappointed. This year's recruiting class will play a major role in the success or failure of this season.

If recruits can come in, play their positions well and make a positive impact on the team, then Middle Tennessee will be the Sun Belt Conference champion. Has a good ring to it, doesn't it?

The talk of the recruiting class has been defensive lineman Brandon Perry. On paper, and on the field, you can see why. He was ranked the 23rd best defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com and received offers from Florida, Auburn, Nebraska and Florida State.

Obviously, he made the right choice in choosing MT. I can't wait to see him on the line next to Jeff Littlejohn, Raymond Chaney and Devarick Scandrett, to name a few.

Among the plethora of linebackers is junior transfer Chance Dunleavy. It is easy to imagine him playing the Mike position and instantly becoming a crowd favorite. This guy is a headhunter. To put it simply, he is another Dennis Burke. North Texas running backs beware.

On the subject of running backs - be on the lookout for two freshmen who will be competing for playing time. The running back spot this fall will be similar to the quarterback competition last summer - wide open. Alton Sanders and Alex Suber are two highly talented athletes who will have their names in the pot for the position.

Sanders rushed for 2100 yards and 29 touchdowns in his senior year of high school, and Suber ran for 1600 with 16 TDs, missing three games due to back problems. Suber is reminiscent of Warrick Dunn with his stature and speed. If you want to be impressed, get on goblueraiders.com and look at his recruiting video. An instant playmaker.

Jay Robinson will be making catches this year at receiver. After looking at his size and watching his film, he may remind you a lot of Tyrone Calico. Robinson is 6-feet-4-inches, 200 pounds and runs a 4.49 40-yard dash. As a senior at MT, Calico was 6-feet-4-inches, 220 pounds and ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at his NFL combine.

Robinson will be a good target with his size going up against the cornerbacks in the SBC. We'll soon be hearing, "That's another Blue Raider first down!" at MT home games.

There isn't enough space to list all of the players who will help MT win an outright SBC championship. Everyone will contribute: the players, coaches, administration and the fans.

This will be the year. The schedule is in our favor, players are where they need to be and fans are beginning to only wear orange on days that they go hunting. It's time to paint this town royal blue. u

Jonathan Hutton is a junior mass communication major and can be reached via e-mail at jdh3x@mtsu.edu